Exclusive GAME# 59: BLAZERS @ 76ERS - FEBRUARY 23, 2019 - Quote Book

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by SlyPokerDog, Feb 23, 2019.

  1. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2008
    Messages:
    116,223
    Likes Received:
    114,265
    Trophy Points:
    115
    PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS HEAD COACH TERRY STOTTS
    On what he thought about the game…


    Played really well. At the start of the third quarter, we were able to get some separation, but the first half, obviously, I thought both teams went back and forth. They’re not the same team without [Joel] Embiid, obviously, he’s a big part of what they do. I thought we really played well defensively. We helped each other. I thought Mo [Maurice] Harkless had an outstanding game. He was able to score when he had his opportunities, he made big help decisions. So anyway, it was just a good win all-around.

    On what allowed them to make a run late in the second quarter…

    I don’t remember specific plays. I just thought we made good basketball plays. Like I said, good help defense, limiting their easy opportunities in transition, shared the ball well. I mean, just kind of good, solid, fundamental basketball. Nothing out of the ordinary.

    On what worked for Jusuf Nurkić today…

    He’s a really good pick-and-roll player with — him and [Damian Lillard]. They have good chemistry in pick-and-rolls. I thought he set a lot of good screens early that freed up our shooters, we didn’t make some of the shots, but as the game wore on, his screens— I thought [Damian] did a nice job of changing it up as far as scoring or looking to find him on rolls. Nurk’s impact as a pick-and-roll player is really effective, because, obviously when you have [Damian] and CJ [McCollum] in it, it impacts the game. His screening and then his ability to finish around the basket.
     
  2. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2008
    Messages:
    116,223
    Likes Received:
    114,265
    Trophy Points:
    115
    PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS JUSUF NURKIĆ
    On what helped his overall game today…


    I think the All-Star break did really well for us. Particularly me and I feel good out there.

    On how they took advantage of rebounding…

    I feel that try to get small, get back in the game. I thought we did a pretty good job of not letting them make a run.
     
  3. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2008
    Messages:
    116,223
    Likes Received:
    114,265
    Trophy Points:
    115
    PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS ENES KANTER

    On having Maurice Harkless and Jake Layman….

    It’s been awesome for us. Obviously, they’re just not making themselves better, they’re making everybody else better around them. They are not thinking about just scoring, they are thinking about how can we make other players get better.

    On the trip being 2-0 so far….

    It’s really important; it’s a long road trip. We are 2-0, but I think now we just learn from it and move forward.
     
  4. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2008
    Messages:
    116,223
    Likes Received:
    114,265
    Trophy Points:
    115
    PHILADELPHIA 76ERS BEN SIMMONS

    On what happened with the team’s offense…

    I think as a team collectively, we just didn’t rebound well enough against a team like this. It’s a group effort rebounding I think just all of us combined, I don’t think we did enough. Obviously, we didn’t do it.

    On if he feels he needs to take over…

    Yeah, I think it’s just realizing my matchups knowing who’s on me, who’s going to stop me down low, who can stay with me. I think I found multiple opportunities to do that and go at guys.

    On the key to playing without Joel Embiid…

    I think just pushing the ball. Obviously, once you have Joel out here you slow the game down a little bit and feed him the ball, you let him do his thing. But it’s obviously different playing without him and trying to find a flow and to not really get that.
     
  5. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2008
    Messages:
    116,223
    Likes Received:
    114,265
    Trophy Points:
    115
    PHILADELPHIA 76ERS HEAD COACH BRETT BROWN

    On the rebounding…

    You see therein lies the game and we all go home. Therein lies the game. The offensive rebounding disparity, and you know, there are other pieces that are important but none as significant as that fact.

    On asking for more…

    I mean it’s sort of what you prepare to die on. You can get punished by one of the league’s best offensive teams in transition defense. It's sort of what you prepare to die on. You can give up transition defensive points to one of the leagues elite running teams or you can crash people in and maybe pick up ourselves some loose offensive rebounds. Each of our guys would have a tag that you are either a go-guy or a get-back guy and each of them would know that when you talk to them, you are a go-guy or a get-back guy. You know that’s based on habits, some of it’s a skillset, and some of it’s trying to walk that line of still defending in transition defense. Yet you got a flyer who could go to the boards, like Ben Simmons, why would I have my point guard cover the backboard like every other point guard is drilled to do when he’s 6’10 and an athlete so he’s a go guy as an example? That’s how we coach the team and tag them up.

