Exclusive GAME# 74: NUGGETS @ BLAZERS - MARCH 28, 2017 - Quote Book

HEAD COACH TERRY STOTTS

“Well it was a really good game and I’m glad we won. I thought the first half was a fun game, just from an entertainment standpoint it was up and down with both teams scoring. I’m glad we were able to string together some stops in the second half. I liked out demeanor. I liked in general how we approached the game throughout. Defensively in the second half, I thought Evan was really good. Obviously Jusuf had an outstanding game from beginning to end, as did CJ. Again, up and down the roster, when you win a game like this I thought everybody contributed.”


Did you get a sense that this meant more to Nurkic?

“I don’t know, I can only imagine that it did. It wasn’t like he was doing cartwheels or anything but I’m sure it did.”


When you see a guy have a game like that against his old team, what are your thoughts?

“Well I was really happy for him. I know how it is any time you face a former team. That carries a little added significance for that player and then this was probably the most important game he’s played in the NBA with playoff implications and all that. His first two years in the league they weren’t in the playoffs so obviously this was a big game for him, probably the biggest game so far in his career. So I was really happy for him the way he came out and obviously he was fantastic.”

 

CJ MCCOLLUM

“We just knew it was a game we needed to win coming back at home playing against a team who’s competing for the eighth seed, so we need to be locked in, need to make shots and play off the crowd.”


On Nurkic’s play tonight

“Oh we knew he’d be ready to play. He’s had this game circled since he got here. We’ve got the slogan for Big Nurk from the bench to the playoffs so he’s looking forward to playing against them, looking forward to getting a chance to play in the playoffs and we knew he’d be aggressive, he’d be efficient and he did what we expected.”


Did this game feel different than average regular season game?

“I think the crowd sensed it early on, right before the game started they were cheering and after the start of the game, the jump ball, so they understood what was at stake here. Obviously still a lot of games left to be played and we have to take it one game at a time but going head to head against a team one more time before the season ends and giving them a loss is crucial. That’s something we wanted to do.”


On the first possession did you look to go to him?

“Well I knew early on coming off the pin down that I was probably going to get a shot to start the game then we were going to go back to him, so once he got the rebound, I was like alright cool, we don’t even have to draw up a play for him. So that worked out and he was aggressive and he finished one around the basket and made some of his free throws tonight.”


On 10-0 run in the second quarter being an important stretch:

“Yeah, it gave us a little jolt. We got some stops and were able to get out and run and score some baskets in transition. Dame hit a three in transition, Nurk was big around the basket – just try to push tempo. Whenever you get stops, you can push tempo and get out and run and run the lanes and that’s when we’re very dangerous.”

 

HEAD COACH MICHAEL MALONE



On the game getting away in the third quarter:

Yeah. It’s a tough loss. I give them credit. Obviously, McCollum had a great night and carried their team. Nurkic, obviously kicked our ass… very physical. Those two guys, singlehandedly, won the game for them. Then, to come on the road and give up 28 second chance points; we couldn’t rebound the whole night, and that was probably the biggest stat of the night – our inability to defensively rebound. Tough loss for us.


When McCollum gets hot, how hard is it to guard him?

Very. I mean, they have a two headed monster in their back court. We did a great job of guarding Lillard, and he had been having an unbelievable month. But you take him out, and then McCollum goes crazy, and you just weren’t able to guard him tonight. Then, when they did miss shots they scored at a high rate at the offensive glass. Give them credit. This was a game, a very important game for both teams. Obviously, they did what they needed to do to get the win. Hats off to Portland.


What was your message to the guys?

Next game. You can’t go on the road and get your ass kicked on the glass like that and give out 28 points. That’s not going to get it done. Tip your hats to Portland. We have eight games to go, and we can’t feel sorry for ourselves. We have to get ready to play Charlotte on Friday.

 

NIKOLA JOKIC

On tonight’s game:

“They just came out, it was a tough game. First they had a run in the second quarter and they finished the game really easy. We tried our best, but we didn’t do anything.”


On the difference in rebounding:

“They wanted it more than us. Yeah, they wanted it more than us.”


On his matchup with Jusuf Nurkic:

“I expected it to be honest. We all expected it, because I know his temper and I knew he was going to do that. I mean, not do that, but I knew that he was going to be aggressive and try to have the game of his life.”

 

JAMEER NELSON

On Nikola Jokic:

“He’s a special player, one of a kind. At that size to be able to pass the ball that well, make plays, score buckets easily. He’s a likable guy because he’s humble, he’s a guy that plays the right way no matter what the situation is.”


On this being the first big game Nikola Jokic’s career:

“A lot of the guys on this team. A lot of guys that played tonight haven’t played under the big lights. We competed, we competed our asses off. We’ve just got to figure out a way to not have those stretches in the game where we don’t get the shots that we were getting earlier or give up easy buckets because of whatever reason. Rebounds, turnovers or whatever. When we get the ball we get good shots.”


On rebounding:

“We’re normally a good rebounding team, but they kicked our tail on the defensive boards tonight. It’s one of the things that we’ve been good at year and we’re normally the ones kicking peoples butt on the boards.”

 

Postgame Notes – March 28, 2017

Portland 122, Denver 113

Game #74 - Home Game #35



TEAM

· The Trail Blazers have won four games in a row, matching a season-high.

· Portland has won three consecutive home games, matching a season-high

· The Trail Blazers won the season series with the Nuggets, 3-1, and have defeated the Nuggets in 14 of the last 16 contests.

· The Trail Blazers have won eight straight home games against Denver and 14 of the past 15 meetings at Moda Center, dating back to 2009.

· Portland improved to 12-3 in the month of March and is tied with San Antonio for the best record in the league this month.

· Portland’s 12 wins in March are its most wins this month since winning 15 games in March 1999.




PLAYER

· CJ McCollum (39 points, 15-24 FG, 3-5 3-PT) had the second highest scoring game of his career (43, 1/1/17 at Min.). McCollum has scored 30+ in two of the last three games, and 15 times this season.

· Jusuf Nurkic (33 points, 12-15 FG) set a new career-high for points scored and field goals made.

· Jusuf Nurkic (33 points, 16 rebounds) recorded the first 30-point 15-rebound game by a Trail Blazer since LaMarcus Aldridge (12/19/14, at San Antonio). It was Nurkic’s 12th double-double of the season (eight with Portland).

· Jusuf Nurkic is the second player in the NBA this season with a game of 30+ points, 15+ rebounds and 80%+ FG (H. Whiteside, 2/4/17 vs. Phi.).

· Jusuf Nurkic (33 points) scored 20+ for the fifth time in his career. Three of the five have come in 19 games in Portland.

· With his seventh assist, Damian Lillard joined LeBron James and Oscar Robertson as the only players in NBA history to record 1,500+ points and 400+ assists in each of their first five seasons.

· Damian Lillard (19 points, seven assists) has scored 15+ points in 18 straight games, the third longest streak of his career (26, 11/11/16 – 1/10/17).

 

Jusuf Nurkic is the first player in Trail Blazers history with 30+ points, 15+ rebounds while shooting 80% or better from the floor (Elias).

 

That was a great interview. Point blank.

 

Malone is a class act

 

The comment section is gold.