What They Said!! Grizzlies vs Nuggets 01-08-16

POST GAME QUOTES

GRIZZLIES 91, NUGGETS 84

 

GRIZZLIES HEAD COACH DAVE JOERGER

On the game:

“Good win for us on [the start of] the home stand tonight. You know, anytime you’re going to shoot 36 percent, it’s going to be tough slogging, but we only turned the basketball over eight times. We did a good job taking care of the basketball. We gave them a ton of second chance opportunities. We were checking out in the first quarter. After that, I thought our defense was pretty good and pretty solid, so it was a good way to start the home stand and feel good about it.”

 

On Elliot Williams:

“He’s a high character guy. He’s a mature guy. He’s been around, so we’ll do the best we can.”

 

On Tony Allen:

“I think he was excellent. I just told him in front of the team that I thought that was the best half of basketball that he’s played this season. I think he ran out of legs in the second half. He started tipping over and reaching a little bit, but he just dominated both ends of the floor with his energy, especially the defensive end of the floor in the first half. That’s why we were able to push out to that lead. So, he’s been really good for us. I mean, 38 minutes for us is too many. No player wants to hear their coach say that, but that’s why I gave him two or three minutes off from about the seven to four minute mark. And then when he was ready, well, whether he was ready or not I was putting him back in because we know what he is.”

 

On Zach Randolph:

“He was fantastic. I mean, he’s an alpha, ‘I want the ball. I’m going to score it. Bring it over here,’ and that’s fantastic, like I said. That’s the Portland game, and then tonight, I don’t want to over psychoanalyze it, I’m sure he would rather play 38 minutes, but shortening the game for him, not starting, helps so the minutes don’t get piled up. The thing that I think we, or he, maybe don’t get credit for enough is he’s doing a much better job showing in pick-and-rolls. So, that’s been excellent for us. You know, we’re able to give different teams different looks and kind of pick our match ups at different places.”

 

GRIZZLIES GUARD/FORWARD TONY ALLEN (10 points, 9 rebounds)

On the win:

“Gritty win. A much-needed win. Not only that but that team is young, athletic and they played with a lot of heart today, I thought. They had a few runs and we hang our hats on the defensive end which is what pulled us through. We weren’t too pretty offensively but we hung our hats on the defensive end I would agree that it was gritty.”

 

On grit and grind:

“Grit and grind forever honestly. But it’s just that we don’t play consistently with that grit and grind focus. That’s what I meant when I said that. This definitely showed tonight that we can make multiple efforts and not get discouraged when teams make runs and hold our hats on the defensive end. I thought we did a great job of that. Cutting those guys to just seven points that one quarter, that was impressive. Coach came in and said something about 12 stops in a row at one point so that was big.”

 

On Coach Joerger saying they had the best half of the season:

“I don’t want any pats on the back. I thank him for that but I am still working and trying to get back to my First Team type efforts. I just want to keep working and use this as a stepping stone. Keep getting better and better each day for my team.”

 

On Zach Randolph:

“Z-Bo is always a bucket. He is a bucket waiting to happen and a rebound at that. Z-Bo was big for us tonight and I like his energy. I like how he stuck with it on second chance points and things of that nature and getting much needed baskets for us.”

 

 

GRIZZLIES FORWARD ZACH RANDOLPH (24 points, 6 rebounds)

On playing against Denver’s young bigs:

“I got into a good rhythm and my shots started falling. My guys kept coming to me and coach kept running plays for me. It felt good out there trying to get this team and trying to get a victory.”

 

On getting the ball when a shot was needed:

“Definitely, I did want the ball tonight. Coach played me 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes. I go out there and go hard, be aggressive and try to do whatever for my team to win.”

 

On being discouraged by Denver’s rebounding:

“It definitely was. That’s a good rebounding team. They’ve got some good bigs and we just kept fighting. We kept playing.”

 

On coming off the bench:

“I’m ready to go. It is what it is. They call me and I’ll be ready.”