    On choosing Amir Johnson...

    I mean it gets to a stage where I made a decision to go with Amir over Jonah [Bolden] and most of that was driven for I hoped defensive rebounding purpo-es. When we went back with Amir, the game escaped us a little bit more than we had hoped, and at that stage, I felt like the small=ball environment was going to be our best chance.
     
    kjironman1 likes this.
  6. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2008
    Messages:
    116,223
    Likes Received:
    114,265
    Trophy Points:
    115
    PHILADELPHIA 76ERS JIMMY BUTLER


    On what he felt was the problem tonight…


    We made some shots, we missed some shots. I don’t think offense was a problem. We scored 115, on any given night, that’s enough to win.



    On the takeaway from this game…


    Learn to get better from it; put it behind us. What else can you do?
     
  7. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2008
    Messages:
    116,223
    Likes Received:
    114,265
    Trophy Points:
    115
    PHILADELPHIA 76ERS TOBIAS HARRIS

    On why so many loose balls went to the Trail Blazers…


    Obviously, we don’t want the loose balls to go their way, but I think when we look back on it and see film for the first half, we didn’t do a great job on checking out our men. They did a great job of going to the glass and having five guys in the paint on pretty much every shot and that was the hard part about it. Some that we can fix on, but at the end of the day, offensive boards are always a huge thing, but our defense just wasn’t there tonight for us. They were able to kind of get whatever they wanted and we were able to make shots too, so obviously, it hurts us because we didn’t make the shots that we wanted to, but on top of that, we still have to have focus on the other end.

    On the takeaways from tonight’s game…

    They run a lot of pick-and-rolls. They’re a top team in the Western Conference, too. Looking back at it, obviously, we needed everybody in there grabbing the boards. We also have to be willing to give up a part of the game, so if that was mid-range jumpers, we’d be willing to settle with those, even if they made them and just close out today’s threes, but we did do a better job tonight just getting to the bodies, being there to contain them on the glass, contain them on their pick-and-roll type play, and I think we did a great job of that tonight.
     
    TorturedBlazerFan likes this.
  8. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2008
    Messages:
    116,223
    Likes Received:
    114,265
    Trophy Points:
    115
    The Philadelphia 76ers (38-22) fell to the Portland Trail Blazers (36-23) in their 60th game of the season. The team's 38 victories are the most they have had through the first 60 games of a season since they were 44-16 in 2000-01 (Elias Sports Bureau).



    Philadelphia's 115 points extends their season-high streak of games with at least 100 points to 23 straight, dating back to Jan. 1 against the L.A. Clippers. This is the third-longest active streak in the NBA behind Golden State (29) and Portland (25). Overall, the 76ers have scored 100-or-more points in a league-best 56 games this season. The team's 115.7 points per game this season ranks fourth in the NBA (Basketball-Reference/stats.nba).



    The 76ers converted 22 of their 28 attempts (.786 percent) from the charity stripe, good for their 19th consecutive contest with a free-throw percentage of at least .700, dating back to Jan. 9 at Washington. The 19-game streak is the second-longest active streak in the league, trailing only Houston (25) (Basketball-Reference).



    The 22 made free throws represents the team's fourth straight game with at least 20 conversions, dating back to Feb. 12 versus Boston. This is tied for their second-longest such streak this season behind a six-game streak from Nov. 16-25, 2018 (Basketball-Reference).



    BEN SIMMONS finished with a season-high-tying 29 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists in 36 minutes of play. The 29 points and 10 assists gave him 33rd double-double and 14th point-assist double-double of the season. The 33 double-doubles are tied for 10th in the league, while his 14 point-assist double-doubles are tied for the sixth-most (Basketball-Reference).



    This was Simmons' 41st game this season with at least 10 points, five rebounds and five assists. The 41 occurrences are the second-most in the league behind Oklahoma City's RUSSELL WESTBROOK (Basketball-Reference).



    The Louisiana State product converted 11 of his 17 attempts (.647 percent) from the field, good for his 45th game this season with a field-goal percentage of at least .500. The 45 instances are tied for eighth-most in the league (Basketball-Reference).



    TOBIAS HARRIS put up a stat line of 20 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, one steal and one block in 35 minutes of play. This was the fourth time in his first six games in a Philadelphia uniform he has scored at least 20 points. Overall, he has 34 20-point performances this season, which are the second-most he has produced in a single season in his career behind 36 such games in 2017-18 (Basketball-Reference).



