Postgame Quotes - Suns vs Rockets, 11/12/2008


Terry Porter
Steve Nash
Shaq
Rick Adelman

Tracy McGrady
Rafer Alston

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Suns Head Coach Terry Porter

“It was a disappointing game for us. In the first half, both teams struggled offensively, and they got a couple of breaks. Both teams shot under 40 percent, so offensively it wasn’t a pretty game. Second half, they got hot and their guys made some big shots. We just couldn’t get the ball, a couple of lose balls and things just didn’t go our way in the second half, and they kept rolling. We just couldn’t come up with answers, as far as making shots and making plays at the basket. We really struggled offensively when we needed something offensive to happen for us to get us back in the game, get some energy for us, and get the crowd back behind, we just couldn’t get it. Give them a lot of credit, we knew their guys were going to come in here and play much better than they did when they got embarrassed against the Lakers the other night. We just didn’t have it.”

(On the third quarter)
“They just got hot. We had touches in the paint, we had good looks and they didn’t fall for us. They got hot, they started making shots. We went through a stretch when we couldn’t make anything. We couldn’t make anything happen offensively to really get us back into the game and to get us into a rhythm, and get some momentum going for us offensively.”

(On going small)
“Early on we were still having good touches with Shaq. Shaq early on and throughout the game did a good job when we went into him. We got good attempts and when they did double we kicked it out and got good opportunities. Then towards the other part I tried to speed it up and took him out. They put Yao back in and then we went with the angle and tried to attack them. We were getting what we needed to get out of Shaq, he was getting deep post up positions. We were getting in situations when the ball was getting kicked out or he was making good moves right at the basket.”

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Steve Nash

“We’re struggling and we believe in one another and we just have to keep working together, keep communicating and stay having a positive attitude even when it’s difficult. Sometimes we don’t have the answers, but I think that optimism and that commitment to one another will pay off one day.”

(On the shoving match during the game)
“(Rafer Alston) ran at Matt (Barnes) and so I tried to get in there and help Matt and make sure he wasn’t getting hammered over there and try to defuse the situation and I got pushed to the ground. It happened really quickly.”

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Shaq

(On the offensive frustration)
“We just have to stay with it and take the high-percentage shot and not rely on the jump shot all the time. When we do that I think we’ll be fine.”

(On the shoving match)
“It was just a shoving match. I saw somebody push my brother Steve (Nash) and so I came to his aid. It wasn’t anything good.”

(On moving the pile of players during the incident)
“That’s what I do. Move piles.”

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Rockets Head Coach Rick Adelman

(Opening statement)
“It’s a terrific win for us, after the other night in L.A. We stormed back and really controlled the tempo well the whole game, and made shots.

(How did they contain Phoenix)
We shot better early and the two days of practice helped us. We moved the ball better, but we got back, we got back defensively. The guys followed the game plan defensively with what we wanted to do. We wanted to keep them out of the paint and keep Stoudemire from getting to the rim or the free throw line. We did a decent job on trying to cover Shaq. It was a combination. I thought our guys did a good job and Phoenix had a tough night shooting. “

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Tracy McGrady

(On altercation): “I really don’t know. I just saw my team mate get into it and Nash ran up and I was just defending my guy and the next thing I knew, I was on top of him. The big fellah pushed the heck out of me. It’s basketball, it happens and after that we just went back to playing. A big thing for us is we kept our composure and won this ball game”

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Rafer Alston

(On altercation and ejection): “He (Barnes) just took a cheap shot at me. If you look at the replay, the ref is standing there watching it. It was a dirty play, he raised his arm. Good thing he didn’t connect and knock my teeth out. I was just setting a screen, we were trying to get two for one. I was setting a screen for Mac so he could come off and get a good shot playing the shot clock situation and I don’t know if he was frustrated by his game or their game or whatever was going on, but there was no call for that. There was no call for my reaction really but sometimes when someone goes at you like that, you just react.”

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