 

On Mario Chalmers fitting in with the team:

“I think Mario definitely fits in. He isn’t going to back down, that’s what I like about him. He’s a tough player. He fits in well. He is shooting the ball really well and playing with a lot of confidence. He’s a champion and that’s what we need.”

 

 

 

 

 

NUGGETS HEAD COACH MICHAEL MALONE:

On the game:

“I thought turnovers were a big part of our demise. They are sixth in the NBA in steals per game and we had 18 turnovers that led to 16 points. I loved the fact that we were down by 12 at halftime and our energy, our effort, our focus coming out to start the third quarter was great. That group played terrific and got us the lead back. We had six offensive rebounds and in the fourth quarter that we gave up. It was a close game and a highly contested game and you have got to get every rebound. You cannot turn the ball over and beat yourself. But I applaud our guys’ effort. I thought we played very, very hard. They posted the ball up against us 45 times, which is a season high. We knew they were going to go to Marc (Gasol) and Zach (Randolph) a ton, especially with Mike (Conley) and Courtney (Lee) out. Zach Randolph got going and Mario Chalmers hit a couple big shots down the stretch. We came up a little bit short so it’s a tough loss but I do like the fact that we played very hard. We just can’t beat ourselves. We are not good enough. We are not a team that has so much talent where we can come out and give away 24 points and make it up. That’s hard for us. We stayed together and stayed positive.”

 

On the second and third quarters:

“Well I think that in the second quarter the turnovers were a part of it. This was definitely a Memphis Grizzlies paced game. We never created the pace that we want to try to created. So it’s not just, walk it up, post us up bar room brawl, which it became. The difference was in the third quarter, we took care of it, we defended, we got our stops and we ran and the ball moved. They are a good defensive team. You just can’t play one-on-one or hold it. When the ball moves, you are hard to guard. I think that group in the third quarter has it going. It was a tough question and a catch-22. Do I get them out? Or do I keep on riding it? I may have ridden them too long but they were playing so well and maybe they were a little gassed at the end. Give Memphis credit, give Zach Randolph credit. He came in and gave them a huge lift off the bench and that is why he is one of the premier power forwards still in the NBA.”

 

NUGGETS FORWARD DARRELL ARTHUR (12 POINTS, 9 REBOUNDS)

On the game:

“Z-Bo (Zach Randolph) made a big difference coming off the bench. They went through a stretch where they passed it to him about seven or eight times in a row. He either got fouled or he got a bucket. They had 48, I think, post touches for those guys. We knew that was their game plan the whole time. Those guys are so good at what they do. They play off each other. Marc (Gasol) and Z-Bo they execute their game plan.”

 

On playing Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph:

“I played with these guys five years in my career. Just playing them in practice, I know what’s coming. You know what’s coming. You know that Zach is trying to get to his left hand. You know that Marc is trying to get his right shoulder. That’s why these guys are in the league. They are good at what they do. Even when you know what’s coming you still can’t stop it.”

 

On Nikola Jokic and Jusuf Nurkic:

“Both guys are very talented. Even Joffrey (Lauvergne). They are very skilled bigs. I can see them growing to what Zach (Randolph) and Marc (Gasol) have grown into. Especially Nurk (Jusuf Nurkic), once Nurk gets his legs back under him and plays a couple more games. He is so strong, I don’t even think he knows how big and strong he is down there yet because he still rushes so many shots. I just hope he slows down a little bit. Once he gets the ball, he takes two dribbles, those guys under the goal, there is no one is blocking that shot. Nikol (Nikola Jokic) is very skilled. He knows his game. He can pass the basketball. He is kind of like Marc (Gasol). He is a good facilitator. He knows his game. He has a soft touch around the rim. He can shoot the outside as well. The sky is the limit for those guys.”

 

On the second quarter:

“Turnovers, points off turnovers. TA (Tony Allen) made a big difference in the game too. He crashed the glass. He made some transition layups. They got going early. In the third quarter, I thought we picked it up defensively. We got some stops, ran the basketball and made some shots. We tried to make it a game. They killed us in the fourth quarter.”