Lakers/Nuggets Postgame Analysis, J.Worthy, Bron, AD, Hayes, Reaves, Coaches Reactions | Feb 8, 2024

Lakers/Nuggets Postgame Analysis, J.Worthy, Bron, AD, Hayes, Reaves, Coaches Reactions | Feb 8, 2024

A very special day as we know the Kobe Bryant statue first of three unveiled outside crypto.com Arena we will get to that incredible ceremony all the festivities coming up uh throughout the show it certainly was very special but we do want to start first with the game

Uh that we just saw there the Lakers taking on the defending champs the Denver Nuggets first game for the Lakers after that long six-game road trip in which they went four- two they were winners of three in a row but came into this one short-handed um you’re already

Without of course Vanderbilt reddish no G Vince as we know but you go into this one without D’Angelo Russell which they’re 0 and4 without DLo this season you lose Max Christie there late in the 2 quarter it was a slow start but big game the Lakers battled they were down

By as many as 15 in the third they cut it uh actually they they had it tied at 100 at 104 they’re in the fourth but when you look at the little things down the stretch when you’re facing a team like Denver your margin for air becomes

That much more smaller Denver goes on an 80 run including a couple of Threes they were plus 18 from deep in this one uh and they got the job done yeah it it just goes to show you why Denver is a championship quality team uh you know the Lakers were right there yeah

Onepoint down tied and they just couldn’t get the ball they couldn’t get control of the basketball Denver somehow came up with an extra possession uh the Lakers couldn’t get a score then Denver would go down and score Murray hit a big three uh you know that last gamble by

Reeves a big gamble even one of the best Shooters in the in the league open they were right there they battled um but they just could not get over the hump I I thought reev had a tough night tonight uh but you know the big block by Hayes

Uh they they they showed some moments but Denver is just too good they’re still really really good even without one of their star players one of their starters um and the Lakers just came up a little bit short they had a chance yep yeah disappointing so much energy energy

In that building we were all there for the the pre uh pregame ceremony the statue ceremony really an amazing night in Downtown LA and Denver is just too good it’s a bad matchup for the Lakers it just is and what you saw tonight was a Denver team allly there were so many

Times when when there was like you know towards the end of the shot clock and Denver would just launch a three or whatever and in it went here is Michael Porter Jr H un I talk about him on the halftime show drafted later than expected a few years ago had a lot of

Injury problems and C but uh he’s become a champ well-rounded player can stick threes he can block shots he’s pretty good down low and tonight he was uh he was definitely part of that big three for Denver absolutely uh not I wouldn’t say slow start because I don’t think

It’s ever slow when you’re talking about Jamaal Murray and nicolea yage but a quiet start for them whereas it was Michael Porter Jr he had 11 of his 14 in the first half come in that first quarter just got into that rhythm in that flow I want to think about it from

This standpoint you know the Lakers came in feeling a little bit better as of late Darin said in the pregame you can look to that Boston game when it talks about maybe the swing of the season in terms of energy physicality intensity understanding the way in which we need

To play basketball they had won three straight since that that Boston win and the other thing that happened today guys the NBA trade deadline it came and it went and as of right now they do have one final roster spot to take care of which they could potentially with that

Buyout Market but with the guys that you have inside this locker room and the injuries that you’re dealing with right now to put up no moral victories at all big game but to see where you finished to see how you played as competitive as you did against the defending champs

Near the top of the West right now uh how how do you what are the takeaways I guess that you can take with you moving forward when you kind of size yourself up in a yeah they’re they’re not you know I I don’t think they’re going to

Look at this one game I think they’re going to look at like you said they’re going to look at the last four games maybe last three or four games and they’re going to they’re going to take a good look at how they played uh there’s some good things you can take away uh

From this game the they they fought back uh they role players it was too bad that that that Christin went down but Hayes bought some energy not a big stat line but he bought some energy so they’re trending they’re they’re playing pretty good uh ad massive game for him you know

I thought uh and they just ran up against a better team a championship team so look you hate to lose at home after you know having three good games but out of the four games they’ll look at it they’ll move on they’ll move forward this was this wasn’t a horrible

Game it was a game of possessions and like you said BRZ Big Shots by great players uh so yeah you know you don’t you you don’t hang your head as if it were uh a game that you should have won you know what I mean yep uh they they

Had opportunities Denver is a good team they hit some big shots when they needed to and uh you move forward you you can you can pull some positive from A Loss you don’t take a Mor viic ictory but you do pull positives and then you work on

