SONICS COACH NATE MCMILLAN:

On the game:
We knew this would be a gut check for us. The team has been on a streak. We came out to the East Coast and beat a very good team in Philadelphia, and coming in here back-to-back against New Jersey with no Jason Kidd had letdown written all over it. It was a scrap; it was a fight for 48 minutes. Our offense looks like we left our shooting in Philadelphia, but defensively we were able to hang on until we could make some shots. It was a gut check for this team and they responded.

On the poor shooting:
This was the first one all season and we knew it would come. We’ve been talking about it, especially today at the shootaround, that the way we shot the ball in Philadelphia wasn’t going to happen a lot. Defensively we had to get defense in the game and establish a defensive presence. As long as we felt as we could stop people, we would eventually hit some shots. Our legs looked tired and I could see that. We weren’t running and our cuts weren’t hard. They basically were getting after us being real physical and we couldn’t knock down anything. We finally had some shots to go and eventually built a lead.

FORWARD RASHARD LEWIS:

On the need for road wins:
Especially last night, we had a tough game against Philly. We couldn’t catch a flight, so we had to ride the bus over here last night and it made it a little harder on us. This is one of those games where we had to dig deep down inside if we really wanted to win it. The most important thing is that we found a way to win, even though it was an ugly game.

On the Sonics eight-game winning streak:
It gives you a little confidence knowing that we can compete in this league. We tried to stay focused because we have gotten off to good starts before, and it ended up being an up and down season. We could see a difference in the professionalism of this team.

GUARD RAY ALLEN:

On the game:
Richard (Jefferson) said something to me at the free-throw line. He said to me, 'We played some ugly basketball'. I said to him, 'It wasn’t just you guys, it was us also'. And then Richard said, 'but we make teams play ugly'. They took us out of everything that we wanted to do. They took away my shot, and they were always in my face. They got in Rashard’s face too. It was a relief that we barely got by, and I’m glad that we won the game, because to be on the roll that we’re on is wonderful.

On the Sonics offense:
There were times when I was sitting in the corner and the play was running, but Eric Williams wasn’t even looking at the ball, he was looking straight at me, and there was nothing I could do. In times when I am rolling and playing well, it behooves me to get these guys decent shots because it will build their confidence. Especially in games like this, when the other team takes me out of the game. When I’m not scoring, we have other guys who can score. It’s great to be part of a crew that can pick up the slack.

NEW JERSEY COACH LAWRENCE FRANK:

On the game:
I thought our team gave a phenomenal defensive effort. Obviously Seattle is one of the high-powered offensive teams in this league, coming in averaging 103 points per game. Unfortunately we still are plagued by the same problems of high turnovers. We just have to keep on working and pressing on because defensively we are wasting some really good performances. We just have to keep working to get better.

On losing:
I think it’s tough. We’re all disappointed when we lose. I think we have a foundation to build on defensively. Offensively, we have to keep on looking to work and look to fix the problems. We have to keep on looking to get better. The encouraging thing is that our guys are defending, even though we are in huge offensive slumps. We just have to keep on pressing on and working collectively to help us get quality shots and quality possessions.

On Travis Best's performance:
I thought Travis has given us a good lift. He’s obviously a very good role player. He’s a very talented pick-and-roll player.

FORWARD RICHARD JEFFERSON:

On the game:
We can’t let these games get away because we beat ourselves. Right now, we’re playing solid defense, but we beat ourselves. I think maybe our defense is so good because our offense is pretty unreliable right now.

On the Nets talent:
We’re as talented as we need to be and we’ve proved it defensively. Our guys are working together on the defensive end because it’s a little bit easier. Offensively, that’s going to come. We’re talented enough to win games. There’s no doubt about that.

FORWARD ERIC WILLIAMS:

On the Nets defense vs. offense:
When you hold this team to under 80 points on the defensive end, you know the guys are working hard. We’re playing defense. On the offensive end, we need to put the ball in the basket. There isn’t too much I can say about it. We had too many turnovers. We have to convert on every possession we get.

On whether the Nets are frustrated or encouraged by their progress:
It’s a little bit of both. You can say we are capable of stopping a capable team. This team here has been averaging 107 points a game and we held them to under 80 points. On the other end you normally win those games when you hold a team under 80 points. We just have to find a way to put some points on the board.

Notes: