What They Said!! Grizzlies vs Jazz 03-04-16

Post Game Quotes

Grizzlies 94, Jazz 88

 

GRIZZLIES HEAD COACH DAVE JOERGER

Opening statement:

“That was a good game. We played hard and the guys competed. We got off to a slow start. Our bench did a tremendous job. When you look at the plus-minus of everyone on the bench it was very positive. I think Mario Chalmers has been quietly putting together some really solid games. I thought Chris Andersen and Ryan Hollins did a lot of little things that may not show up in the scorebook; screening, hard showing, getting back in place, making multiple efforts to get their hands on the basketball, contest shots, cover up for our defense. Bird (Chris Andersen) was only minus four but every one of our starters was in the minus. Certainly, coming down the stretch, I though Zach (Randolph) made some plays, a couple big rebounds, and then he made his free throws. Our defense was good down the stretch. We struggled to score at times; we are struggling from the perimeter shooting the basketball. But we just kept plugging away and I thought Lance (Stephenson) certainly had his best game tonight. Very solid, took what the defense gave him. He just brought a really great spark to our entire team.”

 

On playing with new guys:

“Sometimes it takes a while but sometimes it is just part of guys’ games. We struggled when the ball didn’t move. When we dribbled the basketball, everyone was standing in the paint waiting for us. When the second group came in, they moved the ball and moved the ball and then attacked. Then we were much more efficient. (Rudy) Gobert always seems like he is standing there and he’s a heck of a player. Zach (Randolph) said at halftime, ‘Man that Gobert guy is big.’”

 

On the lineup:

“We are trying to get away with playing small. I got away with it in the first half; it was very effective for us. They played two point guards at the same time so that was easier for me to swallow. I thought PJ (Hairston) was having a tough night so it was easy to go to. Coming down the stretch, they played their two point guards early in the fourth quarter. It had given us problems; I wasn’t ready to go to it yet. So we just kind of sucked it up. I thought Mario (Chalmers) did a good job harassing Rodney Hood. We try to get 20 to 25 deflections a game. Mario had 12 himself tonight. He was very active and did a lot of good things. He made a couple mistakes with the basketball but by and large I thought he was very active. He gives us continuity of offense. If the first point guard can’t make a play, we can swing it and get it into another pick-and-roll. Or you’ve got Zach (Randolph) posted up. It just gives you a little bit more of a dynamic of a look offensively.”

 

On playing close games:

“I think we lead the league in wins in close games. I always say winning close games always gives teams a great deal of confidence throughout the course of the season. Hopefully we can keep building that. Guys just trust that it might be different guys on different nights. I was going to close with Lance (Stephenson) but he is not quite there yet. I thought he played pretty well tonight but to know exactly what we are doing offensively and defensively, it’ll take a minute. It will be different guys on different nights. But I thought Chris (Andersen) and Ryan (Hollins) did a great job, and JaMychal Green has also put together a really solid nine-ten days.”

 

On Mike Conley:

“He certainly knows that we can go get him a shot. I thought he had a tough night. But we have so much confidence in him. He knows that we are going to come to him no matter what unless he is injured or something. He’s going to play and he’s going to have the ball in his hands in the last five minutes of games.”

 

GRIZZLIES FORWARD LANCE STEPHENSON (16 points, 5 rebounds)

On fitting in with the team:

“It’s definitely not easy.  I get with the coaches.  I’m trying to learn every play.  I don’t know all the plays, but I know most of the plays now.  At the same time, I’m just trying to be aggressive when I get the ball.  I’m trying to make something happen.”

 

On playing Phoenix Sunday:

“This is definitely payback.  They got us at their house, so we have to get them back at our house.  We just have to watch film, learn every day, and just be ready for that game.”

 

On team morale:

“As soon as I came in I felt it.  There was good energy.  It was happy.  I was happy to be here.  I just want to come in and be aggressive and have fun winning.  A lot of guys on this team have helpful to me, like TA (Tony Allen), Z-Bo (Zach Randolph), (Mario) Chalmers, (Mike) Conley.  They got with me and were just telling me what to do and trying to guide me.”

 

On Z-Bo’s performance tonight:

“I’m usually going against him (Zach Randolph), but Z-Bo came through tonight.  He comes through all the time, but he came through big tonight and helped us win the game.”

 

 

GRIZZLIES GUARD MIKE CONLEY (12 points, 4 assists)

On starting the game poorly:

“I think it goes on our starters.  I think we didn’t come prepared mentally.  I think their starters outplayed us.  It was one of those nights where it was a wakeup call for us.  Our second unit won us this game for sure.  They came in and really changed the momentum of the game.  We had Mario (Chalmers), JaMychal (Green) and all those guys who came off the bench.  Lance (Stephenson) had a fantastic game.  They really picked it up for us and got us all locked in. They were able to save the day.”