The on the things that you need to counter on I do want to head back out to crypto.com Arena big shot Robert Ory he is standing by I want to get your thoughts uh Rob on this one at the end of the day as competitors you certainly

Just want an opportunity and a chance to compete to win the game the Lakers put themselves in that position what do you think down the stretch you know there’s one play from tiing up the layup LeBron missed they go down and they hit a big three let’s give

It up you know the Lakers play hard but if you in in the end of the game Murray took over Murray we talked about him before the game how good this guy was how he can take over a game and the way they play and the way they move the

Basketball is so indicative of a championship team so you watch the way we played the ball kind of stuck in players hands it didn’t move as sharp as as Denver did so that is the biggest key to me watching game also I want to add that if you look at the whole game

Denver was a little bit more physical than us you see where yic was pushing you see where Miller uh Murray was pushing they were getting their positions and going where they wanted to because they were more physical I think overall the Lakers need to be more physical in their play and not get

Pushed around so much Rob uh James and I were just talking you look like a sideline reporter you’re doing a great job so far it’s only one question so we’re going to throw a few more at you um you the Lakers did not make any moves

At the trade deadline uh Lakers no moves to at the trade deadline short-handed going into the game and then Max Christie gets hurt you know do you like the makeup of this roster going forward uh tonight tough gauge you’re playing the defending champs and so short-handed as well you’re very short-handed you know

If you look at this team this team is very good when you have Vendo when you have Cam those two guys are a lot and then of course when you don’t play well as a team that’s going to come in and play but let’s give it up with Jackson

Hayes he came in and played extremely well he did his thing out there he was blocking shots that rundown Block in the end of the fourth quarter was huge we just didn’t get a chance to score so it’s little things like that that you can see that the Lakers are can turn the

Corner if they keep pushing it but that’s the thing they got to keep pushing it and believing in each other because you don’t want to hang your heads because you forget the Denver Nuggets is the NBA champions and they played well enough on this great night the Kobe tribute tonight the statue and

Billing so they play good they just didn’t get this one Rob I wanted to ask you uh how many p this is a sushi that you and your son Chris at in the in the in the in the Chairman’s room tonight don’t lie don’t lie hey Chris hey Christian Christian walk Christian’s

Walking around like he owns the building like I’m following him like yo man get me in the Chairman’s room but yeah you know the thing the thing about Christian and Candace and Gabrielle they came down to support because you know what this is my first time down at Staple Center

Doing the show I am so excited you know I’m think I’m never coming back back guys I’m just saying Rob Rob let me know how it feels uh post game uh never been working here 14 years never had that opportunity but anyway trying to FaceTime him like he always does to us

Al he’s not picking up I wanted to ask you about the uh about the Kobe unveiling today like you played with Kobe I know what I felt it was it was like a such a special moment of memories it almost felt like he was there Rob your thoughts uh

It it did you know Kobe was a great teammate a great friend a great human being and I think what was what was most exciting for me was to he’ll Phil Jackson get up and talk you know you know Phil has had his health issues but

To see him get up there and talk on behalf of Kobe and the Laker family was great you know he was telling so many stories I started no no no Phil get back up there tell more stories because some of the stories I know some of the

Stories I didn’t know but I you know it’s weird when they showed the 81-point game and at the end he show show Kobe holding up the number one pointing up to the heavens where he and GG are it it’s just a amazing tribute it’s an amazing statue um I’mma stop talking about

Before I go before I start crying I don’t want that to happen on on the show because I know Ally would pick on me I would never this is the one moment that you can have your time Rob and I will let you be certainly understanding of

Course no but thank you I actually need to let you go so that you don’t take my job well done out there my friend continue all the sushi we just make sure gor’s doing his job yes oh you know gor is ask me what questions is ask I like no that’s not my

Job my job is this right here you know what I can never go in the locker room like you guys because I be looking for my old Locker seeing who’s sitting in it where’s my jersey let me suit up and let me go out there and knock some trays

Down and be big shot by one more time I hate to see that this is when I’ll put you in your spot you’re a husband Rob hang it up it’s time it’s time love you my friend great job Rob great job Rob good job Rob y’all treat me when I’m not

There pass with flying colors well done my friend thank you good Stu eighto loss for the Lakers 114 106 Jamal Murray 29 mpj 27 Nicole yic adding 24 13 and N an assist shy of a triple double Kobe now becomes the seventh Lakers Legend to get a statue in Star