    Harris knocked down a game-high three shots from beyond the arc. In six games as a 76er, he has totaled 14 three-point field goals and is averaging 2.3 threes per contest (Basketball-Reference).



    JIMMY BUTLER had 15 points, two rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 30 minutes of play. The Houston native made all five of his attempts from the charity stripe, good for the ninth time in his last 10 games he finished with a free-throw percentage of 1.000 (Basketball-Reference).



    MIKE SCOTT recorded 15 points, four rebounds and two assists in 30 minutes of play off the bench. The 15 points are the most he has scored as a 76er and are tied for the second-most points he has scored this season behind an 18-point performance on Nov. 19, 2018 at Atlanta (Basketball-Reference).



    JJ REDICK scored seven points, two rebounds, two assists and one steal 30 minutes of play. The seven points marks the end of his career-high 64-game double-figure point streak, dating back to March 26, 2018 against Denver. This was the 20th-longest such streak in franchise history (Basketball-Reference).



    Portland was led by JUSUF NURKIĆ, who finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds and four assists in 23 minutes of play. This was his team-best 28th double-double of the season (Basketball-Reference).



    UP NEXT: On Monday, Feb. 25 at 8 p.m. ET, the 76ers take on the New Orleans Pelicans (26-34) at Smoothie King Center in the second and final matchup between the two teams this season. Philadelphia has won its last two contests against New Orleans, including a 121-120 victory earlier this season on Nov. 21, 2018. The 76ers will look to earn their third consecutive win over the Pelicans for the first time since they also won three straight from Jan. 11-Dec. 12, 2010. In three career games against New Orleans, Simmons is a combined +30 and has averaged 19.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists per contest. New Orleans' JRUE HOLIDAY is averaging career highs in both points (20.9) and rebounds (5.1) per game and has totaled a league-leading 54 games this season with at least five assists.



    FOR SIXERS STATS FACTS AND FIGURES, PLEASE FOLLOW @SIXERSSTATS ON TWITTER


    POSTGAME QUOTES


    PHILADELPHIA 76ERS HEAD COACH BRETT BROWN



    On the rebounding…

    You see therein lies the game and we all go home. Therein lies the game. The offensive rebounding disparity, and you know, there are other pieces that are important but none as significant as that fact.

    On asking for more…

    I mean it’s sort of what you prepare to die on. You can get punished by one of the league’s best offensive teams in transition defense. It's sort of what you prepare to die on. You can give up transition defensive points to one of the leagues elite running teams or you can crash people in and maybe pick up ourselves some loose offensive rebounds. Each of our guys would have a tag that you are either a go-guy or a get-back guy and each of them would know that when you talk to them, you are a go-guy or a get-back guy. You know that’s based on habits, some of it’s a skillset, and some of it’s trying to walk that line of still defending in transition defense. Yet you got a flyer who could go to the boards, like Ben Simmons, why would I have my point guard cover the backboard like every other point guard is drilled to do when he’s 6’10 and an athlete so he’s a go guy as an example? That’s how we coach the team and tag them up.

    On choosing Amir Johnson...

    I mean it gets to a stage where I made a decision to go with Amir over Jonah [Bolden] and most of that was driven for I hoped defensive rebounding purpo-es. When we went back with Amir, the game escaped us a little bit more than we had hoped, and at that stage, I felt like the small=ball environment was going to be our best chance.





    PHILADELPHIA 76ERS BEN SIMMONS

    On what happened with the team’s offense…

    I think as a team collectively, we just didn’t rebound well enough against a team like this. It’s a group effort rebounding I think just all of us combined, I don’t think we did enough. Obviously, we didn’t do it.

    On if he feels he needs to take over…

    Yeah, I think it’s just realizing my matchups knowing who’s on me, who’s going to stop me down low, who can stay with me. I think I found multiple opportunities to do that and go at guys.

    On the key to playing without Joel Embiid…

    I think just pushing the ball. Obviously, once you have Joel out here you slow the game down a little bit and feed him the ball, you let him do his thing. But it’s obviously different playing without him and trying to find a flow and to not really get that.







    PHILADELPHIA 76ERS JIMMY BUTLER
    On what he felt was the problem tonight…


    We made some shots, we missed some shots. I don’t think offense was a problem. We scored 115, on any given night, that’s enough to win.

