LIVE: Pelicans vs. Thunder Postgame Interviews 3/26/2024

LIVE: Pelicans vs. Thunder Postgame Interviews 3/26/2024

E e e e e e e e e e coach really good job down 20 and third coming back five-point lead late um the offensive rebounding though for the Thunder at the end seemed to be a very important part of that game late down while you were trying to close the game

Out was that a big key for you uh as far as that instraction yeah that was that was one of uh several big keys for us but um they they executed better than us the last two and a half minutes of the game um like you said offensive

Rebound offensively we we couldn’t get anything going to the basket or get a quality look uh miscommunication on us defensively they get a couple open threes um so you know give them credit they they executed late game better than we did uh but our guys battled and um they know

That that sense of urgency has to be there from the start and when it is for closer to 48 minutes um those are games that we we normally win and we probably played about you know two and a half quarters of of really good basketball

Yeah the third quarter you got on a 20 to2 run you had 1.8 straight stops what were you doing defensively that were able to kind of pile up those stops and get you back into the ball it a combination of picking up our uh physicality um I like the first half we

Just let them get to their spots we just let them run their offense um they didn’t necessarily feel our physicality in the first half and in the second half we picked it up and just continue to trust each other so we’re all extremely proud of the group in in the way that we

Fought back that game could have went any either way and for us to climb back into it and give ourselves a chance to win the game it’s a credit to the guys in the locker room unfortunately we didn’t do enough to win it and that’s um you know this is a great learning

Experience for us we’re going to play more teams like this coming up what do you feel like you guys could have done better from an execution standpoint those last three minutes of the game well it started with our defense um it’s an offensive rebound um so they they get

Offensive rebounding opportunity um they get a couple wide openen threes where we don’t continue to have multiple efforts and then offensively we we got to come down and execute our plays and execute it with some force and we just didn’t do it they they picked up their physicality

The last couple minutes took us out of sets they denied Z didn’t allow him to catch the ball we have counters for that but you know it’s it’s one of those deals where our guys know when we execute um on both ends will more than

Likely have a chance to like come out of that come out of those games with uh with a win and when we don’t and other teams do it better than us which is what happened in the last couple minutes you know it’s tough to win those games then

After half time we saw Larry and J at the big spots just what went into the decision you know going with with those two guys after half time in Center we needed to be faster against this team um they’re basically playing all wings and

In order for us to get back into it we felt like we wanted to be faster more athletic on across the board and and both Larry and uh J provide that for us well we saw Jose have to leave exit out of the arena is he okay do you have any

Update on him I I don’t I’m not sure yet I don’t have an update on on how he feels but you know hopefully he’s okay when you talk about the pace of the offense in that fourth quarter those possessions that ended with you know shot clock violations and things like that what was

Slowing down the execution and the ball movement in those situ just holding the ball holding the ball instead of just swinging it to the next guy and that’s the that’s the key for us if we hold the ball they’re good defense it allows those guys to load up on us and get

Their hands on us but when we play fast and we play0 five whether that’s swing it drive it or shoot it it’s harder for for them to get their defense set and we we started to hold the ball a bit more and then just um what has been there you

Know you come back home again and it’s just this season last season you had 28 home wins this year it’s going to be impossible to match that what’s just been the difficulty in coming home in closing out these games especially in the clutch I like where we are just

Overall whether it’s home or road I think this team is is is balanced um you know look we we like to win more home games but right now we’re focusing on a positive and um the positive for us is that we put ourselves in a position uh

With our wins um to to set history and and that’s the focus and we got another couple games here that we really want to take care of home court like you said is it’s important for us um you mentioned offensive rebound specifically for them but uh for you

Guys uh unable to capitalize on that um how would you diagnose was it something OKC was doing to kind of keep you guys off off the glass thing I don’t I’m not necessarily sure it was something they were doing I I’ll go back and look but

It it’s a mentality with us we we we have to double down on going even though we have the court more spaced with our perimeter guys and not having JV in the game we still have to double down on trying to go and that’s an area that we can continue to improve

At okay thank you e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e

What did you just think uh changed in the third quarter to to help you guys get back into um coach said it at halftime just I kind of just trust the process and what our game plan is and don’t panic and we made a run and got right back in the game

Guys we in that trade three and then offense D up with the last three minutes what what do you feel like could have you guys could have done better know those those last three minutes or so uh we definitely could have managed the clock better um and had some more

Movement uh we were kind of stagnant um and I got definitely got to demand the ball more in those situations during those last three and a half minutes what do you need your teammates to find you or do you just need to go get the ball

Cuz I don’t know if you even had a touch during the last three and a half uh honestly it depends on which team you’re playing and how they’re guarding me um tonight it was a little mixture of both I got to go get it and then just got to

Find me in my spots did they change something up on you cuz right before that you were kind of getting your touches and you were rolling a little bit there um no I just our offense kind of became stagnant it was more ball watching on the offensive side

Um cuz when even when Trey hit the three it was a lot of ball movement that allowed him to get that open three and we were just real stagnant was fatigue at all an issue at the start of the game we in the second qu when they kind of

Got things going was it just some some discipline on the defense of them and then just the physicality tonight um particularly on the boards they you know that usually you guys do a great job um inside but they beat you in both points in the paints and on the board um so

What did they do there uh to be successful uh I’m sorry what was the first part of that uh just on the second quarter what happened there was there any lingering fatigue from the the road trip or just some Mis assignments there defensively um a little bit of there was some Miss

Assignments but I mean they were hitting shots uh they were hitting shots and we weren’t at first um carried into the third quarter a little bit but then we we like I said we trusted the process and started hitting shots um just in terms of rebounding the