Plaza joining Jerry West Elgen Baylor Magic Johnson Kareem Abdul Jabar Shaquille O’Neal and Hall of Fame broadcaster chern and for more here’s Kobe’s former teammate the Spaniard po Gasol just is the the impact that he’s had on so many people the impact that he had you know the values that he shared

You know um so many emotions you know how I was just so fortunate to to be able to be on the same team to be able to be traded here to have helped in some way um enlarged his legacy and um just some learn so much he pushed me to be a

Better player to be a better person overall and um you know I’m just uh obviously very hard today not not having him here uh in such an important meaningful moment uh but at the same time we are celebrating him and we are honoring him and and his legacy which you know goes

Beyond he was such an amazing father to hear the story of on off days he took the whole family to Disneyland and then if you go to Orange County so I have a home in lagona and so cookie and I out everybody say oh I used to see him at the mall I

Saw him at the ice cream place he always had his daughters and I was like really he said yeah he just drove up we they get out get ice cream go get go to the movies see so that’s who he was but see that wasn’t in in in being

Reported such a very very special day we continue to talk about it we were on the coverage all all afternoon obviously uh your your biggest takeaway maybe moment from today just the eloquence of the speakers including Phil Jackson he’s the one who said look you know Kobe he was

Young he was uh I want to get him in the room with Michael Jordan His Idol so he arranged for that meeting and and Phil said to Kobe ahead of time he tried to prep him he said hey you know maybe listen you know go into it with an open

Mind I know he’s your Idol but just just you know see what he has to say about you know growing into your body and being a leader so as soon as they shake hands Kobe says I could beat you in one-on-one and to me that that’s just Kobe personified right there just so

Confident uh he had some brashness in him uh he he delighted all of us I mean whether you’re in the media or or a Laker Legend like yourself I mean I always loved interviewing him after games just to see what he would say yeah because of the all the people I’ve

Interviewed my 20 years around this team Kobe and Jerry bus their words carried the most weight and if Kobe was unhappy he would let you know a total champion and and you know um I was a rookie my first year broadcasting I was you know first year Kobe came 96 I believe or

Whenever he came 97 98 96 96 and the Press was waiting down in the bowels of the of the Forum we just waiting to interview Kobe it was kind of a press conference and I he turned the corner I’d never met him before and he had this

Look on his face like it was like a kid in a candy store like he had just had a stuffed his pockets with candy he was just beaming like beaming with with with with with with so much happiness that he was here and he was there and he was

Like he was just checking out everything and he was like No Sir Mr worthy yes sir Mr worthy I was like you just called me James okay yes sir Mr worthy yeah and you could just feel something about it you know he didn’t have a great first

Start but you could just feel something about this kid and I remember Jerry West seeing him in tryouts and all the other GMS and Scouts were like we’ll take a look at this kid after after his sophomore year and Jerry West said I’ll take him

Right now and he did did all he did to get him here so I give Jerry West a lot of credit for getting him here but for for for Kobe to be as young as he was he left so much as if he were like a

Hundredy old man that’s how much he left already a girl dad a Oscar winner he he was different he I I used to call him alien because I didn’t think he was human uh I mean he was learning mandrian he was he was learning different I mean the guy was was

Different he was different didn’t have any hobbies it was just basketball he didn’t go out with the teammates on the road he was in the game watching tapes and stuff so um it’s just I’ve seen all the statues go up and I just love seeing the face when the statues unveiled and I

Look at Jerry West I look at Shaq I look at Magic I looked at chick Hearn I looked at and but just not to see him it was it was it was a damper but to see the strength of Vanessa she’s held us all up her strength has

Held us all up and it’s amazing um the Legacy it just lives is stronger than ever uh because of his family and her so it was just a it was an amazing day very well and if you don’t like how that statue looks as Vanessa said tough

You know what I personally love it you know honoring the 81o game great stuff yeah on the court the Lakers lost the first game back after returning home from the Grammy road trip Darin ham spoke with Mike trell in the media Darin did you sense a similar feel

To some of the playoff games you had in the Western Conference Finals where you just got down early made a run and couldn’t quite get over the top and what if so what do you think accounted for that I mean you a team like that man they’re a really good ball Club

Obviously defending champs you make any I mean we did a great job for the most part taking care of the ball uh but every turnover the seven they still have 15 points off our seven turnovers um I think it was five turnovers 12 points at halftime so that improved in the second

