DETROIT PISTONS HEAD COACH DWANE CASEY:
On the team staying tough on the road:
“I thought our guys fought. The most important thing is fighting through adversity. We're on the road, and our road record was atrocious last year. One thing you have to do is fight through adversity, take punches and get back in the game. And we did it twice. In the first half and in the second half they threw a haymaker, but we withstood it. Stayed tough, stayed tough-minded and finished the game. We have a lot of things we need to work on, we did a lot of good things, but there's a lot of things we need to work on, and this is going to help us."
On Andre Drummond’s play tonight:
“Andre is very, very talented. The one thing he’s always fighting is consistency. Now he’s got to ramp it back up and bring it Friday night, then he’s got to ramp it back up and bring it Monday night. He’s an All-Star when he plays the way he played tonight, but you’ve got to do it each and every night to be elite. I think he has the ability and the ceiling to get there.”
On the Pistons’ defense:
“On defense, I thought our defense was good. The offense is going to come and go but the defense should be able to travel. We have a solid defensive team. Our goal is to be in the top five of both offense and defense. We talk more about the offense, but we practice just as much defense. It’s very important to us. You win with defense. Everybody makes a big deal about shooting the three, and ball movement and all that, but you have to be a good defensive team.”
DETROIT PISTONS CENTER ANDRE DRUMMOND:
On three-point shooting:
“It’s part of the game that I’ve worked very hard for and worked at my entire career. I’m capable of making and have the green light to take them. So, I’m having fun with it. I’m not going to be out there just gunning three’s, but if I’m open, like I told you guys earlier, I’m going to shoot it. That’s really what it boils down to.”
On his big second half:
“The game just came to me. Just got back into NBA mode again. That’s all it was. We haven’t played in so long, so we just had to get back into the swing of things and get the feel of my spots on the floor and start having fun.”
DETROIT PISTONS GUARD ISH SMITH:
On continuing to take three-point shots:
“Yes, I try to take the threes, good threes, and get the layups. We kind of got a little bit tired as you can see there in the fourth quarter but as far as pace it was pretty good. And once we start getting confident and keep taking those shots even when we miss, I think it will fall into place.”
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER HEAD COACH BILLY DONOVAN:
Opening Statement: “I thought in the first half we really did a good job on both ends of the floor. I didn’t think we closed the second quarter great, but I thought we had really, really good pace and tempo and ball movement. I thought we did pretty well. I thought to start the third quarter we had a hard time sustaining the identity that we would like to try and sustain in terms of playing faster and it takes effort to be able to do that. We, I thought, in the second half got more stagnant, we didn’t move or cut as hard. I do think that this time of year we have to continually work on our stamina, continuing to grow in our conditioning, but we have got to be able to sustain the way we want to play for the full 48 minutes. I think with that being said, there is a lot we can build off of, as it relates to tonight, in a lot of different areas. So, I think for the first game there were some really good takeaways, but still a lot we can improve upon.”
On Terrance Ferguson not shooting much: “I just think that Terrance is a guy, in my opinion, that plays every possession the right way. If he has got a shot, he’s going to shoot it, and if he doesn’t, he’s not. Are there times in the game that maybe he was open on the transition or pass that he could’ve gotten some more shots? Absolutely, but he’s going to play the right way, and I respect him for that…He really is disciplined and reliable in a lot of different ways. Now, I think he just got in foul trouble. He can learn from the new rules. I think I said this before the game, fouling had been an issue last year, and it was a problem today for him, but this is something I think with new rules, he can get better. He is a terrific defender. He has got great feet. He is long. He is athletic. He is physical. He will put his body in plays, but I think offensively he takes what the defense gives him, and I think he always plays the right way.”
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER GUARD ALEX ABRINES:
On how he felt playing tonight:
“Pretty good. Over the past couple days, I have been feeling better practicing with the team so today was kind of harder because it was a game. But, I feel great. I am glad I made those shots. The team, I think, is moving forward so I am happy for that too.”
On playing together for the first time:
“Feel like we kept the pace really high for the first half. I thought we didn’t do a good enough job in the second, I think we only scored like 39 points. We just need to keep running, keep moving the ball and play faster.”
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER GUARD DENNIS SCHRÖDER:
On what Steven Adams creates when he gets an offensive rebound:
“I mean he is unselfish, completely unselfish. He’s doing the “dirty things,” I say, what you don’t see on the stat sheet and I think overall what he does for the team is good and even offensive rebounds, getting second shots, opportunities. I think it’s big and how he’s passing the ball, even in the post, when people are cutting. It’s amazing.”