Post-Game Quotes: Spurs vs. Wizards 1/06/04

On the bench - “The bench did a good job. They contributed on both ends. (It gave them) a good opportunity to play.”

On the defense - “We’re much further along than I thought. When we lost Tim and Tony the new guys didn’t get a chance to play with them. They’re starting to get the flow.”

On the play of Ron Mercer and Hedo Turkoglu - “It’s important for us (they play well). Last year we had Manu off the bench and the triumvirate (if you want to call it) did a good job. We need that off the bench in the two and three positions.”

On their defense - “It’s pretty good. I think everyone is starting to understand how we play defense now. We are doing a great job and with Timmy (Duncan) blocking shots and forcing them out to the perimiter. We have Bruce (Bowen) and it helps with him playing great defense on the best scorer every time. We are just clicking. I think we have confidence in each other.”

On Manu’s absence - “It still hurts with Manu not out there but guys like Ron Mercer and Hedo Turkoglu have stepped up. We hope we can hold on until Manu comes back. The guys are doing a great job so far; Mercer is shooting the ball really well and they are doing a great job.”

“The spurs are well coached, they have a good floor leader, you have to deal with cutters and Tim Duncan in the post, they block and alter so many shots, you have to settle for long jumpers and perimeter looks, and we just couldn’t convert one. We have at least been in every game this year, even against the Lakers, but this feels like maybe, only the second game this year were we were out-coached, out-manned, and outplayed.”

“In a situation like that down 20 points, you just keep fighting. Time outs can hopefully slow them down, but at some point you have to respond, and we never really had a response. Still we kept fighting, you always keep fighting and if you lose by thirty, at least you never gave up and you live with that.”