Half uh they shift a lot they try to take away the paint um I felt like a lot of times we weren’t shot ready or shot aggressive when when uh the ball got kicked out from the paint and then again you know you make any mistake they’re

Going to make you pay uh they come up with a loose ball they get offensive rebound doesn’t matter man they they they’re well oil machine um 21 Second Chance points so it’s one of those nights where you just you know you playing against a team like this you got

To be hitting on all cylinders but all that said I’m extremely proud under the circumstance is coming off this long trip facing opponent like that the way our guys competed um way they gave multiple efforts you know Jackson’s chased down block I I can go through a a

Long list of plays that our guys made that just were ultra competitive and um long as we keep doing that good things will happen for us Darin you guys Ted the game I think 344 left 100 100 then they go on a 124 run to to kind of you know make that

Distance over the last couple minutes um did it feel like shades of the Western Conference Finals at all where I’m not even thinking about the Western Conference Finals man it’s 2023 24 2024 to be exact I’m not it’s a whole new world whole new everything whole new

Season whole whole new time of the year like what happened last year happened last year we ain’t worried about that we’re trying to be the best team we can be right now in in the moment in the Here and Now Darin there were a couple of stretches that that jumped to mind where

It seemed like they were able to create like just the right shot at the right moment um tied at the end of the first quarter and I think they create off a pick and rolls two really clean looks at three that stretch youan mentioned you know they get a couple open looks they

Get a dunk um does that speak to kind of their their system and their comfortability and is that kind of what you guys are aspiring still towards as you kind of work with your continuity absolutely it it specifically speaks to joic and Murray it speaks to them and obviously

You know you know Jeff Green’s not there anymore Bruce Brown’s not there anymore um they’re very well coached uh speaks to the attention those guys draw and uh those guys just being patient knowing that they’re going to make sure they’re double team or triple team the ball’s

Going to find the right open person and uh you know we’re able to do that too again when our guys draw those same same crowds we just we can’t hes hesitate or be indecisive we got to take open shots can’t you know hold it pause for a

Second and then you know we had some good R drives but I felt like a a few of those R drives could have been threes Darin one of the challenges of the first two-thirds of the season was the In-N-Out nature of of the lineup cuz guys’s getting hurt and you’re trying

New pieces and um could there be another challenge if you know someone like Jackson right he’s emerged over this stretch but then you get healthy and then you’re dealing with a different type of lineup situation you understand what I’m saying like the the challenge of being whole yeah it’s it’s it’s it’s really

Challenging now because we have V down we’re waiting on cam and and Max just went down tonight so it’s I mean it’s until we do get hold I I I welcome that challenge you know to have bodies available I welcome that challenge you know our guys seems like you know we get

Someone playing in a great Rhythm someone is emerging getting better you know Vander was rounding out in the form of his former self and even exceeding that he goes down Max getting comfortable in the rotation playing aggressive playing good basketball tweaks his ankle tonight so the biggest

Thing is not to get discouraged not get disappointed um not feel sorry for yourself we just got to figure it out and salute to Skyler and Jackson those guys being ready to play you know ruy is going to have to do more SE wood is

Going to have to do more our guard our AR TP everybody who’s available along with Bron and AD you know we just going to have to figure this thing out Darin uh just you brought them up uh DLo and Max any update on them or any

Word on uh what’s going on with them well we’ll know something further tonight and then with Jackson just how much did you feel like his energy raised the collective energy of the team he’s on the floor it’s great that’s what he does and he’s playing really solid basketball right now really good

Disciplined basketball um his his motor man is is like none other um he he he got us a couple of extra possessions that chase down block was huge um down the stretch and you know just the joy he brings to the game that positive energy that high level energy is definitely

Infectious Darvin given the injuries um you know that continue to kind of happen um what would you say you said before the the game that you you were using this game as like a a progress report um how would you evaluate that given uh kind of where we are now I mean

Throughout the basic tenants of you know being competitive giving multiple efforts having a next play mentality guys playing for one another I give it a A+ and you know you never want to be comfortable with losing uh we need to win as many games down the stretch as

Possible but having said all of that I love the spirit that’s within our group right now um and again everybody is fighting butts off everyone is is is holding the line uh trying to cover for one another and playing unselfish basketball thanks coach thank you Austin Austin I you you’re pretty

Familiar with those actions that Denver runs after the Western Conference finals last year what what’s the difficulty of it on the floor and how they were able to execute and kind of at times it seemed like despite defensive effort uh they were able to get what they were wanting

