Kevin Ollie | Post-Game Press Conference | Washington Wizards | 3.27.24

Kevin Ollie | Post-Game Press Conference | Washington Wizards | 3.27.24

Kevin going into this just overtime frame what did you guys as a team discuss and just kind of what was the main point of emphasis that kind of helped you guys pull this one out down the stretch CT said it uh T said it let’s let’s get kills and the kill for

Us is three stops in a row and we started that um that overtime with three stops in a row allowed us to get out and make some shots um and that’s what our defense and that’s what our standards is we want to get stops at the end of the

Game and we didn’t get stops all the way through the game but those fourth quarter that second quarter 21 points I believe the fourth quarter we held him 21 points and then overtime we just had to be resilient stay with our game plan the Nick was huge um with those block

Shots and then everybody coming back and gain rebound you mentioned Nick and Nick was battling the nasal fracture with the mask without the mask just what did you see from him especially with that block to end regulation the blocks that he had in the overtime frame yeah he’s just

Mentally tough um even goes back when you know he was back home in the Milwaukee game he came back and and flew in when he was sick so just showing leadership he’s showing that he’s he’s a leader and captain of our team and you know we need guys to continue to step up

And be that and not just talk about it but be about it he’s showing it with action not just only words so very proud of him just very proud of the team um everybody came in everybody was still locked in no matter what decisions I made um what rotations I went in

Everybody was locked in and that’s where the team was is all about defensively just besides Nick’s plays I think shuder had a steal that led to the play before Nick had the block do with the steal that pretty much sealed the game just how big was it on a

Night where Cam and P go off that your defense was the key to won this game how big was that oh that’s big that’s what we’ve been working for all year and that’s what we’ve been you know telling our guys and you know they getting some fruit for their labor and that’s what

It’s all about you just never know when it’s going to Blossom um but you got to keep playing the seats and that’s what they’re doing but I just love their energy talking pointing that’s how we keep throwing punches and P was going off he was he was having fun

Out there but we got cam Thomas and I knew we would get stops at the end and that’s exactly what we did Kevin obviously you don’t want the wizard shooting 50% of the field but you know to the point you just made what was just

At the end of the day like watching good basketball was watching good basketball what you think of that duel between Cam and Jordan tonight um yeah it was I mean that’s that’s cool uh it was great basketball um you know CT did a great job first half court mapping on too and

Then when he started getting double he was getting off the ball too so that just shows growth in him um I believe he had six assists at at halftime so it just shows growth with uh CT and how he’s getting better and you have matchups like that but everybody knows

And I think you know a lot of people go to the park and just say let’s play one-on-one this game is five on five and you got to understand that you can have a d but it’s still Everybody produced you know um just a team effort and that’s why I want these guys to have Collective spirit and then we had a competitive stamina you know I played the guys a lot of minutes um and they just had that competitive stamina to keep making plays on the offensive

End but most importantly on the defensive end and I’m just very proud of them you know I keep saying that I’m just very proud of them um because they’ve been through a lot you mentioned cam obviously these last few games we’ve talked about his rebounding tonight we talk about his

Assist are you guys starting to see him now as much as he’s able to get the ball in the bucket are you starting to see him more just do those other things that can make his game more expansive besides just being a great shot maker yes um you

Know I keep talking about it EV I don’t know if y’all listening but I I see it every game um he’s getting better and better at it and I keep talking about court mapping and and pattern recognition you know you got to understand how guys are playing you and

You got to use your teammates but then you can also use your god-given talent and going one-on-one but it’s a five five on five game and you got to see that and he’s just doing a better job at getting comfortable I’m playing him at the point some I love him at the point

Um and he gets he gets everybody involved he’s doing a great job and just give us another added Dimension out there if I can get him some points some minutes at the point and he just finding backside all of our plays and he’s coming off and making the right reads

That’s that’s pattern recognition and that’s basketball IQ and that’s what you need you can you can manipulate the game or exploit the game I should say instead of manipulated export the game where there different matchups you can bring in and he’s controlling that and he’s doing a great job and his teammates know

It you know his team makes saying CT bring it up and control the game for us thanks Kevin okay thanks here

Kevin Ollie spoke to the media following the Nets vs. Wizards on March 27, 2024