    On the takeaway from this game…

    Learn to get better from it; put it behind us. What else can you do?


    PHILADELPHIA 76ERS TOBIAS HARRIS
    On why so many loose balls went to the Trail Blazers…


    Obviously, we don’t want the loose balls to go their way, but I think when we look back on it and see film for the first half, we didn’t do a great job on checking out our men. They did a great job of going to the glass and having five guys in the paint on pretty much every shot and that was the hard part about it. Some that we can fix on, but at the end of the day, offensive boards are always a huge thing, but our defense just wasn’t there tonight for us. They were able to kind of get whatever they wanted and we were able to make shots too, so obviously, it hurts us because we didn’t make the shots that we wanted to, but on top of that, we still have to have focus on the other end.

    On the takeaways from tonight’s game…

    They run a lot of pick-and-rolls. They’re a top team in the Western Conference, too. Looking back at it, obviously, we needed everybody in there grabbing the boards. We also have to be willing to give up a part of the game, so if that was mid-range jumpers, we’d be willing to settle with those, even if they made them and just close out today’s threes, but we did do a better job tonight just getting to the bodies, being there to contain them on the glass, contain them on their pick-and-roll type play, and I think we did a great job of that tonight.





    FOR MORE SIXERS POSTGAME QUOTES, PLEASE VISIT WWW.SIXERS.COM





    PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS HEAD COACH TERRY STOTTS



    On what he thought about the game…

    Played really well. At the start of the third quarter, we were able to get some separation, but the first half, obviously, I thought both teams went back and forth. They’re not the same team without [Joel] Embiid, obviously, he’s a big part of what they do. I thought we really played well defensively. We helped each other. I thought Mo [Maurice] Harkless had an outstanding game. He was able to score when he had his opportunities, he made big help decisions. So anyway, it was just a good win all-around.

    On what allowed them to make a run late in the second quarter…

    I don’t remember specific plays. I just thought we made good basketball plays. Like I said, good help defense, limiting their easy opportunities in transition, shared the ball well. I mean, just kind of good, solid, fundamental basketball. Nothing out of the ordinary.

    On what worked for Jusuf Nurkić today…

    He’s a really good pick-and-roll player with — him and [Damian Lillard]. They have good chemistry in pick-and-rolls. I thought he set a lot of good screens early that freed up our shooters, we didn’t make some of the shots, but as the game wore on, his screens— I thought [Damian] did a nice job of changing it up as far as scoring or looking to find him on rolls. Nurk’s impact as a pick-and-roll player is really effective, because, obviously when you have [Damian] and CJ [McCollum] in it, it impacts the game. His screening and then his ability to finish around the basket.


    PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS JUSUF NURKIĆ

    On what helped his overall game today…

    I think the All-Star break did really well for us. Particularly me and I feel good out there.

    On how they took advantage of rebounding…

    I feel that try to get small, get back in the game. I thought we did a pretty good job of not letting them make a run.


    PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS ENES KANTER

    On having Maurice Harkless and Jake Layman….

    It’s been awesome for us. Obviously, they’re just not making themselves better, they’re making everybody else better around them. They are not thinking about just scoring, they are thinking about how can we make other players get better.

    On the trip being 2-0 so far….

    It’s really important; it’s a long road trip. We are 2-0, but I think now we just learn from it and move forward.
     
  9. Chris Craig

    Chris Craig (Blazersland) I'm Your Huckleberry Staff Member Global Moderator Moderator

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2015
    Messages:
    53,587
    Likes Received:
    54,649
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Lol Enes...We learn from a 2-0 road trip and move forward
     
  10. KingSpeed

    KingSpeed Veteran

    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2008
    Messages:
    60,908
    Likes Received:
    21,060
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    actor
    Location:
    New York
    Are the Sixers supposed to be good? Butler is prized free agent? I've seen us bash them twice this year. Yeah, no Embiid, but don't they have other good players??
     
    Chris Craig and SlyPokerDog like this.
  11. hoopsjock

    hoopsjock Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2018
    Messages:
    16,302
    Likes Received:
    26,279
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Business Owner
    Location:
    North Plains
    I imagine the Kingspeed equivalent in a forum of a team like the Heat who beat us twice this year saying the same thing about the Blazers.
     
    Chris Craig and SlyPokerDog like this.

Share This Page