Postgame Quotes: Suns vs. Bulls - Jan. 12, 2013

“Obviously it was a much needed win for us. It is especially good to get it against a quality team. For the first time in a very long time we played and executed well for 4th quarters. We rebounded, shot well and played good defense. I thought P.J. Tucker did a great job against them defensively especially. They run everything through Deng and P.J did not let him get any easy baskets or let him catch the ball. We did a really good job together as a team especially battling them on the boards where we out rebounded them. Yes, this was the 2000th win for the franchise. That's great, but when you do it against a historical team like the Bulls and all they've meant to this league it is really a great achievement.”

On The Bulls shooting

“We tried to make sure that Belinelli and Luol could not get open looks for 3's. They have been hitting some big shots the last couple games. We wanted to make them play makers, not shooters. We did a good job at that and working the boards. We had a tough loss against them in Phoenix and we didn't want to have that happen again.”

“I was shooting tonight like I really wanted to make it. It is the first time in a long time I have felt that way and had the confidence. There has been sort of a cloud hanging over us for a while. We have been playing well, but then teams would go on a run, we would drop our heads, and lose the game. This game gives us hope. Tonight we went hard at it the whole game. We didn't play perfect defense, but we worked hard and found ways to get stops against a playoff team.”

“It's great to come home to Chicago always. The fact that we won the 2000th game for the franchise was even nicer. We just came out and played with energy for the whole game. It was good for us to come out and play hard and aggressive. It was especially great to get off that loosing streak. Coach, this morning in our meeting didn't have us look at film, but just talked about what we have to do to win. We needed to go out and execute, and play as a team. That's what we did tonight.”

“It can happen once in a great while, but this is too much. I have to figure it out. It is my job to get them ready. We have to play with more intensity, more of an edge. We are not doing that. We have to correct it.”

On no calls affecting the team

“Probably so from the standpoint of frustration. That sometimes leads to you think you are getting fouled and it takes your concentration away from what you should be doing. We have to handle that part better. We have to understand how quickly things can change. You go from winning a game on the road to coming home the next night and you have to get ready all over again. You have to bring that intensity to the game from the start. They got going early. I want to give them credit. They played well, they played hard and they played together. Scola got off early and then Beasley came in and he has not been playing a lot, but he hurt us. We have to be ready for everybody. We have to know everybody inside and out. I have to make sure we are ready. I have to get intensity out of our team. I have to take a hard look at everything right now.”

On changing the starting lineup

“I don't think it's a starting line-up or substitution thing. We have a situation where the starters may play one quarter well and then the next quarter they don't play as well. It is a team wide thing. When you have success you do that together and when you struggle, you do that together. We have to circle the wagons and take a hard look at everything we are doing.”

On Tucker's defense on Deng

He was tough. The challenge in this league is that you have to own your space. We talk about attack on offense but you also have to attack on defense. You have to have the mindset that you are tough and you can't look to the officials to bail you out. It is a competition, not a show. We cannot get bored with the routine.”

“Every team has great players, it's the NBA. You've just got to be ready every night. Whenever you step in this arena or the next. Anybody can be beat by anybody.”

On the team's inconsistency

“Every team is a great team in this league. Recordwise, it matters. But at the same time, it doesn't because you can lose to anybody. Every night you just have to come in and play hard. We know what we have to do, we just haven't been doing it.”

On the home record this year:

“Very disappointing. Nobody likes to lose especially at home in front of our home crowd. Monday we need to get another W at home.”

On what the team lacked tonight

“Energy. We came in flat and just showed that the whole game. We weren't ready to play. Frustration set in and they ran away with it.”