Exclusive Blazers vs Nuggets, 3/28/15 - Quote Book

[SlyPokerDog]

HEAD COACH TERRY STOTTS
“Well it’s good to have three in a row on the heels of that losing streak. We did a lot of good things and I thought we had chances to pull away, but Denver kept coming at us. They have the ability to score, but anyway, it’s good to get a win. At this stage of the season, I would have liked to hold them to fewer points but it’s good to get one.”



On putting away the game:

“I think it’s hard to put teams away period. It’s a long game and Denver is a talented team. Since the coaching change, they’re kind of middle of the pack on offense and defense. It’s tough to put teams away period in this league. I thought we were in control most of the game. I would have liked to have expanded the lead, but they made shots and they’re a potent offensive team. Their record doesn’t show, but Ty Lawson and Randy Foye and Wilson Chandler and Jameer Neslon, all those guys are capable of creating shots.”


On Afflalo’s breakout offensive game:

“I was really happy for him. It’s one to have a breakout game to begin with and then to do it against his former team, that had to feel good. He has been aggressive, but it just looked like the shot was going. It looked really comfortable. We’re going to need that for him.”


On Aldridge:

“He’s playing at a very high level. His offense, he’s in a groove. On the heels of last night’s performance in the fourth quarter and then tonight, he’s just in a really good place offensively with his shot. I think the one thing that doesn’t get enough credit is his defense. In both Utah and Phoenix particularly, he’s very vocal. He communicates on the back line and that gets overlooked. He’s playing at a very high level.


DAMIAN LILLARD


On outlasting Denver tonight:

“I thought we played a pretty good game. We moved the ball really well. LA got going early, Arron got going early and it was pretty much a great team effort. I thought they played a good game, they played hard like we thought they would, but I think the most important thing is the win and we got that done.”


How would you describe zone Aldridge is in right now?

“Utah was a rough one because of the way they defended everything we did for him. We figured out a different way to keep him effective and the last two games, he’s just been a beast, making open shots, making tough shots, playing really aggressive, rebounding really well, and he’s been carrying us.”


On defense tonight:

“I thought we defended well. A lot of the shots they made were contested. We defended pick and rolls pretty well. It was tough keeping guys like Ty Lawson and Jameer out of the paint because they’re so crafty and quick with the ball, but I thought the bigs did a great job of coming over and protecting the rim. We actually cracked back and got rebounds and got out in transition from the start of the game all the way to the finish.”



Importance of Arron Afflalo having break-out game offensively:

“It was good for our team. We’ve had different guys step up each night and have good games. I had a good game in Utah and then the next game in Phoenix, LA had a great game. Tonight, LA played great again but Arron was a spark for us to start the game. So it’s good to see another guy playing well offensively. Hopefully going down these last 10, 11 games, we can have everybody kind of put it together and play good as a team.”

 

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HEAD COACH MELVIN HUNT
On what stands out on the stat sheet:

“L, loss. Our guys played terrific, I thought they did a great job in spite of a lot of adversity that wasn’t in a jersey. This is a tough building to play in and I thought we had great penetration tonight and I thought our guys did a lot of great things. We got better, you saw a young Jusuf [Nurkic] go out and make some plays that helped put ourselves in a position to win the game. I looked out there and saw Joffrey [Lauvergne] playing his heart out against an all-star. Just going down the line, JJ Hickson brought what he brought, Will Barton, Randy Foye made some sacrifices, he was shooting the ball fairly well but I had to sacrifice him to get some matchups and things I wanted. He only played 23 minutes, he made sacrifices for our team and that goes a long way with me.”




On explaining Randy Foye’s sacrifices:

“Jameer Nelson was giving us a different matchup and fortunately for us, they kind of chased some of our matchups and when they did it gave us a little advantage and allowed us to create an offense that we otherwise couldn’t have been able to create. So Randy [Foye] did it, I didn’t tell him, the game gave us that but he was a pro, he handled it like a pro and I appreciate that. We play really hard, I hate walking into that locker room telling those guys that obviously it’s a loss but they played extremely hard. I felt like we had a chance to win, we did a lot of great things but at the very end, you saw we had a steal. Kenneth Faried comes up and it’s a steal, they’re playing until the very last tick on that clock and that right there makes me very proud of my group.”


On guarding LaMarcus Aldridge:

“If you look right out there on the corner of our bench, there’s probably a kitchen sink sitting there. We threw everything at him. We threw size, the size that we did have. We threw athleticism, with Wilson [Chandler] on him. Jusuf came in and threw his body around. The guy is a great player, he knows it, they know it. He gives Terry Stotts a great luxury. He can always kind of settle the game, we can go to him and he generates a lot of problems as far as matchups. You’re afraid to death to double him because he’s such a willing passer but at the same time you can’t let him make shot after shot. You’re kind of pushing a dilemma.”


WILL BARTON

On being back in Portland:

“It felt good. I was excited, my adrenaline was going… Bittersweet, we took the loss, but it was a good effort from our team, I felt like we came out and played hard, but just came up short at the end.”


On his performance tonight:

“I think I played decent. I think I could’ve played better… Could’ve done more offensively and defensively, but it was a good effort, I played hard and I did some good things. It was a good effort.”


On if any of his former teammates were talking to him on the court:

“A couple guys were… Me and CJ (McCollum) were chatting it up a little bit… LA (Aldridge)… Dame (Lillard)… D-Wright… but it was all good stuff man, but we wanted to get out there and compete, and that’s what happened.”


On his team’s effort:

“I was real proud of guys, we came out there and competed, got after it… And made it a tough game. They just made the plays that they needed to make, so you’ve got to tip your hat to those guys and that’s why they’re a playoff basketball team.”


On LaMarcus Aldridge:
“He’s one of the greats, best power forward in the league right now. I watched him for two and a half years, so I know what he’s capable of. He gave Houston so many fits in the first round of the playoffs, it was crazy. That’s what you expect, he’s an All Star for a reason.”

 

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