Uh yeah I mean they got a play uh they get that they go to you know strictly in the game fourth quarter when they need a bucket and uh feel like we competed to guard it and you know they got a couple tough buckets and then uh yeah they got good

Players Austin you had that that one sequence at the end where joic had the ball you went for the strip and he you barely missed it and then he finds mpj in the corner uh what what did you see on that play and kind of that that that

Gamble and and the calculation that went into it and I guess how close you were to actually knocking the ball loose yeah honestly I thought I had it um obviously not uh and you know you know they kept running the same play him catching in the same spot and I

Seen it a couple possessions before that and seen it again and you know I thought it was a good opportunity to go you know um you know try to make make a winning play and obviously you know that shot me in the foot um you know I just

Need to be more solid uh right there but I don’t know it is what it is and you know we’ll uh or I’ll you know learn from it and get better Austin uh noon Pacific came and went without the team making any changes how would you describe the energy

Connectiveness Spirit of of the group coming into tonight’s game knowing you guys or all you got ah it’s great you know it’s you know basically been the same thing all year you know the the vibe’s been good um and you know now just having that knowing that you know this is what we

Got you know maybe add a piece on um the guys that aren’t you know on a contract right now or got bought out um but like I said this is you know what we have and uh we’re confident in that and just got to keep building that you know togetherness on the

Court hey Austin two um one you you were able to get to the co the Kobe statue unveiling um knowing what he meant to you as a kid what was it like to be in there um to see kind of that stage of people speak and and why was it

Important for you to kind of change your routine to make sure you saw it I mean basically what you said uh you know he was an idol to me you know I grew up a Laker fan uh obvious ly a big Kobe fan and you know showing up you know just

Showing my appreciation for what you know he meant to not just me but the game of basketball and um you know I got some friends from back home that are here that were able to you know attend as well and just you know overall you know sharing that experience with

Everybody was you know super cool and you know I was like a kid in the candy shop in there I couldn’t stop smiling um you know seeing the people that spoke on behalf of him uh with all the great things obviously but yeah it was a it was an amazing you know experience

For me you you mentioned Denver kind of going to the same action the same play like they kind of go get a bucket play um do you feel like you guys have found that version of that for you guys or is that not really I mean you guys have

Great these great individual kind of one-on-one players is that kind of how you guys attack those moments uh I think a lot of things go into you know those specific moments uh you know with the Personnel that we have uh there was a play that we you know ran multiple

Times tonight that you know got brown in the pocket and was something that was working for us that we continue to go back for but I think you know with the you know Personnel that we have uh in the skill sets that we have you know that kind of changes um

With you know how the game is being played than what’s up Jackson two for you first just the can you take us through the play where had the chase down block like where you saw that you might have an ability to catch it and and kind of what was going

Through your head uh honestly I didn’t even see him until I don’t even know who threw it but somebody threw it up I think it was Jamal threw it up and then I just had to bust my butt back and try to get a block I’m sure you were frustrated with

The loss but your role certainly increased uh with that group at times you were playing you know almost three on the perimeter and then getting back and playing inside what how did you feel like that evolved and then what’s uh what’s it been like for you seeing your

Minutes increase and your role increase lately uh just all about staying ready really um when I started my third year in Nola that’s was pretty much my role was what I did today and so I mean just kept trying to stay ready and impact the game

Jackson uh you guys tied the game at 100 with about 344 left uh then they went on a 124 run over the next couple minutes what did you see during that stretch that you know you guys have been playing so well up to that point and then they

Kind of distan themselves uh just breakdowns I mean uh just mental breakdowns going for gambl uh Missing rebounds uh I mean also they’re a really good team so I mean they’re going to make you pay every time you make a mistake so we just made few little crucial mistakes and they capitalized on

Those mistakes Jackson you brought an urgency to your play ever since you got the call up in Boston and um obviously you’ve been able to replicate it um you know a handful of times since then do you feel like that has rubbed off on the group at

All or or not necessarily even taken ownership for rubbing off on it do you feel a uptick in the urgency of this group considering where you are and how much seasons left uh most definitely uh all of us know what time of year it is

And all of us know we need to lock in and get some more wins out here and um yeah just make that playoff push so mean I feel like there’s a sense of urgency from all of us hey Jackson so just curious when you talk about that last 3 minute stretch

Just how frustrating is it knowing that the game was right there but it just kind of slipped away and there was really nothing you can do after that uh definitely very frustrating um I mean like a close loss like that you make a good push there at the end it’s always frustrating but

