POSTGAME QUOTES



Mike D'Antoni:

On what happened in play tonight:
“What happened was we didn’t play hard enough. We think we can just figure stuff out. Trevor Ariza has 12 attempts at three’s and he was wide open. That’s inexcusable. It’s just a matter of glances or gambling or ‘I’m not going to play hard tonight because we’ll just outscore them’. That’s why we dug ourselves a hole in the first part of the year and now we’re digging it again. We put ourselves in a big hole. We’ll talk about it and try to change it around but we have got to have some effort out there.”

On how much it bothers him that this still happens:
“A lot. There’s no explanation for it. I can’t explain it but every time we get up 16, it’s like, ‘well we’re really good’ and we don’t have to play hard and we start messing with the game. When you start messing with not moving the ball, messing with ‘I’m just going to go one-on-one every time’ and you start messing with the basketball gods they will get you. It will roll around and go in for them then it will roll around and go out for us because we’re messing with the game. If we don’t change that, we obviously won’t make the playoffs. But if we do then we’ll get blown out of the playoffs. You can’t be a fairly good team or even a good team without passing the basketball, without understanding what we’re doing defensively and honing in and doing it. You can’t do it.”

On if defense is more important than offense:
“It’s all tied together. It has nothing to do with defense or offense; it has to do with how we approach the game mentally, how we’re playing the game and are we a team or not, are we going to play hard on every possession or not. That’s something we need to learn real quick. We have from now until Monday. We go on the road and we have four games on the road. All of them, we have to win them all. Hopefully we can change it around. They can surprise me, no doubt about it because they have it. They just have to turn it on.”

On Trevor Ariza and multiple good looks at the basket tonight:
“It’s off of John Wall screen-roll and the ‘big’ rolling to the basket and guards having to help to on that ‘big’ and he did a good job sliding up and making shots.”

On what went wrong tonight:
“They got great penetration and we didn’t do a good job closing out shooters or rotating on the backside.”

On blowing the lead:
“I think their penetration. I think our defensive intensity slipped a great deal in the second half and they took advantage of it.”

On his missed two-point shot that would have tied the game:
“I just rushed it a little bit. I didn’t know how much time I had to get it off and with the dribble and I had to check the line so I had to shoot it a little quicker than I wanted to.”

On tonight’s loss:
“It’s a discouraging loss. We’re upset about it without a shadow of a doubt and we got to go out on the road and pick it back up.”

On his ankle:
“It did alright and I tried to pace it. I didn’t want to push it too much and have it get stiff on me, so I tried to pace it a little bit. I couldn’t really attack as much as I wanted to, but it’s okay.”

On what went tonight:
“We just allowed them I think to get into a rhythm, into a comfort zone. We gave them life and they took advantage of it. We messed up on rotations. We just left guys wide open. Trevor [Ariza] got going, [John] Wall got going and all of a sudden they were in the game.”

On the team’s defense:
“I think we stopped rotating, stopped hustling certain plays and they hit a couple open jumpers just uncontested and those are the type of shots and type of plays that we can’t afford going down the road and against anybody you just can’t allow a guy to take a wide open shot.”

On how his foot held up:
“A little sore, but hopefully it’ll be okay tomorrow and it’ll be better every game and my conditioning will also get better so I can increase my productivity and my minutes.”

On what he was trying to accomplish tonight:
“I’m just trying to move the ball and trying to make the right play as always, and when I had the shots I took them unfortunately I couldn’t make most of them. I just tried to be a factor and tried to get some kind of rhythm and see how it felt.”

On giving up an 18 point lead:
“I don’t know. I wish I had the answers for you. Primarily, I would just say that I don’t think we were detail oriented enough in the second half and our shots didn’t go. We lost our rhythm, got a little stagnate and all of a sudden, they got hot. Table turned. I wish I could give you more than that.”

“I thought our pick and roll coverage wasn’t the best as far as getting back to the shooters. Wall is going to cause problems at some point during the night, but I think we have up a lot of looks to Ariza that we should have taken away. But, it is a frustrating game for many reasons and we definitely gave up a lead and a half time lead. That was unacceptable.”

On the second half:
“Ball movement. They did a good job of attacking the basket and kicking out over guys for threes…We have to be able to protect the paint and get out and force them to shoot tough shots. That didn’t happen in the second half.”

“We have to win games. We can’t allow things like this to happen.”

“We didn’t play the same way we played to get the lead. We have to do that every night.”

On tonight’s game:
“I was really not too displeased at half time to be honest with you. They came out of the box hot. You could tell that they’ve had two or three days off, getting everybody back, and they made shots. We missed a lot of wide open shots. We shot the ball not like we’re capable of. I really thought that was it. We saw towards the end of the second quarter that when we got stops we could get out and run. It was hard to play at the pace we wanted when we were taking the ball out of the net. I told them, the last three or four minutes of that second quarter has to be how we play, and we have to start out by getting stops. I said, if we keep running our offense and getting the same shots, you guys are going to knock them down. You’re going to make shots; take the shots, and take them with confidence. That’s what they did, and I’m proud of those guys. They came in here down 18 in the first half, and then to fight like that to give yourselves a chance to win. They made plays at the end. John [Wall] was big, and Trevor Ariza was huge. They were leaving to help a lot and we moved the ball. You have to be able to do that. Both John [Wall] and Nene; when we came to get the ball out of their hands we moved it to the open guy and we made shots coming down the stretch.”

