Game Thread GAME# 56: BLAZERS @ HORNETS - APRIL 18, 2021 - SUNDAY, 4:00, NBCSNW

CHARLOTTE HORNETS POSTGAME QUOTES
Charlotte Hornets (109) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (101)
April 18, 2021
Game #56, Home Game #26



JAMES BORREGO – HORNETS HEAD COACH

On their hot start in the first quarter:
“Yeah, I’d say we got off to a good start, I think that’s fair to say. We shot the ball well. The ball moved. It was really built out of our ball movement – the spacing was great, everybody was touching the ball, feeling good and the ball was going through the net. When we’ve got off to good starts like this, it’s usually a good night. Sometimes it’s just a product of making shot, but I think our guys were trying to play the right way, trying to move the ball, share it. Obviously, that led to good shots and we knocked them down. Huge first quarter for us.”

On what he saw from PJ Washington off the bench tonight and if he will come off the bench going forward:
“Well, I thought PJ was great tonight. I thought it was great coaching bringing him in after 20 seconds into the game, it was just great coaching there. I thought he was fantastic off the bench. He felt like a starter to me the way he came out. I think it was his energy, his defense, his ability to protect the rim, rebound the ball. Obviously, he made shots tonight. I thought he had one of his finer performances of the season, just his overall effort on both ends of the floor. We’re going to need that. What we do from here as far as the lineup, I’ll figure it out and we’ll look at that for Tuesday night, but whether he comes off the bench or he starts he’s got to play that way and impact the game that way and I thought he was huge for us tonight.

On where tonight’s game ranks among Terry Rozier’s top performances with this team:
“It’s got to be up there. I thought he was great tonight. He came out, he set the tone. He was making shots, the 10 assists, close to a triple-double, all-around performance by Terry. So, it’s got to be one of his finer performances as a Hornet.”

On whether he knew tonight was the 100th win of his career and what it means to him:
“Well, our players made me aware of it with a little bath just now, so I thank the players for that. I had no idea – I had no idea. I’m thankful for the opportunity, just to be sitting here as a Head Coach in the NBA. To be leading the group is an honor. I don’t take that for granted. Every day I wake up, I’m blessed, I’m thankful for the opportunity. This is the product of a lot of work from our staff to our players to our management to our ownership, everybody deserves the credit here. I’m just thankful for the opportunity.”

TERRY ROZIER – HORNETS GUARD

On PJ Washington’s impact
“Huge presence down there. Blocking shots, rebounding, stretching the floor out on offense bringing the bigs out and stuff like that. We are just glad to have him back, he’s a huge piece of this team. Whenever he’s playing well like that the sky is the limit for us.”


On his mindset before the game:
“I just want people to understand that point guard is my true position, so I don’t want anyone panicking when I’m at the point guard spot. I like playing point guard, I push the ball. I feel like it’s unpredictable when I’m on the ball, versus me off the ball. A lot of teams get down on me and they focus on me more (when off the ball). I just like playing point guard, I told coach we got to get this one, I’m ready no matter how long he needs me for. I’m glad we came out with the win. Our guys were special, our coaches were special and I’m glad we got the W. Happy to be back in the win column and we have to keep it going.”

On him being at the top of everyone’s scouting report given injuries:
“Definitely, for sure. It just lets you know what kind of year I’ve been having that teams are keying in on me. Now, I’ve just got to be looking for my guys more, try to wait until defenses relax then I can go and get mine. Just trying to create disadvantages on offense. The main thing I want to do is always try to push the ball and play with pace, no matter whether they make or miss, get out and create disadvantages.”

On his personal growth this season:
“I’d say that the biggest jump for me is being more of a vocal leader. I’ve always been a guy that leads by example, whether I’m showing up first or putting extra work in. I might say a little bit, but the little bit of extra on my voice is helpful for these guys. When you have a guy like me that’s been in the league and accomplished a little bit, won some games, been in the playoffs, it rubs off on the guys when I have that voice and I show that I want us to be special. We have a great group of guys, and they allow me to be me, them and the coaches, so I’m glad to have them.”

PJ WASHINGTON – HORNETS FORWARD

On whether time away provided a break for him mentally and physically:
“I think it was good for me to get a good break from the game a little bit. Obviously, I didn’t want to get injured, but it happens, it’s basketball. I tried to get settled down and get more focused on my craft and come back out and be a little more aggressive tonight. Some of my shots fell, I was aggressive on defense and the team played well, that’s all I can ask for.

On their biggest improvement in tonight’s game:
“The defensive end. We had a hell of a first quarter, actually a hell of a whole game. For us, our goal is to try and hold teams under 30 points each quarter and we did that all four quarters, so for us that’s great. It’s really hard to do that in the NBA, for us to do that each and every night is wonderful for us.”

On the draining nature of this season:
“Yeah, I mean definitely. We get tested pretty much twice a day, every day. Whether that’s late at night, early in the morning, it doesn’t matter the time, we got to get tested. It’s definitely a lot, but at the same time we have to stay focused and stay locked in. We are playing good basketball, and we feel like we’re playing almost every day. So, for us, we have to stay locked in mentally and physically and keep up with our training and make sure we’re good. I think we’ve done a good job. And I think we obviously have a lot more games to win, we have to keep being aggressive.”

 

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS POSTGAME QUOTES
Charlotte Hornets (109) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (101)
April 18, 2021
Game #56, Home Game #26




TERRY STOTTS – TRAIL BLAZERS HEAD COACH

On if they allowed a lot of easy looks from the Hornets in the first quarter:
“Yeah, the first quarter was a little bit of everything. They had 13 points early for the first timeout and I think they were all in transition, so they got off to a good start in transition. Obviously, they shot the 3 really well. We talked about getting off to good starts defensively in the first quarter and obviously, we didn’t do that. Their transitions kind of really set the tone for the quarter and their 3-point shooting set the tone the rest of the way.”

On if he felt they were efficient in preventing the transition:
“We could have done a better job. There’s no question. We didn’t stop the ball one time, a couple of times guys got behind us. I don’t know if we weren’t ready for the pace of the game, but they pushed the pace and that’s what they do and they took advantage of it early.”

On Rondae Hollis-Jefferson tonight:
“I thought he played well. He did what we wanted him to do. He was very active defensively, got some extra possessions, got to the free throw line, set some good screens. I thought he played well. Obviously, he was part of the group that got off to a poor start, but that was a group thing, not necessarily on him.”

On the loss tonight and their upcoming schedule:
“It was a disappointing loss. There’s no question. Coming on the heels of San Antonio, it would have been nice to go back-to-back wins on the road, but Charlotte played well. I’m not going to take anything away from them. They played extremely well in the first quarter. Terry Rozier was hot. Mile Bridges was hot. But I’m not going to take anything away from Charlotte. They played really well, but it is very disappointing. You win that first one on the road trip and you think you have a chance to go home 2-0.”

CARMLEO ANTHONY – TRAIL BLAZERS FORWARD

On what it’s like to run into a team who can’t miss like the Hornets tonight:
“Those guys came out firing. They were locked in. They’re a scary team. They played freely, they played spaced out. They’re a young team. Those young guys are out there playing with a lot of confidence and you saw that. It’s not just tonight, but throughout the season, they’ve been playing the same way. They play at their own pace. They play at a fast pace and you have to find a way to either match that pace or contain that pace and tonight, they came out from the jump in that first quarter, got up 20 points and they couldn’t miss. They were making shots, but they just seemed like everything was going for them. They were running their plays. They were making shots. They were hustling. They were beating us to a lot of loose basketballs out there and we dug ourselves a hole out there in that first quarter and we had to fight our way back.”


On getting off to a slow start tonight with the Hornets missing several key players going into of a couple tough upcoming games:
“It happens. Every night is different. Tonight was a night that we allowed ourselves to get in a hole. They came out, jumped on us, got up 20 points, we had to fight back. Tuesday will be different. We play the Clippers and they’re a different type of team, so we will prepare for the Clippers. We know it’s a tough stretch. These last 15 or 17 games coming down to the end of the season, we know they’re important, so we want to try and find a way to find our rhythm, find some momentum going into the postseason and win the games that we’re supposed to win. We let this one go tonight, but Tuesday will be different. Wednesday will be different than Tuesday. Every night is different, especially this year. This league is totally different this year.”

On Rondae Hollis-Jefferson tonight:
“I’m just happy to see him. I’m excited to just have him on the team and have him around. I know those situations can be tough coming in in 10 games and try and figure out what’s happening, his role and where he fits in at. I just try to do a good job of being there for him and talking to him. He played tonight. He started, gave us some muscle, gave us some points and some minutes and that’s what he does. He always been able to do that. He’s a gritty guy. He’ll do a lot of the small things in the game that don’t kind of show up on the stat sheet. That’s who he is and we appreciate that.”

 

I see they cut out the juicy parts of Stotts interviews