Uh me we just got to do a little a little more stuff better and uh that’s really all we can do Hayes um the team kind of struggled offensively in the first half but things improved in the second half what was the biggest uh change between the halves

That allowed the team to get back in the game uh I don’t know I would honestly just say the sense of urgency like we were talking about um we just kind of sense coming into the locker room that we were low down and we all looked at

Each other and like come on we got to turn it up and that was that yes thanks guys ready LeBron a lot going on today have Kobe statue of course um trade deadline passes coming off the Grammy trip what what did you see with the game itself though with Denver and kind of

Where things turned late as they got to that two-man game um I mean they made shots execut it um you know definitely had a it wasn’t just a two-man game it was a more of a three-man uh game but you know obviously the ball always ends

Up in Joker and Murray’s hands and they uh you know we tied the game up they made uh two big threes one from Michael Porter Jr right across from our bench when we tied the game and then uh Maul hit one as well uh behind the screen so

Um they made more plays offensively than us and was able to win a game LeBron if this group um gets some good luck with its Health that it’s eluded thus far eluded it um for two-thirds of the Season what’s it going to take if you

Have all the guys to make the push to get you to a good position come the start of the postseason uh I don’t know not sure we haven’t haven’t gotten that point so it’s all for me to to to say LeBron Austin mentioned that felt like

They kept running the same action oh uh same action kind of over and over again over the last few minutes of the game um how difficult is their offense to contain in crunch time when they are running the same play you guys know what they’re running and they still are

Executing at that level um uh very good teams they have an an ability to run plays um late in the game that they haven’t ran all all game you know and uh you know have certain packages they know they can go to where they can get a

Really good shot um but it makes it even more Dynamic when you have a point guard and you have a center as great as uh Maul and and Yi so definitely helps helps the play calls when you have those two guys LeBron when you have so much going

On like the Kobe statue trade deadline and you have these guys to play how hard is it to get everything you have put into it and leave that behind no wasn’t hard hard for me um personally I went through my regular game day routine and focused on a job at

Hand I knew the the opponent that was coming in I knew he was coming off a 12 game a 12 day six game road trip was going to be difficult on us but you know once you get on the floor you have to you have to lock in on the assignment

That’s that’s all that matters LeBron how much of a difference maker has Jackson’s energy been over this past week week and a half um his his energy his athleticism um definitely helps us for sure LeBron kind of along those questions the trade deadline comes and and goes and

Your roster doesn’t change how how much uh is it going to be on internal growth um you know guys like Jackson figure out optimizing him um optimizing Max and and kind of these emerging players on this team as you guys over this next month um try to figure this out this

Health max went down today they return to the game so our our whole year has been about health ad just taking this uh this loss Endeavor in context with you know coming off the trip and the three-game winning streak oh where do you feel like you’re

At now trade deadline is over you know what the team’s going to be uh where do you still have to improve and and you know how do you feel about where you’re at right now um I think first we just got to get healthy mean lose Max tonight um no Vando no

Dowlo Max goes out no cam no gab um so I think just getting healthy but uh the effort was there tonight we had a lot of breakdowns um for threes late in the game um just breakdowns overall where they scored but um you I like what we are as a unit

Um I think it just overall we just got to get healthy ad after it was tied at 104 where did it just go wrong for you guys after that point uh Miss shots and then breakdowns um had a break down I was going Y joic

And he kicks it to Corner in the corner for three uh you know Austin gambles you know try get to steal another three Michael Porters so um another breakdown peyon Watson gets the the back cut dunk um LeBron has a rebound slips out his hand you know so it’s just little

Breakdowns that we had and um just wasn’t scoring on the offensive end Ed what was it like for you over these last 48 hours or so um as the team and the NBA is nearing the headline are are you checking your phone is this something that you check in with your

Agent you check in with the Lakers front office to see the activity or do you show up to work tonight and see everybody in the locker room you’re like okay this what we got um it’s hard not to uh check I mean just on like Twitter and stuff like that um

But or X but uh but for the most part I’m not you know really checking her or things like that um we got three kids at home so I don’t really have time to just be on my phone like that but um if something was happening front off

Usually calls me you or send a text RP and just uh tell me what’s going on uh you know no news so I figured nothing was probably going to happen but um I mean this is our team you know this is our our team what we’re going to have

And uh like I said once we get guys healthy um you know we kind of get back into our groove but uh very very you know winnable game tonight uh you know down the stretch just kind of hurt us and then uh we got another one with another tough team coming in here