On if tonight’s win was the best of the season:
“We’ve had some good ones. We beat Miami without John [Wall] and Nene. I’m not discounting this one at all. Obviously coming in here and getting a win is always going to be up there.”

On John Wall’s play tonight:
“It’s the pace, and under control pace. We took a couple quick shots, I think, that we probably could have backed out and not shot too quick. He’s just controlling the game. He’s getting the ball up the floor, he’s getting it inside quickly before the defense can get set, he’s attacking gaps before the team can get set, and he’s playing with high confidence. He’s making his shot and he’s taking it with confidence. He’s playing at a high level. I don’t know if anybody is playing at as high a level as John [Wall] is.”

On Kobe Bryant’s play tonight:
“I thought Trevor’s [Ariza] length made him take some tough shots, but the guy is still incredible. He hits that three, we can’t guard it any better, and it goes in. I didn’t look at that last one; I’ve seen him do it too often. He’s the most incredible player at making a shot like he missed at the end, and I didn’t want to hear that crowd.”

On their comeback win:
“One thing coach did a good job of was just telling us get it to like 12 or 10 going into halftime. He told us that we were playing good, we didn’t have too many turnovers tonight and we were playing good, we just couldn’t make shots and they were getting easy shots. They were making tough shots and we weren’t making open shots. Coming out of the 3rd quarter, we just wanted to keep our defense up and running the same plays and same sets. We were able to make shots and make a run and keep getting defensive stops in.”

“It was a great win. I’ve won twice against the Lakers, once at home, and just to come here and win my first game ever at Staples Center is great. Everybody counted us out when they brought Kobe [Bryant] and Pau [Gasol] back tonight. We just knew what our team was, were one of the top defensive teams and we play defense and play the right way, we have a chance. We just have a lot of heart and character.”

On defending Kobe Bryant:
“It was a great team effort but [Trevor] Ariza does a great job whenever someone gets hot. He’s our best defender and does a great job using his length and not going for pump fakes and he played with Kobe [Bryant] for a long time. We just did a great job of helping and just trying to make a read to kick it out to the shooters and make them make tough shots like they did in the first half. We did a great job of that.”

On his 25 point performance:
“I was getting a lot of open shots for one, knocking them down, and also it’s my son’s birthday, turned 5 today.”

On beating the Lakers:
“We didn’t get down on ourselves. We kept fighting even when we were down early. We just came out, stuck to our game plan, and executed.”

“It’s not really about the team that we play its just getting a win, that’s the most important thing. Of course it’s a good thing to beat the Lakers, or whatever, but it’s better that we got the win.”

On the game:
“It was a colossal win; it’s awesome, pure joy. We continue to have each other’s back we can do anything. We were down in that first half, mainly because we were getting great looks, we just weren’t making shots and the resilience on defense was, immaculate. So getting stops and running out on the other end, you know, John [Wall] had a great game, Trevor [Ariza], 7 of 12 from the 3 point line, all big shots, great shots and just continue to fight is the most important thing and we showed that tonight. Walking out here with a win is just the ultimate feeling.”

WIZARDS-LAKERS PREVIEW

By JEFF MEZYDLO

The Los Angeles Lakers appear close to having their four stars together on the floor again.

Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol could both return from injuries as the Lakers try for an eighth straight home win Friday night against the Washington Wizards.

Los Angeles coach Mike D'Antoni said Wednesday he hopes his two injured stars could play Friday. Bryant missed the last two games and three quarters of another after he sprained his ankle at Atlanta on March 13. Gasol, meanwhile, has sat the last 20 with a torn plantar fascia.

Gasol, Bryant, Dwight Howard and Steve Nash have not played together since Jan. 30 for the Lakers (36-33), who have won 19 of 27 and currently own the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Those four and Metta World Peace have played just 17 games together and not made up the starting lineup since Jan. 20.

"If our minds and hearts are into it, we can be a heck of a team and we can beat anybody," Gasol told the Lakers' official website. "We have too many guys who can put the ball in the hole for us to focus on one or two guys mainly. Once we share the ball and we really want to defend, get back in transition and limit our turnovers, we're a tough team."

Regardless when Gasol returns, D'Antoni said the 7-footer would eventually start alongside Howard. Gasol begrudgingly came off the bench for seven games in January when D'Antoni felt he wasn't completely healthy.

"There were a lot of decisions made when Steve Nash wasn't 100 percent on the floor, when Dwight Howard wasn't 100 percent, when Pau wasn't 100 percent," D'Antoni said. "When they're all 100 percent, it can work."

