See what the Brooklyn Nets had to say after their 86-83 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
STEVE NASH
On offensive looks down the stretch:
"You can always go back and look at a game and be like, would have liked this player to shoot or whatever it may but in the moment I thought we still were able to create some good opportunities, very makable opportunities. If you look at it, only one or two buckets in the last three or four minutes that we needed to fall and they just didn't. I thought plenty of opportunities. Now, would I want Kevin or Ky shooting every single ball? Of course, but that's not always the way it works out. We can learn from it. We can grow. We got good looks at times that just didn't go in for us. It was an uncharacteristic night in that respect but also a night that is a new experience for us. On the road and against an elite team in a hostile environment. Very physical game and at times I thought we maybe needed to just slow down a little bit have a little bit more poise and get to our spots."
On holding Bucks to 86 points again:
"I think it shows we defended well. We can always improve on the defensive end but it was a really solid game. We gave ourself a chance because of our defense. And our offense just couldn't keep up tonight. We're basically a bucket or two short. We'll have to clean up the offense but the defense was pretty solid and it's going to have to continue to be solid."
On Bruce Brown's two shots late in the game:
"We all know that we want Kevin or Ky to shoot the ball but if they don't get free they got to make the right play. So they made the right play, you give some credit to the Bucks, still we got some makeable looks, we could get better at executing and we can get better at handling these moments. It was a great test for us tonight and I think it was a lot for us to learn from.”
KEVIN DURANT
On Brooklyn defense:
“I like how we defended all game. I like how we rebounded all game. We didn’t let our missed shots dictate our defense especially when we got down big. We tied the game up. We couldn’t score for a few possessions like four or five minutes to go. I think we got good looks. Couple that were open that we missed but that’s part of the game. I just like how we stayed with it and that’s what we have to continue to do with this series is stay with the game, stay with our plan, stay with each other individually. Guys missing shots and we still encouraging one another and keep playing. Our defense has to be there no matter what.”
On Milwaukee defense:
"They played more physical, they were there at the rim and they just played their regular way, the way they've been playing the whole season. I think we got great looks, we need to knock them down, but they also did a good job of contesting and being physical and blocking shots at the rim. But for the most part we got back into the game, had plays down the stretch and they just ended up making a couple more shots."
On coming back in second quarter:
"That really was as simple as making shots. I think we got good looks, we got to the paint, we made the extra pass and we just made shots. Sometimes that's the name of the game. Both teams played incredible defensively, both teams played extremely hard, low turnover game, they had eight blocks, we had eight steals, you know what I mean? So it was one of them grind out games they just made a couple more points, they hit a couple more shots than we did."
KYRIE IRVING
On the first quarter:
"Shoot, man, they did what they were supposed to do: come out aggressive, backs against the wall, and we had to weather that storm. So definitely kind of put us on our heels for the rest of the game just playing catch up, playing their style of basketball, and then they made some big timely shots which carried them forward. But we had our chances down the stretch. It was a possession-by-possession game. Both teams battling. So that's a good ol fashioned playoff game right there.”
On if coming back from 21 points down wore Nets down:
"I think in any NBA basketball game or any competitive field, you start off down and you're gonna have to climb your way out of a hole, otherwise the game can go from 21 to 31 in a matter of five minutes, six minutes, so for us to climb back in it and give ourselves a chance down the stretch, I'm proud of our guys but obviously there's no moral victories in a situation like this. You want to come out with the win.”
On Game 3 being tough game to win when up 2-0:
“Tonight just shows you that it could go either way. In those final was in less than 24 seconds I thought (Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer) was gonna call the timeout. I'm sure other guys on the floor did too. And they went for the quick two that put them up one. It took pressure off them to come down and get into an organized set. But even just plays before that, and just in and out or just a scramble of the ball. And that's just good old fashioned playoff basketball. So when we get a less than 90-point scoring game on both sides, you look back at the film, we feel like we did a good job defending them. They feel like they did a good job defending us. So Game 4 should be special. But we've definitely got to take our lessons from this game and move on to the next one.”