Spurs at Blazers, 12/15/2014 - Quote Book

[SlyPokerDog]

[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [FONT=&quot]HEAD COACH TERRY STOTTS[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“It’s good to get a win. Obviously this wasn’t the game we probably expected with their players out, but nonetheless, to win every quarter, I thought we did what we needed to do to win the game. I think we could have played better, but you want to come away with the win and we did.”[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]On Robinson playing in fourth quarter:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“Ordinarily I would have come back with Robin, but Robin has a fracture in his hand so he’ll be out a while. With him out, tonight and going forward, other people whether it’s Thomas or Joel or Meyers or Dorell or whatever, Chris, will have to pick up the slack when he’s gone.”[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]On Lillard’s career high rebounding tonight[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“I really liked the way he went after some defensive rebounds. I thought Damian really played hard. He played with a lot of determination. He was taking the ball to the basket, but to have a career high rebounding – I think his rebounding hasn’t really been talked about much. He’s averaging over 5 a game at that position. That’s something that we’ve talked about for a while as far as getting rebounds from our guard position. He went after them tonight.”[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]LAMARCUS ALDRIDGE[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Was it difficult to be prepared mentally with Spurs resting player?[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“Not really. It’s a game and we want to win. I thought guys were ready to play, we just started a little sluggish. Myself, I was a little tired at the beginning. I fought through it and I found a way to play better in the second half.”[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]On prospect of playing without Robin Lopez due to hand injury:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“I don’t like it. I don’t like it. I don’t like it. I can’t get past that I don’t like it. But I mean, he’s a big part of this offense and this team and our identity. He does so many things that people don’t notice. He’s a hard worker, the guy that does all the things that nobody else really does in the first unit. So it’s going to be tough, but Joel and Meyers and Chris Kaman can play more minutes. T-Rob is always good to put out there because he’s very active and he plays hard all the time, so I don’t mind to put him out there also.
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]DAMIAN LILLARD[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]What did you like about the game?[/FONT]
“Just the fact that they were shorthanded and we could have easily come out here and not been locked in and underestimated them and not played hard. But we came out focused and we did what we had to do.”[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]On Spurs resting players:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“They’re a team capable of winning without those guys because sometimes people sleep on their ability without them. They have good players. They play the same all the time. They don’t take possessions off and they don’t make a lot of mistakes. That’s winning basketball. When we knew those guys weren’t going to be playing, we knew we were going to have to be locked in and be prepared for a team that was capable of coming in and beating us. We came in and handled our business and everybody’s mind was right.”[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]On prospects of playing without Robin Lopez due to injury:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“I don’t even want to have to think about playing without RoLo. He covers up a lot of our mistakes. He’s the most unselfish guy on our team. He doesn’t worry about I didn’t get the ball, refs calling fouls. He doesn’t get mad. He’s the most selfless guy on the team. It’s going to be tough without him. I think everybody in the locker room hates to see him not playing because of an injury. Hopefully we get him back out there as soon as possible"[/FONT]

 

[SlyPokerDog]

[FONT=&quot]HEAD COACH GREG POPOVICH[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]On next opponent Memphis:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“They’re probably one of the top two or three teams in the league right now so it will be a heck of a challenge…I’ll think about Memphis some other time. Not right now.”[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]


[FONT=&quot]Borris Diaw[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]On his thoughts on Kyle Anderson:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“He did great, it was very impressive and that’s all we needed. With not many players on the court, we did not have the usual firepower that we have, so him coming in one on one was great.”[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]On if he knew if Anderson had a low post game:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“Yeah, we’ll go one on one sometimes pre-game against each other and it’s hard. It’s tough to play him when he gets a jump shot because he’ll be like Stephen Jackson, shooting slowly but over his head. You’ll feel like you’re right there but he’s actually shooting so far back that he gets the shots off and is pretty efficient.”[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]On what is so hard about the Blazers at home:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“They’re a good basketball team and good together. They got a lot of energy at home.”[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]On if the Blazers look like true contenders:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“Yes they are. They have been for years. They used to be a young team but year after year they get better and better and became a big threat.”[/FONT]



[FONT=&quot]Kyle Anderson[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]On how he thought he did the second half:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“He [Popovich] put a lot of confidence in me. He’d come out the timeout with a play for me and I just wanted to make the most of it, find teammates if they didn’t help off or score, one or the other.”[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]On if he feels that he is getting more confident:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“Yeah I think the confidence is coming along. I don’t think I’m fully adjusted to the speed and the physicality of the game but I think I’m heading in the right direction just getting used to the game and getting it down pat. My team mates have made it really easy, being unselfish.”[/FONT]

 

[SlyPokerDog]