Playing its ninth game in 14 days, Los Angeles ran out of gas during Monday's 99-76 loss at Phoenix. Nash scored 19 and Howard added 16 with 11 rebounds but the Lakers shot 33.3 percent - their second-lowest effort of the season - and committed 18 turnovers.

"We just hit the wall," Nash said. "With some guys being injured, we've been playing a seven-man rotation and I think it caught up with us a little bit."

Though Howard went 6 of 18 from the field, he's scored at least 16 points six times and averaged 15.1 boards while recording eight straight double-doubles.

The Lakers have averaged 108.8 points and shot 49.0 percent during their longest home winning stretch since a 10-game run last season.

Nash is averaging 18.0 points on 56.5 percent shooting in the last five at Staples Center.

Los Angeles has won four straight at home and 10 of 11 overall against the Wizards (24-43). Bryant scored 30 in the Lakers' 102-96 win at Washington on Dec. 14.

Point guard John Wall was still recovering from an offseason knee injury then, but the Wizards are 19-15 since his season debut. He had 19 points and eight assists as Washington held Phoenix to 33.7 percent shooting to win for the fourth time in five games, 88-79 on Wednesday. The Wizards have allowed fewer than 88 points in half of their last 10 contests.

"Defensively, that's what we take our pride in," said Wall, who is averaging 23.3 points on 57.1 percent shooting and 9.5 assists over the last six games. "When we play defense, we feel we can beat anybody."

Wall had 22 points and 14 assists in his only game against the Lakers at Staples, a 115-108 loss on Dec. 7, 2010.

The Wizards could be without second-leading scorer Bradley Beal (13.9 points per game) after the rookie left Wednesday with a sprained ankle.

SEASON & SERIES NOTES; CONNECTIONS
The Lakers lead the season series with Washington 1-0 after losing their lone meeting last season; a loss that ended a nine-game win streak against the Wizards. This will be the 181st meeting between the two franchises with the Lakers leading the all-time series 116-64. Over the past 30 years, the Lakers have lost just three season series to Washington (1975-76 (1-3), 2004-05 (0-2) and 2011-12 (0-1)). The Lakers are 9-1 in their last 10 overall meetings with the Wizards. At STAPLES Center, the Lakers are 10-2 all-time against the Wizards. In Washington, the Lakers have gone 7-3 in their last 10 games at Verizon Center. Kobe Bryant’s Los Angeles series record 55 points against Washington came against the Michael Jordan-led Wizards in March of 2003 at STAPLES Center. In 28 career games including 24 starts, Bryant is averaging 25.6 points against Washington, tied for his 11th highest average against another team. Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak was selected by Washington with the 13th overall pick in the 1976 NBA Draft and was a member of the 1977-78 then Bullets NBA Championship team. Wizards forward Trevor Ariza averaged 8.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.54 steals in 106 games with the Lakers from 2007-09 and was a starter on the Lakers 2008-09 Championship Team. Lakers forward Antawn Jamison averaged 20.8 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 421 games with the Wizards from 2005-10, serving as a team captain in all five full seasons in Washington. Wizards guard Leandro Barbosa and Lakers guard Steve Nash were teammates in Phoenix from 2004-05 - 2009-10. Wizards center Jason Collins played his prep basketball locally with his twin brother Jarron (now a scout for the Clippers) at Harvard-Westlake. Lakers assistant coach Eddie Jordan was born and raised in Washington D.C. and served as Wizards head coach from 2003-04 through the first 11 games of 2008-09, guiding Washington to its first playoff since 1997 in just his second season while helping them advance past the first round for the first time since 1982 (made four straight playoff appearances overall). Lakers assistant coach Bernie Bickerstaff began his NBA coaching career in D.C., serving as an assistant from 1973-85 and head coach from 1996-97 - 1998-99.

LAST REGULAR SEASON MEETING
After trialing by as many as nine the second quarter, the Lakers were able to take a three-point lead at the half and turn that into a 16-point lead early in the fourth, and despite letting the Wizards battle back to within three with 5:31 remaining, were ultimately able to hold Washington off in a 102-96 Lakers victory at Verizon Center. Kobe Bryant recorded his fifth straight game of scoring 30-or-more points, becoming just the third player in NBA history to do so after turning 34 years old, finishing with game highs in points (30) and assists (7). Jodie Meeks provided 24 points off the bench on 9-14 shooting (4-7 3FG), while Metta World Peace (13 points) and Dwight Howard (12 points, game-high 14 rebounds, game-high 4 blocks) rounded out the Lakers players in double-figures. Three of the four leading scorers for Washington came off the bench; Cartier Martin finished with a team-high 21 points, Nene scored 17 points and Kevin Seraphin totaled 16 points on the night. Martell Webster led the Wizards starters with 17 points and Jordan Crawford rounded out the Wizards players in double-figures with 11 points. With the win, the Lakers snap a four game losing streak and improve to 3-8 in road games on the season.