Detroit Pistons Head Coach Dwane Casey
Re: Overall, what is the message to your guys after this game?
“The overall message was we can’t let this taint. I think we’re going the right direction both offensively and defensively, as one of the top teams in our conference. But again, it’s things we can control. The starts of the quarters: 8-0, 8-0, 9-2 was our bug-a-boo. Coming out in the third quarter, to start the third was our bug-a-boo. Things that we can control, some of the turnovers we had, the execution. Those things we can control but again we can’t let that taint. We got to keep the positive attitude, keep the growth mentality of guys getting better and again, I like the way certain guys played. I like the way Wayne (Ellington) came off the bench and really gave us a spark. I thought Luke (Kennard) did a good job of handling the ball, passing the ball. He had what five assists? We got to have everyone come in their role and figure out their role within what we’re trying to do.”
(When you find yourself down 28 and you go on that run, what does that say to you about those guys?) “I mean, the most important thing is we have to come out with that mentality in every quarter and play in a desperate mentality. Understand how hard and how desperate you have to play on every possession, and I didn’t think we did that in certain instants to start the quarters. I thought we kind of eased into the quarters and this team has been there before. They got some guys that have played a lot of playoff basketball and they played a playoff style of basketball on every possession. You make a mistake, they knock down the open shot. We will get there but I like the direction we’re going. It doesn’t feel good right now, but we have to come back after the break with our nose to the ground. We have 26/27 games to go, each possession is going to be meaningful.”
Detroit Pistons Center Andre Drummond
What do you feel like is the biggest take away from tonight?
“Nothing, we lost. Beginning of the quarters we have to come out stronger. We can’t start off 8-2, 8-2. I mean, can’t start off 8-0, 8-0, 9-2 and 8-0. Can’t start quarters like that and it is going to be hard to fight back against a good team like this. That’s really what it boils down to, just gotta start the game off the right way.”
(Do you feel like you made them feel you guys a little bit tonight or is that something that is still a work in progress?) “We played tough, we definitely played tough, but it was too late when we did turn it on. If we started the game and the quarters that way, I think we had a really good chance of winning this game.”
Detroit Pistons Forward Blake Griffin
What are your overall impressions heading into the break?
“I liked our we played in the stretch besides quarters here and there. Even the Clippers game for the most part, had one bad quarter. Bad quarter and half tonight, couple bad quarters. Yeah, that’s a positive going into the break, the way we’ve been playing basketball not just the wins.
Head Coach Brad Stevens
(Re: Decision to start Gordon Hayward)
“I think our offense is really – when our offense started taking off, I feel like we’ve had a couple of point guards in the game at once. And playing him as a second point-guard with (Marcus) Smart we thought was really important. You know, when – when Kyrie (Irving)’s not here usually we start Terry (Rozier), Smart and kind of keep that – keep that thing going. But you know, that was the general thought and then we knew we were going to switch a lot and the bigger that we could be along the perimeter, the better. You know, those guys are a load. (Blake) Griffin’s a load. We wanted to guard the three-point line as well as we could and we wanted to make sure that we just tried to a body on him at all times. And another 6’9” guy’s a – a good thing.”
(Re: Hayward’s body of work in the last few weeks)
“Well I mean, 18 on eight shots is pretty – pretty darn good. And eight assists. And you know, he rebounded, I thought, and he did some other things. You know, we’ve been playing through him a lot, period, but I think obviously in the last few games with the ball going in, people are – he’s obviously in a good rhythm. He played well against the Clippers, that kind of got overshadowed by the way we played as a team, and obviously played well in these two games.”
(Re: Back-to-back wins against ‘quality opponents’ right before the All-Star Break)
“Well this was – these were – these were ones you had to gut out. Like, yesterday you had to gut out because of how you felt going in. You know, there was – there was a – a reason to be down on Sunday, there was a reason to be licking your wounds a little bit. And then Monday’s practice was good; you felt like we were headed in the right direction. I thought we’d play well yesterday. But that doesn’t mean you’re going to win. And to come out with that one, and back it up with another physical team that had been playing really well, that was fully healthy, I thought this was a real – this was a good two days for this group. I thought it showed a lot of good – good character and hopefully we can enjoy the rest. And like I said before the game, ‘It’s a lot easier to enjoy it when you’re that sore if you’ve won a couple games.’ Because I’m sure they’re going to be sore; they were cashed at the end.”
(Re: Al Horford’s standing out in all phases of play)
“Yeah, I thought his two games were outstanding, and when he wasn’t in the game the night we struggled, when he was, we were – we were better. And that was clear last night, too, obviously. I mean he’s – against those guys with size that protect the rim so well, he gives you the ability to stretch it out and drive it.”
(Re: Reaction to people saying the Celtics play better without Kyrie Irving)
“9No. We need Kyrie to be the best version of ourselves. And we all need to be – we all need to consistently play better as a group. We’ve done that at times, and we’ve rode Kyrie in a lot of cases, and he’s carried us in a lot of games. And we need everybody at their fullest and there’s no question about it, that he’s – he is – he’s going to be a guy that is going to make a ton of plays for us moving forward. We just need him to get healthy.”
Boston Celtics Forward Al Horford
(Re: The Celtics performance tonight after back to back games)
“I feel like coach [Brad Stevens] really challenged us to come out and back up what we did last night and the group responded very well to that. We got a good win here at home.”
(Re: Flagrant foul call against Blake Griffin)
“Yeah that Blake [Griffin] is a great actor. I was going for the ball and he sold it well. I do not think it was a flagrant foul.”
(Re: How do you feel after playing against two tough matchup’s (Joel Embiid and Andre Drummond) back to back?)
“It’s tough no question, we did not have shoot around in Philly because coach [Brad Stevens] wanted us to get as much rest as we could and I appreciated that because I needed every ounce to go against Embiid and Drummond. I always just focus on the recovery aspect of it. When I have these types of games that I rest and eat as well as I can so I can go out and perform against two tough matchups.”
Boston Celtics Guard Marcus Smart
(Did it feel good to see some shots go in?)
“Yeah finally especially after last night’s performance I don’t know what was going on but that is what comes with it. You just have to keep shooting and everything worked at for me so I’m excited.”
(Re: Back to back wins)
“It is just that it gives us momentum. We played two really good teams and it came down to the wire and we executed late and we came out with the victory that is something that is going to take us down the line. It is going to build us character when we get in enough situations we will know how to prevail.”