[FONT=&quot]• [/FONT][FONT=&quot]The Trail Blazers improve to 19-6,marking the fifth best record through the first[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]25 games in franchise history.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]• [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Portland has now won 10 of its past 12 games against the Spurs at the Moda[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]Center and is 15-7 against San Antonio in regular season games dating back to the[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]2008-09 season.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]• [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Damian [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Lillard [/FONT][FONT=&quot]hauled in a career-high 10 rebounds,five of which came in the first quarter.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]• [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Robin Lopez [/FONT][FONT=&quot]exited the game due to a right hand injury in the third quarter and[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]did not return.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]• [/FONT][FONT=&quot]The Trail Blazers are now 14-0 this season when leading after three quarters.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]• [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Portland improved to 11-2 at home this season,tied with the Memphis Grizzlies for the most home wins in the Western Conference.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]• [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Portland is now 14-2 when scoring 100+ points.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]• [/FONT][FONT=&quot]The Trail Blazers are 13-2 when holding the opposition to under 100 points.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]• [/FONT][FONT=&quot]The Trail Blazers dished out 18 assists marking the first time in 25 games this season that Portland finished with less than 20 assists. That streak of 24 games with 20 or more assists is the longest such streak in the NBA this season.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]• [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Portland held San Antonio to 36.4°/o shooting from the 3-point line,marking the[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]ninth consecutive game that Portland has limited its opponent to under 37°/o shoot[/FONT][FONT=&quot]ing from beyond the arc.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]• [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Portland committed just 11turnovers and has now yielded 12 or less turnovers in three consecutive games.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]• [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Portland out rebounded San Antonio 17-7 in the third quarter (46-42 overall).[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]• [/FONT][FONT=&quot]CJ McCollum [/FONT][FONT=&quot]missed his 14th consecutive game due to a right index finger frac[/FONT][FONT=&quot]ture.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]• [/FONT][FONT=&quot]LaMarcus Aldridge [/FONT][FONT=&quot]finished the game with 23 points and 14 rebounds,record[/FONT][FONT=&quot]ing his 10th game of 20+ points and 10+ rebounds. That stands as the third most in the NBA this season.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]• [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Damian [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Lillard [/FONT][FONT=&quot]finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds, logging his second double-double of the season.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]• [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Wesley Matthews [/FONT][FONT=&quot]made three of his five 3-point attempts and now sits just 51[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]3-pointers [/FONT][FONT=&quot]behind Terry Porter for most 3-pointers in Trail Blazers history (773).[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]• [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Portland's reserve unit combined to score 37 points on 14-of-25 shooting,com[/FONT][FONT=&quot]pared to 25 bench points for San Antonio.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]• [/FONT][FONT=&quot]LaMarcus Aldridge [/FONT][FONT=&quot]scored 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting and hauled in eight re[/FONT][FONT=&quot]bounds in the third quarter (12 min). He logged a double-double in the second half[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]alone with 19 points and 11boards.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]• [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Wesley Matthews [/FONT][FONT=&quot]scored 10 of Portland's first 12 points.[/FONT]

 

[SlyPokerDog]

[FONT=&quot]HEAD COACH GREG POPOVICH[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]On next opponent Memphis:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“They’re probably one of the top two or three teams in the league right now so it will be a heck of a challenge…I’ll think about Memphis some other time. Not right now.”[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]


[FONT=&quot]Borris Diaw[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]On his thoughts on Kyle Anderson:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“He did great, it was very impressive and that’s all we needed. With not many players on the court, we did not have the usual firepower that we have, so him coming in one on one was great.”[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]On if he knew if Anderson had a low post game:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“Yeah, we’ll go one on one sometimes pre-game against each other and it’s hard. It’s tough to play him when he gets a jump shot because he’ll be like Stephen Jackson, shooting slowly but over his head. You’ll feel like you’re right there but he’s actually shooting so far back that he gets the shots off and is pretty efficient.”[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]On what is so hard about the Blazers at home:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“They’re a good basketball team and good together. They got a lot of energy at home.”[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]On if the Blazers look like true contenders:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“Yes they are. They have been for years. They used to be a young team but year after year they get better and better and became a big threat.”[/FONT]



[FONT=&quot]Kyle Anderson[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]On how he thought he did the second half:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“He [Popovich] put a lot of confidence in me. He’d come out the timeout with a play for me and I just wanted to make the most of it, find teammates if they didn’t help off or score, one or the other.”[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]On if he feels that he is getting more confident:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“Yeah I think the confidence is coming along. I don’t think I’m fully adjusted to the speed and the physicality of the game but I think I’m heading in the right direction just getting used to the game and getting it down pat. My team mates have made it really easy, being unselfish.”[/FONT]

No one picked up on this, huh? According to Diaw the Blazers are for real.