Tomorrow ad uh one of the the themes in the matchups with Denver has been a lot of talk about the two-man game with yic a Murray and a lot of times you guys kind of know what they’re running but it’s still difficult to to stop um Austin mentioned tonight it felt like

The last few minutes they were just running the same action over and over again uh how difficult is that to contain and what do you feel like you guys can learn from the way that it went in crunch time tonight kind of moving forward when you guys play these guys

Again yeah I’m go go back and watch it and um kind of see but I think the easiest thing just off the top of my head to do is just switch everything and keep the ball in front um obviously they’ll put a smaller guy um on

Joic uh and so it kind of puts us in rotations unless you know you know we put Braun on Murray and then now is you know Braun on joic at the end when we switch it but um you know they kind of get to like this page of action uh

Fourth quarter that they always run they don’t they don’t run through the entire course of the game until the fourth quarter um so we just got to be uh more discipline uh like I said I think we guarded it pretty well but we had a lot of breakdowns where they were able to

Manipulate uh you know our defense and make us pay for our breakdowns uh obviously Jamal hit a tough shot over Braun and then like I said the one bra fumbled and they scored on so um for the most part I think we were solid defensively but um fourth quarter especially late fourth

Quarter uh we just got to be better on defensively ad this is a littleit bit of a a bigger picture question but when teams talk uh about kind of you know the future and different things like that so often players you know I mean the 2027 first- round pick doesn’t really mean

Anything cuz guys aren’t on teams till 2027 um you’re under contract um with this team for a long time is is it hard to sort of balance the big picture sort of health and like it might not make sense to do something today if we can do something bigger tomorrow versus sort of

The immediate gratification of like maybe there’s a way to get a little bit better now if that makes sense at the trade deadline yeah I mean uh that’s obviously for the front office to decide and you know what’s best for our team currently and for the future um you know

My job is to go out there and play uh with whatever you know guys are on the team um I don’t really get too involved in 20 27 28 29 you know you know my focus is on like right now um I’m just glad that it’s over uh you know

It can it can kind of get a little you know wacky around trade dayline time you know guys hearing their name and rumors and uh is this going to happen it’s not going to happen and um it kind of get you know like I said wacky for guys and

You know so I’m just glad it’s over and you know we are who we are uh we have who we have and this is going to be our team and now you know it’s behind us and now we figure out how to get some more wins and move up in standards

Ad you just said it yourself you guys have what you have you are who you are once you guys do get healthier do you feel like you have you guys have a grasp on what needs to happen so you can get to that higher level of play consistently that you guys are striving

For yeah I mean you know when we move the basketball when we are healthy when we move the basketball uh play for each other play together and compete defensively uh how we did tonight and um through the course of just you know three game win a streak that we had

Before tonight um and the games that we showed that we can be a great defensive team we’re a tough team to beat um it’s tough you know when we don’t have a lot of our guyss uh but when we are healthy and we get back right get back whole um

You know we play Lakers basketball you know and that’s high assist games um getting to the line playing the transition and playing defense and uh we do those those things uh it usually turns out good for us hey D with you and Braun mostly healthy and playing at such

A high level right now considering Braun obviously is in his 21st season and during the sunset of his career how much pressure do you feel to bring him another championship um I mean I think we all want to win uh I don’t think that we were looking at

Like for us right now is just about winning the next game um you know we can’t look too far ahead in the future you know obviously that’s the end goal to win uh every year um but it’s a lot of things that we had to clean up before uh we even think

About competing for a championship so uh you know obviously our organization is used to championships um you know I think everyone in the locker room wants to win a Championship but like I said it’s a one about staying healthy but then two it’s a lot of you know things that we

Need to clean up on the floor on both ends of the floor uh before you know we able to start talking about championships [Applause] thanks coach will you describe how your team took things up a notch that final minute or so when they went on that 102

Run to close yeah I think it was a tied at 104 with I think 218 to go and give them credit they had all the momentum they were attacking us they got back in the game but I think from the 218 mark on we had scored him 10 to2 and what I

Saw in that stretch was just a Poise on offense executing um mean the one play was you know Austin Reeds came from The Blind Side to try to get the steal it’s almost like Nico has like radar he could sense him coming and he finds Michael Porter

Wide open uh for a huge three um you know Payton had a big play down the stretch you know so to to outscore that team 10-2 in the last two minutes or so that means that you’re defending at a high level and you are rebounding which

