See what the Brooklyn Nets had to say after their 117-112 win over the New York Knicks.
STEVE NASH
On the win:
“I don't think we were that sharp. Defensively, a few too many mistakes, we were fairly solid for the most part tonight defensively, but I thought there was a little stretch of lax defense in the first half and a stretch down the fourth quarter where we could have done a little better, but you know how it is in this league. You're playing NBA players, they have nothing to lose when they're down 12, 18 points, and you have everything to lose. So that's how this goes sometimes and we got the win which is the most important thing. But you tip your hat to the Knicks. They played hard, and made it difficult for us, and in the end we got the win.”
On Jeff Green:
“He was getting it on the short roll, he made a couple of nice floaters, made some 3s tonight, I think, two 3s, he was just smart in his rolls. James found him. James made some beautiful passes to him for layups, dunks, and then the short rolls, a few threes, you add it all up and he had a really efficient shooting night and also was our primary defender on Randle.”
On Irving defense on final play:
"Yeah, he reached in and got a piece of the ball and yeah, he made a good play. Just took Randle out of his rhythm with the slap on the ball and we survived. He got a piece of it on the way up, threw him off his rhythm, came down with it, I guess they called travel and we move on."
KYRIE IRVING
On Nets vs. Knicks:
“As a kid, obviously New Jersey versus New York, that was a big thing. Whether the Knicks were at Continental Airlines Arena, or New Jersey was at MSG, now that Brooklyn versus New York, kind of the whole entire area, a lot of people I see on Instagram and Twitter, media outlets, just New York, New York versus this whole big thing. But I think as players we feel it naturally. But obviously, being from here, it's a little bit of have a different sentiment, because I got to go home and actually be around Knicks and Nets fans. It's my family. So it's basketball, it's competition. It's a world sport. So it's just nothing but respect. But obviously you want to come out here and just have fun going against New York Knicks. They've been playing well season so well, Coach, team, and just appreciate the opportunity.”
On energy of Nets vs. Knicks with fans:
“I’ve been playing basketball practically my whole life, so getting a chance to go in front of fans, play in front of fans or anybody that’s supporting the game and wants to see players playing hard and competing at a high level and that are respectful to all the players and all the professionals that are out there, that’s what I thrive in. Just being able to go out there, prepare the right way, give all the blessings to Allah, to God, whomever you call God as well, no disrespect to anyone else. For me, before I go out there, I’m just in a meditative state and I say my prayers and I’m just honored to go out there and go and compete. Whether there’s fans there or not, same thing for me. I enjoy the game the same way, because when no one was there watching me work out or watching other guys work out we had to find some type of motivation, but when the fans are motivation it definitely adds a little bit more of an emotional atmosphere, and as players we naturally feel it. So just try to thrive on whether people are there or not, stay motivated.”
On Knicks cutting into lead in fourth quarter:
"We were obviously up double digits. We felt like we had the game closed out, but they kept coming. The momentum shifted, flow of the game shifted as well. They started getting to the free throw line, got into the bonus. We played the second, third and fourth quarter I think in the bonus pretty early. Whenever the game gets mucked up like that you’ve got to make some defensive holds, but I feel like they just kept coming at us, they just kept coming at us, and that’s why it went the way it went, just this prolonged ending to a game where we feel like we should have closed them out early on in the fourth quarter and then been on cruise control, but you’ve got to give credit when credit’s due, they kept coming.”
JAMES HARDEN
On defensive improvement:
"Huge, huge improvements. I think that’s one of the reasons we’ve been having so much success other than our communication. I think us not turning the basketball over – I think we had 15 tonight of which I had seven – I can cut down my turnovers for sure. And then rebounding the basketball. If we do those two things at a high level, we’re going to be in every single game. It’s just those two things, and I’ve got to do a better job of making better passes and less turnovers, which I can correct.”
On triple doubles:
“Whatever it takes. Like rebounding, I try to go help it, especially when we’re small. I know I have to go rebound the basketball a little bit more. I know I have to put my body on bigs a little bit more because I’m not athletic enough or big enough to be able to jump with them. I’ve got to use my body just being crafty around that rim as far as rebounding. And then playmaking, it’s just getting my teammates shots and getting our bigs easy opportunities at the rim. Offensively, I’m not being as efficient as I want to be, but that’s come and that’s the least of my worries, the least of my concerns. I’m just excited and happy to continue this journey with these guys. We’re playing some pretty good basketball right now.”
On Jeff Green:
"We scored five, six, seven times on that pick and roll. So each game is gonna be a little bit different. You watch film. You figure out what type of team they are, what they like to do. This type of team likes to pack the paint, and their bigs are in a catch, so Jeff had the pocket pass, and he was doing an unbelievable job of finishing. But each game is gonna be different. We got where teams like to guard us and we're spaced out, where teams like to pack the paint and give us shot opportunities. Each game you just read it and take what the defense gives you and you go out there and just play to your knowledge"