Hawks-Bulls postgame quotes

What they said after the Hawks’ 105-92 loss to the Bulls Wednesday night:

“You have to Chicago credit for the way they shot the 3-ball tonight. I think 48 percent and 12 3’s is something that is a credit to their guys. D.J. Augustin is having a heck of a year. Tony Snell hit a couple in the first half. Jimmy Butler hit a couple to timely ones. That really is a credit to them. Mentally we need to be a little bit sharper. We need to be (better) with our passing and our turnovers. It felt like there were a lot of turnovers that were, to some degree, unforced. I think our mental focus wasn’t there for 48 minutes like we need it to be when you are playing a good defensive team like Chicago. I think we came out with great energy, great pace. Thirty-one points in the first quarter and then we hit a little lull in the second and they got a cushion and we weren’t able to get back on top of them after that second quarter. A couple of untimely fouls on shooters and a couple of timely 3-pointers. A lot of guys stepped up for them. You look at the box score and they have six, seven guys in double-figures. They played well and they made shots. We just have to get to work tomorrow.”

- Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer’s opening statement

“They do things for him and they set a lot of screens for him. There were a couple of times where we lost track of him. A couple of times he made tough plays and tough shots. That is what he’s been doing all year. You look at a Chicago box score and Augustin’s got 33, Augustin’s got 30, he’s got 28. He has been a huge boost for them. Tonight was very similar. We gave him a lot of attention but that’s the kind of season he is having to date. We’ll look at t the film and I’m sure there are some areas where we could have stayed more attached to him.”

- Budenholzer on the Bulls’ D.J. Augustin

“Some of it is against Chicago you make a real emphasis to take away the paint and you make an emphasis to take away the offensive rebounds.”

- Budenholzer on Bulls’ open outside shots

“It’s probably important to give their activity and their length and their athleticism credit. They are good defensively. But at the same time we had a lot of unforced turnovers. That is what I alluded to in the beginning. Some of our passes and some of our mental and decision making as passers wasn’t where we needed it to be. You just have to be smarter with the ball, value possessions more. I don’t think we kept to our standards as far as making good decisions and passing tonight.”

- Budenholzer on Hawks’ turnovers

“I would say the effort was there. The execution wasn’t there. The focus may not have been there but the effort was definitely there.”

- Paul Millsap on Hawks’ effort

“They are a good defensive team. I felt like we started off moving the basketball well and kind of slowed down. We took a few bad shots. That is where the focus comes in, staying with it and continue doing what we did in the first quarter. We didn’t do that.”

- Millsap on Hawks play after fast start

“Disappointed of course after the loss but we still feel like we have a chance. We still have a lot more games left. Try to tough it out and see what happens.”

- Millsap on mood of Hawks after slipping into tie with Knicks

“Stay focused. Simple as that. Like I said, the energy was there. Effort was there. We just have to stay focused for the whole game.”

- Millsap on what Hawks have to do to end slump

“I think we had a lot of unforced turnovers. It was like we were giving them the ball. I think we did it to ourselves. We started off good. We just couldn’t keep our mental state for the whole game.”

- DeMarre Carroll on difference in game

“It’s hard. It’s hard. It’s one game but there is a lot at stake. We just have to come in tomorrow and work to be Cleveland.”

- Carroll on why team in not focused

“It’s tough. We still control our own destiny. We are just making it more interesting.”

- Carroll on mood in locker room

“It’s disheartening. We’ve been fighting all season long and we are in the playoff and as high as third place. For it to come down to the wire and not step up to the plate it’s definitely disheartening.”

- Elton Brand on mood in locker room

“We have to play harder, smarter, longer. It’s not like we are out. We still have a chance. We have to find a way. This team is built around competitors. There is no quit in us. We are going to play it out until the end.”

- Brand on turning around Hawks’ fortunes

“We kind of hurt ourselves with turnovers, especially in the second half. We started off really well but as the game went on we had some slippage with turnovers and taking care of the ball and getting good shots. That is what Chicago does to you. They are a great defensive team.”

- Kyle Korver on difference in game

“A bunch of bad turnovers. I had a couple terrible ones. It just seemed like a bunch of them happened right in a row and it kills the momentum.”

- Korver on turnovers

“I think we had a lot of unforced turnovers. I had five turnovers myself, which is uncharacteristic of how I play. I don’t really make a lot of high-risk plays. I think on two or three of them I just handed them the ball. I just had a lot to do with us not taking care of the basketball.”