We did not do the majority of the fourth quarter but we finally were able to get some stops and rebounds and then we executed at two man game and obviously uh you know Jamal I thought was outstanding tonight uh you know he goes out there and gets 29 and 11 with seven

Boards that’s a tremendous game from him Michael Porter the shooting all throughout the game from beginning to end making big big plays uh nicoa you know I think that the the block by Jackson Hayes that would have given Nico his triple double hell of a block by him

Um so I’m proud of our guys you know it was it was a they came back they made it tight and we responded we didn’t fold on the road this is Jamal’s thirdd straight game with double double finishing with a double double what have you seen any

Parts of his game change over the last three games or how have you seen him kind of take it up an Notch yeah just being uh being aggressive you I mean um you know you look at his line tonight um we couldn’t get to the foul line you

I I can’t wait to look at the film uh but you know he was 12 of 25 from the field five of nine from three um but you’ve heard me say this a lot when Jamal is rebounding and defending and playmaking you’re getting the best version because he’s impacting winning

Across the board and uh I I thought he was outstanding tonight you come to you know expect a triple double from the cola every night and then you know Michael then even Off the Bench I thought bench gave us good minutes I mean DJ had eight boards in you know 11

And a half minutes Reggie CB pton all stepped up and made some plays for us so um 33 assists that’s always a great number that means the ball is flying around and we’re finding the open man Aon Gordon LeBron James on him a lot obviously during the during the playoffs

And the finals there Western Finals tonight even though LeBron got 20 something I thought his defense was really key for you guys when when he was in there together yeah we just gave him the defensive player of the game I thought Michael Porter you know he was uh he was really good defensively

Tonight on the ball off the ball but I agree Scott I thought Aaron’s kind of all right uh if we’re going to beat the Lakers I got to do my job and job number one for Aaron is to guard LeBron to guard ad and I thought you know what you

Never stop LeBron James he’s one of the greatest players to ever play you just want to try to make it hard for him and I think Aaron did a pretty good job of trying to make him work for everything he got serious and then by the way and

There’s a really big play The Challenge the overturn him Walling up and uh you know that call being overturned and our ball and that was another defensive play by Aaron at The Rim protecting the basket how does Joker even see that double coming I mean did somebody call

It out or do you really think he just he sensed it yeah I don’t think to be honest I I I don’t if anybody did say something I don’t know if he heard it with the crowd I just really think om that he has his sense about him you know

And it sounds maybe you know uh weird or whatever but nicoa has a sense of where everybody is on the floor his teammates as well as the Defenders and um I thought Reed was going to get it and I’m oh my gosh you can’t get a transition

Break and this game’s getting closer and closer and uh you know that wind up being a huge turning point for him to sense that be ball strong pivot and find Michael wide open for the corner three and again Michael had a going tonight and that was a big

Shot you mentioned the two man game down the stretch but it was Michael Porter it was yic it was Jamal how much of a luxury is it to have three guys that can make shots and did make shots for you guys oh it’s you know you know what you

Have in Jamal and NOA and then when you bring that third person to the party it makes it even that much more difficult because you’re really stretching the defense thin that those two Jamal Nicole attract so much attention and that’s where it’s Payton flying behind the defense for a lot it’s getting caught

Overh helping and Michael Porter in the corner for a three and the most beautiful part about it is that both Jamal and Nia are such willing and capable passers I mean they combine for 20 assists tonight you’re starting one and you’re starting five that’s a phenomenal number so uh you know there’s

A lot of things we could do to done better obviously that third quarter um give them credit they came out with their right mindset but we responded and that’s all that matters this may be a dumb question you kind of already answered but what does it mean for a

Team that your two best players two stars get 20 of your 33 assists well that means that the is a complete buyin I mean uh we preach being selfless all the time trusting the past playing with the0 five mentality good to great all the different you know coaching cliches

That you could use in terms of trying to be unselfish and you can talk about it but if you’re not about it on the court well then it’s just a hollow word but our guys live it you know they they walk that walk and and I think everybody in

That court is constantly trying to make the guy next to them better and you know one thing I always say about our group is that our guys truly play for each other you know and I think when you watch games in the NBA there’s a lot of

Teams that happen to play with each other and there’s a huge difference as you know Scott so guys just making the right play man I put two I I attract two Defenders let me get off it trust that next guy to make the right play and uh

It’s it’s a fun way to play and I think it’s a beautiful uh you know game to watch when we play the right way one more all right all right thanks everybody

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