What they said after the Hawks’ 112-110 victory over the Jazz Monday night:
“It was a good win. It’s good for our guys in the locker room to have that feeling. A lot of guys made big plays on both ends of the court. Everybody that played contributed and helped us find a way to win a game. The ball movement and the offensive execution and the defense in the first half were really good. And then Utah turned up the pressure. Their defense was excellent in the third quarter. I think we had five or six turnovers. We didn’t respond to their pressure and it turned into a heck of a game. Our guys found a way to get a win. I just feel good for them.”
- Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer’s opening statement
“When we talk about big contributions from everybody, the shot by Kyle when they had gone up by three to tie it at 96, I think Pero got an offensive rebound and kicked it out to DeMarre and he made a big 3 to put us up three. Those two shots were critical. Obviously, getting a stop in between, those are the types of plays when we talk about guys making big plays, those were to big ones by Kyle and DeMarre. Pero’s offensive rebound is what allowed Demarre to get the 3.”
- Budenholzer on 3-pointers by Kyle Korver and DeMarre Carroll
“I think they handled it well. Once you start playing that kind of dissipates a bit. They have been playing basketball their whole lives and have been in lots of big games, lots of competition. I thought they responded well and just got into the flow of the game.”
- Budenholzer on play of former Jazz players DeMarre Carroll, Kyle Korver and Paul Millsap
“Our group needs a little success. Our group needs to get a little reward for their hard work. Like we’ve been talking about after some of these games, there are still positives when you don’t get the results you are looking for. I’m sure we’ll find some mistakes tonight even though we won. I’m just happy for our guys in the locker room that we won and we can build on this.”
- Budenholzer on trip home after victory
“In our league, this happens more than coaches would like and players would like. You learn you have to keep your composure. You learn you have to get back to doing what you were doing in the first half, which was getting a lot of stops. I think we held them to 22 points in both the first two quarters. You have to dig in defensively and keep sticking to the system offensively, moving the ball, attacking the basket, getting back and getting open shots.”
- Budenholzer on lessons from losing 17-point lead
“It’s a huge settling influence. Not just for Kyle to be the one who makes the shots. He attracts so much attention from the defense that often times he opens up opportunities for his teammates. Obviously if Kyle is open you feel he has a good chance to make a shot. It really works both ways to our advantage. He is an amazing shooter and he creates a lot of opportunities for his teammates.”
- Budenholzer on Korver’s settling influence with shooting ability
“Man, it’s about time. We needed this one tonight. It didn’t finish the way we wanted it to finish but I’m not going to complain tonight. We’ll take a win and try to build on it.”
- Kyle Korver on victory
“The Jazz, there is so much tradition. It’s like a big family here. Once you are part of the Jazz you never leave all the way. It’s good to be here. It’s good to see all the familiar faces. I keep finding myself on teams with a couple of Jazz guys now. I think that is a really good thing. The guys I played with when I was here, it was a great culture, guys who worked hard and played the right way. So, I always feel confident when I’m on a team with other Jazz guys. I know we are going to have a team that plays hard.”
- Korver on return to Utah
“I just tried to be aggressive. I got some good looks early coming off some screens. I just kind of went from there.”
- Korver on his individual game
“It was a good play that coach drew up. Guys set the screens and I got open. I was wide open. I just had to line it up and knock it down.”
- Korver on 3-pointer that tied game at 96-96
“This is a hard building to play in if you are not the home team. It doesn’t matter if you’ve played here a bunch of times. If you are not the home team, it’s a tough building. I was a part of so many games where we were down at halftime, just like tonight, and came roaring back when the crowd gets behind it. Tonight we won but I was on a lot of teams when the Jazz won the game. Big games. This is not an easy place to play. I don’t care if you’ve played here before or not.”
- Korver on if he felt comfortable in arena he played in before
“There were a little bit (of jitters) but I felt comfortable for the most part. I got my first layup and that was the easy part. I got that under my belt and from there it was pretty easy.”
- Paul Millsap on return to Utah
- “It doesn’t matter who it is, a win is a win. We needed this win bad. We had to stop the bleeding somehow to get momentum going into our final home games.”
- Millsap on victory
“They knocked down shots. They went in and protected the basket. They are a physical team. When they are hitting shots and then making layups at the basket they are a tough team to beat.”
- Millsap on Jazz third-quarter run
“It feels amazing to get a win and get it here, especially being on a losing streak. It feels amazing. We really needed that. We were up on team and we let them come back but we needed that win. Hopefully we can get on a little winning streak.”
- DeMarre Carroll on win
“As soon as I get back in the game I said if I’m open I have to take my shots. I really was hesitating. One shot was an airball. I said the next one I’m getting, I’m going to let it fly. Pero got a great offensive rebound and kicked it out to me and I’ve been shooting in this gym for two years and I just let it go.”
- Carroll on key 3-pointer in fourth quarter
“Everybody started off hot. Paul hit a 3. Kyle hit a 3. I hit a 3. Everybody was hitting and feeling comfortable, especially the guys who played here. That is what we’ve got to do, take this win and let it carry over.”
- Carroll on return to Utah
“That is why we have get on a winning streak and better position ourselves for the playoffs. You got teams trying to fight to get in the playoffs and you have other teams ahead of us that I think we can catch. We just have to keep winning and stay the course.”
- Carroll on ending season with 13 of 20 games at home
“They are going to be runs in games and they were making a run. (Enes) Kanter had some big plays and I felt it was my duty to slow them down a little bit. I tried to do the dirty work, get a steal, a block, set up the guys to score, whatever it takes. I just didn’t want us to put our head down when they came back and tied it and eventually took the lead.”
- Elton Brand on doing dirty work
“The coach gives us a lot of wiggle room. The offense is in our hands. The defense, after we run the sets, is in our hands. We have to go out and execute. I just made a play on that one.”
- Brand on fourth-quarter steal
“This was a long trip. This will be a lot easier going back East with a win because that is what we came out here for.”
- Brand on returning home with win
“Absolutely because we have guys healthy. We got Paul back. We got Pero back. DeMarre missed a few games. Jeff Teague missed a few games. Guys are back now. We lot Al (Horford) at the beginning and we fought but we were just short. We were short-handed a lot.”
- Brand on building on win for final stretch
“Whatever it takes. … Coach said I could start against the Clippers if I wanted to and then we were going to go back to Pero after that. I said, let’s get it going now. Let’s get our sets going because it’s about the team.”
- Brand on return to being reserve
About the Author
