March 15, 2009 at Toronto
Raptors 110, Pacers 87
PACERS COACH JIM O'BRIEN
(On today’s game) "They just pounded us. When they get going, they’re really good. There’s not many times this year that we’ve been out of games that we’ve lost by this type of margin. It was just one of those games that happens in the NBA."
(On Danny Granger) "He’s going to take some time. It will take a couple of games to get back into things. He’s only practiced one time and it was three or four days ago. So, he’ll be fine. It’s just going to take him a little bit of competition to get comfortable again."
PACERS GUARD T.J. FORD
(Thoughts on game) "What a bad second half that we produced. It is tough we are fighting for a playoff spot. In the second half our effort was awful."
(How troubling was the effort as you fight for a playoff spot?) "It is bad loss for us. We are putting ourselves in a deeper hole and we have some tough games coming up this week. If we want to make the playoffs we have to get these wins.
(Do you feel extra pressure playing in Toronto?) " think a lot of stuff was definitely misunderstood while I was playing here so it was not a big deal. I think that everybody in the locker room understood the situation last year and what was going on. It wasn’t anything that had to do with those guys. So for me it is not a thing where I am coming out and trying to prove something. I just came out and tried to play the game the right way and tried to get my team a victory, but that hasn’t happened the last two times that we were here.
PACERS CENTER JEFF FOSTER
(Thoughts on the game) "They basically punched us in the face. We go back home and play 10 of 14 at home and we will see if this team will step up and show that they have some balls if we want to continue this season into the playoffs or not. It is embarrassing, we got beat in every phase of the game. The last two games I do not think we have been blown out all year and the last two games have been a sign of how bad our defence is and all the mistakes we made defensively. It is causing us to struggle offensively as well.
RAPTORS COACH JAY TRIANO
(Thoughts on today’s game) "By the end of the first quarter we hadn’t been fouled once. Second quarter, we ended up shooting 36 free throws so obviously when we take the ball to the basket we are a better team and we were aggressive doing that and we got a good lift off the bench."
(Thoughts on the team getting to the basket) "Pops (Mensah-Bonsu) and Shawn (Marion) I think as well, and guys are trying to go inside a little bit more and be cognisent of the fact that we need to shrink defenses if we want to shoot the threes. If you start scoring inside teams will collapse and it’s going to open up perimeter shots and we have been very good shooting the perimeter shot lately. It will come if we keep attacking inside."
(On the team’s offensive rebounding today) "Joey Graham, I think he got us five or so, and Pops is in there and we got some deflections. Andrea (Bargnani) had a key one in the third quarter where he got it and put it back and guys are being a little more aggressive and going to the basket and when you are in five it’s a lot easier to rebound, when you settle for jump shots you are not getting too many offensive rebounds on jump shots.
RAPTORS FORWARD ANDREA BARGNANI
(Thoughts on your inside and outside game) "That’s what I’m trying to do, go inside when I have a smaller guy. Sometimes I do a good job and sometimes I have to work on it."
(Thoughts on your post game) "I’m happy I’m developing that game. It’s a credit to my teammates, they keep passing me the ball. Sometimes I make a mistake or lose the ball, they still have trust in me and they still pass me the ball anyway."
RAPTORS FORWARD POPS MENSAH-BONSU
(Thoughts on the energy you provide off the bench) "Chris Bosh, Chris Bosh, Chris Bosh. I think he anchored us today. I’m definitely going to bring the same amount of energy each game but if I have to feed off somebody else, it’s going to be that much more elevated."
"He (Chris Bosh) came in, he was rebounding, blocking shots and he was there offensively too. He was just being the all-star that he is and it’s just easier for everybody else to respond when he comes out like that and the result was evident."
RAPTORS GUARD JOSE CALDERON
(Was it a relief to get the win today?) "Well, not really. Like I said, we just needed to win."
"We’ve been playing better the last couple of games and we couldn’t finish. Today we played for 48 minutes and we have to keep working from here. We have 15 more games to go and we have to keep fighting."