OKC had a lot of success in the glass tonight where you guys are typically successful uh they had a couple key offensive rebounds down the stretch too what do you attribute on um that too and as well as like what you what needs to happen to kind of like regain that

Activity I mean they crashed uh it feel like all five guys just you know rushed the paint and we’re going for the rebounds and for us uh it’s just stay in disciplined not losing sight of your man and boxing out you’re is is there a little bit of you know like everyone’s

Got to take some ownership that in games where JV might not get lot of minutes cuz sometimes you JB’s getting a lot of rebounds and it’s easy to kind of take that for granted but you know in games where he doesn’t get a lot of minutes

Every kind of take ownership um I mean whether jv’s in the game or not you still got to take ownership but when jv’s not in the game uh I mean all season we’ve always made the emphasis we all got to come help rebound especially when we’re playing small ball somebody’s

Going to box out the big and everybody else got to help rebound we have a tough stretch of games like this like you one every other day how tough is it to like put this behind you and move right on to the next I mean this is NBA uh that’s the beauty in

It got practice tomorrow go watch film see what we could have did better and try to redeem ourselves uh Thursday just ask you real quick um just for you you’ve not been in this position late in the season you you know the the play in

The the run last year to the it you missed those things but now here you get the this important home stretch you’re in position to lead your team how do you feel just in in the opportunity to play in games that matter that are this intense and then to have this home

Stretch where you really get to you know maybe separate yourselves I mean this is what being competitive is all about I mean I’ve always said it like these games are fun to play we didn’t get the result we wanted tonight but games like this this is when I watch

Playoff basketball this is what games look like uh just down to the wire teams make runs and you know whoever stays the most disciplined gets the win so uh I’m excited for this stretch um like I said uh after Detroit’s game uh just got to take a game by

Game thank sir all right you guys have a great night e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e what do you feel like Shi uh from yall going you know 20 down to retaking quarter yeah we got some

Stops we got some stops in the third quarter we got on a ran um um I think that was the difference didn’t give up as many Second Chance opportunities uh didn’t give up as many threes I think it was a combination of things and you know when we get out in

Transition it makes the game that much easier for everybody think you had the Pelicans last B of the game with 310 just offensively what you what could you guys come last uh we got execute a little bit better we got a couple couple good actions they they tried to deny z a

Lot down the stretch so we got to figure out better way to to utilize him um I think herb got a three I missed a pullup transition three um couple other possessions but I think it was the defensive end um you know there was a possession where

It looked like he carried he drove he kicked it they hit a three I think Dort hit a three another possession I think Shay hit a three Shay tips offensive rebound to somebody laid up so I think those is the kind of possessions we got to try to prevent you know from

Happening but all know I thought we fought it’s hard to win the game when you get down 20 we still had a chance to um to win the game down the stretch we just got to be a little bit better and we got to be better defensively because

If you have a lead and you don’t score you get stops you still win the game so we got to be a little bit better on that end too CJ this is uh now been several games you’ve been without bi but first time you’ve been in clutch minutes did

It feel different not having him out there cuz he’s usually been the lead point there for you guys off there yeah I mean it was a little different we all got to adjust I mean that’s a really good defensive team you know top five they really good in half court switch a

Lot you know they physical um but for us we got to fight for our space had to execute a little bit better and um give ourselves a chance I thought we had some some good opportunities um down the stretch and I thought we had a chance to

Win I think it was up three up five at one point um under four minutes up three so 3 minute game up three we got to we got to have that see what you do to get yourself going in that second half cuz after the first half I think you may

Just one one for 10 um just make open shots I think it’s very simple I missed a couple open looks missed a couple layups and it happens as a part of the game um just just locking in shooting the ball with good balance and living with the results uh maybe if I would

Have made two more baskets in the first half we might have won a game I don’t think we’re get you before Thursday’s game um so I’m just curious with you and Dame you know in in different parts of your careers now the next stage like

Have you been able to what do you mean by the next stage well I on a different team and like you kind of leading this team and Dame trying to help them win the championship like you guys still have like a really close relationship and all that yeah we talk every couple

Weeks uh we check in with each other whether that’s text or FaceTime and um I got some scholarship stuff I got to do tomorrow so I don’t know if we’ll catch up tomorrow but I’ll see him and see how his family is doing and um we’ll we’ll

We always talk pregame and in the next few days we’ll we’ll be in a either a group text where we’re talking with him and in field or I’ll FaceTime him but yeah that’s that’s my friend for life and I wish him nothing but the best every night except for against us

Um I hope he plays horrible but outside of that I hope he has a great year and and a great career um and we’re good friends we know each other as families and we built a a really good reputation for doing things the right way out in

Oregon and won a lot of games and made a lot of great memories that we’ll we’ll carry on than e e

New Orleans Pelicans vs. Oklahoma City Thunder post game interviews with head coach Willie Green and Pelicans players as they recap their game on Tuesday, Mar. 26 during the 2023-24 NBA season.
#NBA #Pelicans #neworleanspelicans

New Orleans Pelicans Roster
———————————————–
Jose Alvarado #15 Guard
Dyson Daniels #11 Guard
Kaiser Gates #12 Forward
Jordan Hawkins #24 Guard
Brandon Ingram #14 Forward
Herbert Jones #5 Forward
E.J. Liddell #32 Forward
Naji Marshall #8 Forward
CJ McCollum #3 Guard
Trey Murphy III #25 Guard
Larry Nance Jr. #22 Forward
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl #50 Forward
Matt Ryan #37 Forward
Dereon Seabron #0 Guard
Jonas Valanciunas #17 Center
Zion Williamson #1 Forward
Cody Zeller #44 Forward-Center

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