 

On Z-Bo’s performance tonight:

“Zach (Randolph) was awesome.  He made every timely bucket we could get.  The rebounds.  There was that one play where he got two offensive rebounds in a row to get two free throws and knock them down.  Those are game winning plays.  He’s been doing it for years, so we don’t expect anything less.  We’re thankful to have him.”

 

JAZZ HEAD COACH QUIN SNYDER:

On tonight’s game:

“As far as the quarters go, we came out playing good defense when we came out in the first quarter. Their aggressiveness bothered us. They made it hard and we weren’t able to make plays out of the traps.”

 

On the moral of the locker room:

“It’s hard. Our guys hurt and we got a game tomorrow night. I have talked about it, this is the toughest part of the year from a scheduling standpoint for us and we are on a road trip. Hopefully we can bounce back tomorrow night and get a win in New Orleans. We played them back-to-back last time and played them well but lost it down the stretch. There isn’t a lot of analysis that goes into it but we got to bounce back. That’s the good thing about the NBA. You get a chance to play again soon.”

 

On Trey Lyles tonight:

“Yeah I thought his ball handling was big for us and Shelvin (Mack) had 8 assists. I thought he helped as well. We need those guys when people get real aggressive on Gordon (Hayward) and Rodney (Hood). Those multiple ball handlers help us.”

 

On the late game rebounds:

“No it’s at the other end of the floor for me. I know one of them was an air ball. Those are always errant. I thought one of them Rodney (Hood) had. I know it was physical down there. We have got to be prepared for that physicality. I don’t know how many Zach (Randolph) had. I don’t know what his offensive rebounds were prior to that last minute. I know he had a couple of big ones.”

 

On the second quarter:

“I think it’s not playing well. I think it’s a little of both. We have talked about getting good play from our bench. I thought that Book (Trever Booker) and Trey Lyles both did a good job tonight, both in different ways. It hurt us with Rodney (Hood) having two fouls early. We chose to sit him in the second quarter and not play him with two. Then in the third, when he picked up his third and fourth immediately, I was glad that I did that. We have got to be able to play with certain guys out of the game and that can’t be a weakness for us. We got to play better. The team needs to raise their level. That is generally what is happening in my mind, that when we do get a lead and play well, the level of the game and the physicality goes up.”

 

On the Grizzlies response without (Marc Gasol):

“No. They have got men. This is a veteran team. They have got guys that have been in this position. A confident group with Matt Barnes, Vince Carter, Zach Randolph and Mike Conley and those guys are all men. They know how to win and they are a different type of team. They have an identity. They are physical and they come after you. Sometimes we handled it really well and that’s why we had a couple of 30-point quarters. And then we didn’t handle it very well at all. That’s when we struggled to score. Again, I thought our defense was better. We gave up too much in the paint, which is usually a strength for us. They just score in the paint and that has got to be we are strong.”

 

JAZZ FORWARD GORDON HAYWARD (18 POINTS, 6 REBOUNDS)

On games ending the same for them lately:

“It’s very frustrating. Especially when we seem to come out pretty strong in these games. In another game we have a double-digit lead and we let it slip away and now we are in a ball game. On the road it’s going to be tough against teams so we just can’t have those lapses. I think everyone is frustrated”

 

On the Grizzlies’ bench experience:

“It’s really important. You look at teams that end up winning and they always have good benches. Usually our bench is pretty good for us but for whatever reason tonight we didn’t have it. It’s hard to talk about over and over. It’s something we’ve just got to figure out or else we’re going to be looking at going home early so we have to figure this out.”

 

On he and Derrick Favors’ leadership:

“I think we’ve done enough talking this year, honestly. We’ve talked about it a lot, especially over the last four or five games. It’s just a matter of going out there and doing it. Tonight we did it at the beginning of the game. We were great. The ball was moving, we were getting stops, but for whatever reason we are having these lapses. I don’t know what it is where we just let the team come back. Like I said, now you’re in a game and the momentum has shifted and when you’re on the road it’s tough. You don’t have a crowd to get the momentum back your way and they hit some big shots too. But that’s going to happen when they’re at home so we’ve got to just continue to battle and fight and move on to the next one.”

 

 

JAZZ GUARD DERRICK FAVORS (14 POINTS, 3 REBOUNDS)

On covering Z-Bo when he hit a three-pointer:

“He’s good player. He hit a tough shot.”

 

On matching the Grizzlies’ physicality:

“We matched it, they just hit tough shots. We matched their physicality, they just hit tough shots.”

 

On their current losing streak:

“Stay patient. Keep going out there and playing our game. Play hard and just try to pick up a couple more wins.”

 

On the chemistry and camaraderie in the locker room:

“It’s good. The chemistry is good, everything is good. We just have to find a way to win some games.”