Exclusive GAME# 81: SPURS @ BLAZERS - APRIL 10, 2017 - Quote Book

HEAD COACH TERRY STOTTS

On last play:

“From Meyers’ knee to their knee to Shabazz tapping it to Noah and yeah… we knew we had 6 seconds and that was enough time for all that to happen.”


“Obviously it was fun to get a win here. I was really happy for especially all the young guys who got to play and made the most of their opportunity. Shabazz did a really nice job of directing the team, scoring, and got a little gassed there but he was carrying us. It was a good game for those guys to get an opportunity to play and they made the most of it.”


On win guaranteeing at least .500 after having been 11 games under:

“I do like the fact that we’ll be at least .500 because making the playoffs – when I was in Milwaukee my first year we made the playoffs, we lost the last game of the season and finished 40 and 42. We still made the playoffs but .500 is something special and making the playoffs.”


What do you anticipate doing Wednesday?

“It’s too early to say right now.”

 

EVAN TURNER

On Vonleh’s game winning lay-up:

“It was huge. It’s huge obviously. I was just saying that things like that typically happen to us and I’m glad Noah picked it up because tomorrow somebody would have replayed it like ‘Noah, why didn’t you pick up the ball and lay it up?’ So it was a great game. Like I said, the guys played really hard and always work hard and diligently all year. They deserved to win that game and have success so that was huge.”


How did you feel offensively?

“I felt fine. Obviously I had a couple in-and-outs to start the game or whatever, I was just more so trying to stay in the mode of just distributing and trying to stay in a mode of what’s going when we actually have the guys come back as opposed to really attacking, so just in the second half, I decided to attack and make plays and get to my spot and hit some shots. That’s what happens when you get a rhythm and stuff, it just is what it is.”


On Napier finding his rhythm tonight:

“It was huge. He was huge. He started off great. He had a hell of a game… I always tell people he plays great in practice, he goes through practices where he dominates and unfortunately, with how the NBA is, he’s playing behind two great guards. You see how other point guards or backup point guards are playing and he’s arguably just as good or if not better, and I think he showed that tonight. I think, once again, when it’s his time he’s going to have a bright future. This wasn’t a hot streak or anything like that. He works hard and he’s always had success and I think as he gets better and things are opening up, he’s going to continue to make his mark on this league.”

 

HEAD COACH GREGG POPOVICH


On if he got what he wanted out of his starters tonight:

“Oh yeah. Everybody’s just trying to sharpen up as much as possible before the playoffs. Always some good and always some bad to work on.”


On if he’ll approach San Antonio’s next game the same way with his starters:

“Probably so, yeah.”

 

PATTY MILLS

On how they’ll know if they’re ready for the postseason:

“I don’t know if you know it, ever, really. We’re healthy and that’s the main thing and we’re somewhat refreshed. We have guys that’ve had a good rest and a good hit out against Utah and then we’ll roll into the playoffs but I don’t think you ever know. Like I said, the good thing is that we’re all healthy and fresh and ready to go.”


On their rhythm:

“I think we’re focusing on playing different ways and I think that’s been our mindset the last couple of games. Playoffs is a different beast and then we need to be able to adjust on the fly and that’s what we’ve been doing, testing things out. So in that sense. As a team we’ve got to be able to do that.”


On playing ‘different’ ways:

“Different adjustments though the game. Memphis especially is very physical so we need to be ready if things change or the game plan changes. That’s what the playoffs are all about.”

 

DANNY GREEN

On returning from injury:

“Feeling good, short run but feeling good, feeling good. I’m just trying to build a rhythm but more importantly stay healthy, everybody stay healthy. Take care of the body this time of season, focus on what we need to get better on and to build a rhythm.”

 

LaMARCUS ALDRIDGE

On the last play:

“The ball was just fumbling around, they tipped it, tapped it and it ended up in [Noah] Vonleh’s hands and he laid it up.”


On if it was crazy:

“It happens and they had the guy in the right place at the right time and they got the win.”


On preparing for Memphis:

“Just take this last game and keep fine tuning things to keep getting rhythm and just try to get better every night.”


On their starting lineup in the third quarter:

“I thought we had better flow. I thought defensively we definitely played better, didn’t give up so many threes and didn’t get beat off the dribble as much so I thought the third quarter was better for us.”


On knowing if they’re where they need to be for the postseason:

“It’s a different level. Once it starts, everything starts. We just got to keep fine tuning things, just keep trying to get better every night and then just turning up when it starts.”

 

Postgame Notes - April 10, 2017
Portland 99, San Antonio 98
Game #81 • Home Game #40
TEAM
• The Trail Blazers recorded their eighth win in a row at the Moda Center, extending the longest streak of the season and matching the longest home winning streak of the 2015-16 season (Mar. 8-Apr. 6, 2016).
• Portland has held their opponent under 100 points in three consecutive games for the first time this season.
• The Trail Blazers have tied or won the season-series with the Spurs in seven of the last nine seasons.
• Portland has had single-digit turnovers (nine tonight) in four of the last five games.
• With tonight’s win, Terry Stotts moved into 50th on the NBA’s all-time coaching wins list (338).
PLAYER
• Shabazz Napier set a new career-high for scoring with 32 points (9-20 FG, 4-7 3-PT). Napier is the ninth different Trail Blazer with 20+ points in a game this season, and the fifth with 30+ points (Lillard - 27, McCollum - 15, Crabbe, Nurkic).
• Shabazz Napier set a new career-high with 10 free throws made (of 10).
• Pat Connaughton set new career-highs with 15 points, six field goals (of 10) and three 3-pointers (of four).
• Noah Vonleh (12 points, 11 rebounds) recorded his third double-double of the season and the fourth of his career.
• With 11 rebounds tonight, Noah Vonleh has recorded double digits in rebounds five times since March 18. He had five such games in his career before that date.
• Evan Turner (16 points, seven assists) recorded his third game of 15+ points and 5+ assists this season.
• Meyers Leonard (13 points, 5-7 FG, 3-3 3-PT) scored in double figures while shooting over 70.0% from the field for the second time this season.

 

Watch............... Napier and Connington will want huge contact extensions and Olshey will give it to them. I'm really happy for the team to do this without the core team.