Pistons Head Coach Stan Van Gundy
Giving up 36 points in the first quarter…
“We didn’t come ready to play at all and got ourselves in a big hole and couldn’t get out of it. We tried to fight back in the fourth but you know we got away with it in Portland but you’re not going to be able to just play one quarter especially on the road and expect to come away with wins and that’s what we did tonight. We weren’t ready to play at the beginning of the game.”
Andre Drummond confused on whether to stay in or go out with Cousins’ on the 3-point line…
“I didn’t mind after he made the first one but after that you think we could have adjusted. He hit one of them on Aron (Baynes) and three of them on Andre. It shouldn’t have been a hard adjustment.”
Offense…
“We don’t pass. I mean everybody wants to dribble it six times and look for their shot before they pass the ball.”
Reggie Jackson
Energy at the start of the game…
“It wasn’t what it needed to be. We didn’t come out ready to compete. We didn’t come out ready to play. Got to play harder, the last three games…dug ourselves two holes these last two games.”
Lack of ball movement or lack of foot movement…
“I don’t know. When we play against five set defenders at time, that’s tough. The action starts at 18, 16 is hard to play against a set defense every player in the league. That’s why they try to get fastbreak points. Everybody knows it in the NBA, it’s tough. It’s very difficult.”
Next couple days of practice…
“Very important. We came in here to try and clean sweep this West Coast trip, 2-2 right now. Learn from each and every experience. Got to learn from this one but we got to move on from it and get ready for a tough opponent in L.A. Clippers.”
Ersan Ilyasova
Tonight’s game…
“Right out the gate we kind of started sloppy, playing defensively. Obviously, we played against Sacramento so defensively they have a lot of guys who can score each night and every game so we kind of came up with no energy. Right in the beginning, obviously in the second half we kind of picked it up but it was a little too late for us. Obviously, when they run a play with confidence, build the confidence it’s hard to stop them.”
Low energy…
“I don’t know. It’s hard to explain. For us, we have to know what we did early before we’re in the game. Obviously we play with a lot of energy. Obviously we make a lot of stops. And play very well defensively. This has to be our identity going forward. If we’re not going to do those things it’s going to be really hard to win games.”
Kings Head Coach George Karl
Being a lot more decisive defensively on the home floor:
“I agree.”
How much more encouraging was it overall:
“The first half was probably the best we’ve played all year. The second half we played a little more hanging on than I enjoy, but I probably had three guys out there pretty much out of gas. Fortunately, we stayed committed defensively, our offense went out the window a little bit, but we stayed committed defensively and had a fairly easy game. We got a lot of good play from a lot of players. I thought Rudy’s start was really good, really into it, really motivated us. I think … we moved the ball very well. The second half, both he and Cuz, I thought ran out of gas a little bit, and fatigued. But I thought the commitment to defend even when we were tired was really strong. James Anderson gave us a good start on Reggie Jackson. We felt there two number ones, two studs were (Andre) Drummond and Reggie (Jackson). They got a lot of things done on both of them and on a very good level. Drummond is kind of a stack guy, but I didn’t think he had a big factor in the game. James and everybody in our pick-and-roll defense on Reggie was pretty good.”
Rondo playing 48 minutes:
“I’m hoping Seth can play maybe Friday. I think Darren (Collison) is out at least one more game. There is a chance that Seth might be able to play on Friday.”
Sigh of relief tonight:
“I don’t care what type of team you’re on, a new team, a veteran team, a losing streak is heavy. There is like a monkey hanging on your back. I have been on teams that win conference championships, and you go into a four- game losing streak and a lot of times that happens because of the schedule. That’s no excuse we should have won one or two more games. But in the same sense, I remember places where you’re having a good year, and winning three in tens and are ok. It never makes you happy, and you got to be dissatisfied, and you got to be competitive to be frustrated. But in the same sense, you saw a good team tonight play well, play better, compete more, but there’s holes, there’s things we got to get better at.”
Rudy Gay
On what they did as a team to come out with a better focus:
“I think we’re a family. Honestly, we see y’all more than we see our own families – it’s okay, I like you guys, most of you (laughs). It happens; we build from it and today we got better.”
On the play of Rajon Rondo the past couple of games:
“That’s the kind of player he is. When we need him to step up, he does. But we don’t have anybody to back him up, so he’s come out there and competed every second. Hats off to him.”
When asked what they did better as a step in the right direction:
“Defense. Defensively we’re stopping players. I don’t think (Andre) Drummond had nearly the games he’s had before coming here; I think that’s something we can hang our hat on and something that we can build on.”
When asked what he personally took out of their meeting:
“I took out of it – man, it’s a long season. It’s just those are needed just for everybody to kind of get their feelings out and really kind of hash out what’s the best for the team. We came out of the meeting with a better understanding of each other, so if anything, I just understand my teammates better.”
When asked how many team meetings he’s gone through in his professional career:
“It happens all the time – at least two a year. Every losing streak.”
On his play with DeMarcus Cousins:
“We both got into it early – we loosened the defense up and we made it easy for the rest of the team. I think us as leaders have to do that every night. If we don’t bring it, it makes it tough on the team.”
