Willie Green | Pelicans-Heat Postgame Interview 2/23/2024
Pelicans Head Coach Willie Green
On the team’s performance:
“Defensively we were solid. The effort was there. We got down big and fought our way back into it and I love that we are an unselfish group, but we just didn’t score enough points.”
On the fight:
“I thought it was two competitive teams that want to win and sometimes you are going to have things like that happen.”
On emotions after the fight:
“I feel like our group stayed together. We played hard. The effort was there. We missed shots and opportunities that we would normally knock down. No excuses, but the second night of a back-to-back [and] they’re fresh. We’ll look at the film, but I love what we did tonight. We came up a little short and those things will happen.”
Herb Jones | Pelicans-Heat Postgame Interview 2/23/2024
Pelicans Forward Herb Jones
On regrouping in the fourth quarter:
“That’s a part of basketball. I know a lot of fans don’t usually see it, but if you play basketball–one guy’s best against another guy’s best, there’s going to be some tension if everybody’s playing hard. That’s just what happened. We knew the comeback had to be mentally ready for the physicality and just staying within what we know to do.”
On keeping the team’s confidence up on a bad shooting night:
“A shooter’s going to shoot regardless. I just tell them to keep shooting. I see them shooting every day, I’m playing against them in practice. I’m seeing the work they’re putting in. It’s not going to be overnight; I’m a prime example of it, and they shoot the ball a lot better than I do. To struggle, it just comes with it. I just tell them to keep working and keep shooting.”
Zion Williamson | Pelicans-Heat Postgame Interview 2/23/2024
Pelicans Forward Zion Williamson
On managing the physicality he faces from opponents:
“Just have to find different ways to score at this point. Especially if I’m not going to get the call, I just have to figure out another way to score in that situation. If I rely on a foul call, that could cost us a key game down the line. So, be creative with scoring.”
On if he expects teams to foul him:
“I mean, at this point, there’s nothing I can do about that. Just kind of go up strong– even when I try to sell some of the fouls, it’s tough cause you almost feel like you’re wasting a possession if you don’t get the call. So, just pick and choose your spots.""
