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NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 5: Jonas Valanciunas #17 of the New Orleans Pelicans dunks the ball during the game against the LA Clippers on January 5, 2024 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images)(Layne Murdoch Jr.)

New Orleans Pelicans vs. LA Clippers Postgame Quotes | 1/5/2024

New Orleans Pelicans vs. LA Clippers postgame quotes from Pelicans head coach Willie Green, Herbert Jones, and Jonas Valanciunas on Friday, Jan. 5 during the 2023-24 NBA season.

Willie Green recaps loss to LA | Pelicans-Clippers Postgame Interview 1/5/2024

Pelicans Head Coach Willie Green

On responding after a bad loss:

“It’s definitely a teaching moment. You lose a game and you want to see what you did well and see what you need to improve on. At the end of the day, we don’t want to be an emotional team, and hang our hats with every single win and loss. [We want to] stay the course, and tonight they were a better team.”

On the Clippers defense:

“They were physical. They were aggressive. They had their hands on us. They mixed up their defensive coverages. They blitzed some pick and rolls. They switched some pick and rolls on us, and it just took us out of what we wanted to do and we were a step slow tonight.”

Herb Jones talks Clippers' execution | Pelicans-Clippers Postgame Interview 1/5/2024

Pelicans Guard Herb Jones

On the Clippers’ performance:

“I mean, they have really talented guys. Everybody knows that. So, it was tough, especially making shots. It’s tougher to defend, they attacked a lot of the switches, and I think we did the best we could supporting our guys that were on the ball. They just made a ton of shots.”

On if fatigue played a factor in tonight’s loss:

“I don’t really blame anything on fatigue, or I try not to. I expect our guys to show up every day and give it their all each time we step on the court. I wouldn’t attribute it to any fatigue, I just think it was one of those nights tonight and we were on the bad end of it. Like I said, we just have to go back and watch film and get better.”

Jonas Valanciunas on LA's physicality | Pelicans-Clippers Postgame Interview 1/5/2024

Pelicans Center Jonas Valanciunas

On what the Clippers did on defense to make it tough for the Pelicans to score tonight:

“They were more physical, more physical than us, more physical in the first quarter. They just pushed us out of our spots and made life really difficult for us.”

On how the addition of James Harden has impacted the Clippers:

“Well, they are playing high-level basketball right now. They are strong individually, strong as a team, and are playing good basketball right now.