The Dallas Mavericks finally got their long-awaited victory against the Miami Heat on Thursday night, winning 114-108. Following the win, Jason Kidd, Luka Doncic, Dante Exum and Daniel Gafford took time to speak with the media.
jason kidd
(About taking Mavericks center Derek Lively II off the bench and ending the game with him…)
“The answer to the last part of your question is, the guys we asked to come off the bench did a great job tonight. I thought D-Live (Derek Lively II). With that energy, he came up with a big defensive stop there, and the offensive rebound after that was huge for us. I thought he did a good job until he bumped his knee. I thought about it again, and his length was on the bum. did [Adebayo] Finally he missed his and we were forced to stop when we needed to. And on the offensive side, he got a big offensive rebound and hit it. I thought the units that came out today did a really good job on both ends. We were a little behind on defense, but after the first quarter, I thought our team did really well. ”
(About the difference in defense after a rough start…)
“It's just a bond. It's not going to be easy. There's going to be ups and downs. You're going to be tested. I thought the group that started it got backdoored a little too much trying to find out about Duncan. [Robinson] He wasn't going to shoot a 3-second shot, but he cut us off a little bit.jimmy [Butler] When he gets to the middle, which he likes, it puts a lot of pressure on the defense and creates a 3-second chance. However, the players stayed on course mentally, none of them panicked, and I think we achieved a good victory at home. ”
(On Mavericks guard Dante Exum's late play…)
“His importance – if you look at his calmness, he's not panicking. I thought the second-second pace he came in with could help Luka. [Dončić] You don't have to raise the ball. He also found Luka, gave Luka easy shots, and then gave his teammates easy shots as well. His pace is something we missed here, but you can see it today. Maybe the layup is one drawback, but I think he played at a high level for us with the long stretches he got there. Then Kai (Kyrie Irving) and Luka double-teamed him and trusted him late in the game and he was able to take down three guys and he was able to make jump shots. The most important thing was that I was able to make free throws. He excelled in both aspects. we missed him. ”
(What does it take to maintain momentum and build a winning streak…)
“We have a chance to play another game in Detroit. We can only take it one at a time. [and] Take what is in front of you. We are leaving for Detroit tomorrow. [We’ll] Please play them. It wasn't easy, but no matter what the results were, they continued to play as a team until the end. We must put in the same effort as we did tonight. One of the biggest things is being able to come together as a team and make sacrifices. If you look at the minutes, not everyone can play when they want. We need to understand and define when our team can win. If there is a team that can digest that, and players that can digest that, then they can start a winning streak. ”
Luka Doncic
(Regarding changes in defense after the first quarter…)
“We had more energy and more communication. I think those are the two things.”
(On how the team dealt with the physical aspect of the Heat's defense…)
“I thought it was good. I think we showed our physicality. The referees also let us make plays, so I think it was a two-way street.”
(About his come-from-behind three-point shot…)
“Those are the shots I like. [They are] I've been practicing my shots, so once I let it go, I knew it was coming in. ”
(In continuing our efforts…)
“Watch this game and keep playing like we played.” [last] It's three-quarters in this game. ”
(Thoughts on Mavericks guard Dante Exum's performance tonight…)
“He was great. [It was an] Great performance especially on the descents. He didn't play in many games. It's tough for him to come back, but he was great. That was special. ”
Dante Exum
(Regarding changes in the team's defense…)
“I think it's just the things we can control, like easy points, a lot of backdoors, a lot of layups. I think once we stop that, the game is over.”
(About how he was able to act at critical moments…)
“I think the important thing is to always be ready. You know, I haven't finished a match in a long time, but I'm always ready – that's the biggest thing. Both double. I know [Kyrie Irving and Luka Dončić] So when you get back to the ball and get a free throw, you better be confident and throw it. ”
(On Mavericks guards Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving playing together when double-teamed…)
“Yeah, you can see it in a lot of situations when the opponent is down, and I’ve learned to knock down shots, but it just means I can play in different plays and scenarios.”
(After returning from injury and finding a rhythm…)
“It's tough coming back. But because of the trade we made, the team was on track when I came back, so I'm trying to find my minutes and stay confident and be ready. I think there’s just one.”
Daniel Gafford
(If only the Mavs' defense tonight was more to his liking…)
“Yes, absolutely. I feel like we had the upper hand in the second quarter. It was a 22-point quarter. We did everything we had to do, just withstood the initial punch they threw at us. think [quarter]”
(About how critically they looked at this game as a must-win…)
“We had to win. We came out and gave the message that this is one of the things we need most. We're playing for something. We are playing for a playoff spot, so we had to go into tonight knowing it was going to be a tough matchup against this tough, gritty Miami team. Just go out there and get locked in. Please stay where you are.”
(As for how we will continue this initiative in the future…)
“All I'm saying is we have to communicate on and off the floor, the coaching staff and the players. Every day, every night, every minute, every second matters at the end of the day, and in these games. Every possession matters. So if you worry about the previous possession, the possession that happened at the start of the game, etc., it binds you to your team and sucks the energy out of your team. At the end of the day, we're all just in this together. , we tried to comfort those who needed it and boost those who needed it. At the end of the day, we got our players out of their heads and just went out and enjoyed the game. It is.”
(On preparing for Detroit and preparing for the team despite the record…)
“They're an NBA team just like any other team. They're going to be in it for the prize money, and that's to go out and win basketball games. You can't take that for granted. In the end. Now, we can't just sit back and think that they're going to come out and give us a win. That's just not going to happen.”
