SONICS COACH NATE MCMILLAN:

On the game:
I like the way the team responded tonight. We knew that we could play a good game and play much better. They came out tonight and set the tone early tonight. I thought our bigs did a real solid job of setting screens and playing big in the paint, and our guards got open. When our guards get open, we can shoot the ball. Tonight was just a solid effort, a solid 48 minutes by everyone who played.

On the Sonics defense:
If we can get our bigs to clog the middle and make their post player take tough shots, then we can get out and run. Tonight we did that. Antoine (Walker) is a very good post player and Jerome (James) did a very good job helping Reggie (Evans) make him work. I thought our traps were pretty good. Good reads by our defense. We made them earn their points and forced them to take some tough shots, and we were able to run after their misses.

On the individual performances on offense:
I thought Rashard (Lewis) did a nice job at both ends of the floor containing Al (Harrington) and giving us some scoring on the offensive end. Ray (Allen) is very efficient when you get him open and I thought our bigs did a good job of looking for him. Luke (Ridnour) and AD (Antonio Daniels) did a very good job of finding those guys and delivering the ball. They all worked together and made things a lot easier. We looked better.

On benefiting from home-court advantage:
We want to play like this. We want to make this a special building. We came out tonight and played aggressive basketball. The Clippers kicked us. We should have been embarrassed by that performance. We came out tonight and played solid defense and had solid execution, and played like we wanted the game.

GUARD ANTONIO DANIELS:

On getting a win:
Eventually it’s going to go. It’s a long 82-game season and there was a lot of pressure after we lost that first game, and we needed to come out tonight and show the fans and the organization that we mean business when we talk about winning and just leave it out on the floor and I think tonight we did that.

On the Sonics energy:
After the way we played in the season opener there was a lot more motivation. It was great to be home. The fans were going crazy and there was a lot of electricity and atmosphere. The only thing we took from the season opener is that we had a chance to redeem ourselves. Guys brought energy from the moment the game started. Reggie brought a lot of energy picking up the ball, Luke picking up the ball and that’s what we’re about as a team.

On wanting to play better after the opener:
It was good for us to come out and play the way we did tonight after the way we played on Wednesday. It was good to come out here and get a total team effort.

ATLANTA COACH MIKE WOODSON:

On his team's 0-2 start:
I just think we are running out of juice in terms of guys that are coming off the bench. I don’t know if I’m playing Al and Antoine too many minutes … maybe I need to start resting them a little earlier so maybe they will have something down the stretch.

On the game:
We went for the win tonight. I tried to shorten my rotation a little bit. We just didn’t have it in the latter part of the third quarter and on into the fourth. That’s when we kind of lost it.

On Harrington:
It’s a learning process. When you have been a guy coming off the bench and now you get asked to start and play big minutes, defend, and rebound, and do all the things that are necessary to be effective at that position … there is a lot involved in that and it’s a learning curve for him as well. I know that, but I think that Al is professional enough to eventually figure it out. This is just two games. We have a lot more games to play. I hope eventually he will figure it out and I think he will.

On Allen and the Sonics:
Ray is who he is. I drafted Ray in Milwaukee and Ray can score the ball in a variety of ways. He’s clever with the ball when it’s in his hands. He knows how to work off screens and get open. We knew that coming in. I thought we did a great job with (Vladimir) Radmanovic and we let Lewis have his way somewhat too. They have three offensive big weapons. We did good on one of them and didn’t get enough of them.

FORWARD AL HARRINGTON:

On the game:
We just didn’t put a complete game together. We just had too many lapses and when we have a lapse, we have a big one. We just have to figure out a way to stay in it and keep it tight. We just have to keep it close and have a chance to win it at the end.

On his performance:
Me personally, it’s on myself. I missed like seven lay ups tonight. I’m not making any excuses; I just have to make shots. That’s what my team expects me to do and that’s what they need from me.

Notes: