SONICS COACH NATE MCMILLAN:

On the game:
We got after them defensively. We executed our defensive plan, which was to get pressure back into the game. I felt like probably after our third or fourth game back into the season, we got away from picking up the ball - pressuring the ball - and we wanted to get back to that tonight and just make them work. ... They do a good job of running their offense, but they need time to run their offense and we wanted to take some time off the clock and force them to go somewhere else in their offense.

On holding Kevin Garnett to 5-for-16 shooting:
Well that was the game plan, to get Garnett off the block. We wanted our bench to body him and make him work. You can't stop Garnett, [but] we wanted those guys to really body him and force him off the block so we could stay with their shooters. I thought Jerome (James) started it off, Reggie (Evans) had an opportunity, Nick (Collison), Danny (Fortson) ... all those guys had their opportunity, and they did a good job of just wearing him down. We were able to just stick with their shooters on the perimeter. That was the key.

On taking care of the basketball:
I thought a big key was that we only had nine turnovers. We didn't turn the ball over, we got opportunities at the basket, we got a few guys that had their shots falling for them - and whenever you get opportunities at the basket, you have a chance. We didn't turn the ball over tonight. That's something we try to do each night - keep it under ten, value the ball.

On taking a 20-point lead to the fourth quarter:
It's a 48-minute game. We had to continue to work. I think Minnesota's been in this situation probably three or four times this season, where they've been down 10 or 15 points and they've come back to win games. That team knows how to win, and we couldn't relax. We played two pretty good quarters and we needed to finish that with two pretty good quarters, and I think we did that. ... Tonight I thought we were the better team. We beat a very good team tonight, but it doesn't mean anything. It's one game. We'll continue to work, continue to improve. I think we're playing good basketball and we're doing some things well, and we'll continue to do that.

FORWARD RASHARD LEWIS:

On winning this game:
It does a lot for us. It gives us a little more confidence as a team. We are definitely playing some of our best basketball right now... We were written off before the season. We're trying to earn some respect, but I think I like it that way. I'd rather be the underdog.

On the Sonics bench play:
That is a big key to being successful in the NBA. You can't do it with just your starting five.

FORWARD VLADIMIR RADMANOVIC:

On the game:
We played solid defense - not the best defense in the world - but our shots were falling tonight, and all we needed to do was get a couple stops and we did that in the first half. ... It feels great when you're shooting your shots and they're all falling in. The team is playing well and you're contributing; that's the best feeling in the world. Those shots aren't going to go in every night, but you take them when you get them.

On the performance of Ray Allen and Lewis:
Rashard and Ray are both playing great basketball right now. Ray is shooting 60 percent from the three-point line. There aren't many guys in the league that can do that. And Rashard, he's a guy that's consistent. Right now you can expect the same from him every night, and that's what we need from our two best players.

On avoiding turnovers:
That's one of our goals this season, to take care of the ball. With the shooting team we have, every turnover is a wasted possession for us. We did a good job tonight. ... Everybody put us off to the side before the season, but that gives us extra motivation to come out and play hard every night. This team has been together three years now. We're putting pieces together, and finally everything is clicking.

MINNESOTA COACH FLIP SAUNDERS:

On the game:
It's frustrating. We're searching to find five guys that can play together with the same effort and the same intensity and the same concentration. ... (The second unit) gave us some good play and a nice spurt. The other guys weren't showing anything to make me put them back in, so we went with those guys. Freddie (Hoiberg) was playing hard and hit some shots. Troy (Hudson) gave us energy and did some things.

On the Sonics three-point shooting:
The three-point shots were deflating. If you make shots, the crowd gets into it. If you miss - or they keep making shots - it takes them right back out. At one point we were shooting 52 percent and outrebounding them, and were still down 13. They were making 'threes' and we were making 'twos', and they did a good job getting to the line as well. ... We had breakdowns all over the place. They broke us down up top and off penetration. Whether it was off pick-and-roll or straight penetration, it led to a lot from them.

On what the Timberwolves did wrong:
We lost some of our aggression. I always say that the team that is more aggressive will have success. Against Dallas, we were more aggressive in the last six minutes, and we won the game. It was gone tonight. If we play like we can just turn it on when we want to and be fine, that is dangerous. We have a tough stretch coming up. Indiana won a big game tonight and will be tough, and then we have Memphis. We're at the point where, if we don't buckle down, nights like this won't be uncommon.

On where his team is at physically:
We're tired and fatigued. This is a tough stretch. It started with Miami, then Detroit, then one day and we go to New Orleans. Then we went to Dallas. KG (Garnett) is extremely tired. You can see it in his face. It's not going to get any easier. We leave tomorrow for Indiana, then we play Friday, then we have Saturday and Sunday and eight days on the road. It's as tough a stretch as any one we'll play this season.

FORWARD WALLY SZCZERBIAK:

On the game:
It better not be like this game all year. We need to find a way to reverse this. We didn't play very well, and got our butts kicked. We can't let people do this to us at home.

On the Sonics:
They play free. They play with no conscience. They just let it fly. They have shooters and space the floor. They kind of play like a European team. They play for the three-point shot. When their shots are going, they're a good team.

GUARD TROY HUDSON:

On the Sonics:
In the first half, they took it to us on the pick-and-rolls. We just weren't aggressively pushing up on the pick-and-rolls. We were trying to play over the top. The point guards were getting into the paint and kicking it out. ... We just weren't aggressive on the defensive end. They got anything they wanted. They're shooting the ball well right now. ... There were times when we showed energy and played well, but you have to do it for 48 minutes against a team like that.

On facing the Pacers:
They're still going to play hard. Rick Carlisle is an excellent coach. They have a lot of players over there with pride, and those players get paid for a reason. They can play. It's their opportunity to get in and get big numbers.

GUARD FRED HOIBERG:

On the Sonics:
They shot the ball very well. A lot of times in the first half we had a hand in their face, but a lot of them were uncontested, too. We just had to adjust too many times, instead of getting into them defensively right away and making it tough. You can't make too many adjustments over the course of a game. That's too difficult. You just have to stick to the game plan, and we weren't able to do that tonight because we couldn't control the perimeter. ... We played the pick-and-roll every single way you can play it, instead of sticking to our game plan.

You have to tip your hat to them. They're playing well. They're having a great early part of the season. They're shooting the ball extremely well. Next time we play them, we need to go at them a little more aggressively.

On not establishing the post-up:
That's something we need to get back to, is scoring in the paint and playing off of Kevin in the post. He's the best player in the league. We need to play off him more. He's the guy that runs this team. He's the guy that gets people shots and makes it easy for everyone else.

2004-05 Postgame Quotes/Notes Archive