What they said after the Hawks’ 115-100 loss to the Pelicans Monday night:
Coach Mike Budenholzer
Opening statement: "I want to start with giving New Orleans a lot of credit. They played really well, all up and down their roster and in every phase of the game. Give them a lot of credit for how well they played. Give our guys a lot of credit for a lot of good work over the last month. Tonight wasn't our night. I'm very proud of them. We'll get back to work tomorrow and figuring out how we can improve and get better."
On slow start: "They had us on our heels from the very beginning. We didn't start well. Again, they deserve a lot of the credit for us not starting well. That cushion that they got, that separation, of 10, 12 points at the end of the first quarter, we could never really get back to where we needed to be."
On Pelican's defense: "I thought New Orleans was good on both ends of the court. Defensively, we couldn't get a rhythm. We couldn't get as free. I don't know that the ball moved as well as we'd like. We just weren't getting as good looks as you need to get. Offensively, Anthony Davis was good. They were good on the boards. I think Anthony has 19 at halftime and he scored all different ways. It was just one of those games."
On getting frustrated during game: "That is not something that is normal or part of our character. I think our guys understand how important it is on the road to keep your composure, keep your poise. But they were frustrated."
On not starting DeMarre Carroll: "Overall, we wanted to keep his minutes in a manageable place. If you want to keep the minutes manageable and have him at the end of the game, it's hard to start him. So that was how we decided to go."
Kyle Korver
On slow start: "They definitely set the tone in the first quarter. They came out with an edge and we were kind of on our heels. They got that good lead and really set the tone for the game. We got it within striking distance a couple times but I think the first quarter really set the tone."
On Pelicans' defense: "I think we missed some shots close, but they were all contested. I didn't think we were missing any wide open shots by any means. To be honest, I don't feel like we played our best game. That is a team that has some really, really good weapons. Those guys played really well. They just beat us."
On Budenholzer's post-game message: "He said it was a good streak and that we approached it the right way. We really didn't talk about it. We really didn't celebrate it. We just came to work every day. It's a nice little in-season accomplishment to win that many games in a row but tomorrow we'll come back to work and keep plugging away."
DeMarre Carroll
On health: I'm good. (His Achilles) is a little sore. That is to be expected. I'm feeling good. It's kind of hard to get out there and get a rhythm early on. It can only get better from here."
On Pelicans pulling away in third quarter: "Their coach did a great job of calling a timeout (after Hawks pulled to within seven points). They came back and went to their horse. They went to Anthony Davis. He's an All-Star. He's a big concern."
On 19-game win streak: "Coach Bud, that's why you give him credit for being one of the best coaches in the NBA, we came in and reflected on it for a good five minutes. Like he said, it was a great run. This game is nothing to put our heads down about. We've just got to regroup. It happens. You can win all of them. We'll regroup and come back Wednesday."
Paul Millsap
On difference in game: "We didn't make shots. They made shots. Simple as that. Give them credit. They hit some tough shots. I don't think we came out with a sense of urgency. We let them get in a rhythm, get comfortable. That's what happens."
On Pelicans challenging every shot: "They did. Like I said, give them credit. They played good basketball today and we didn't. It's as simple as that."
On getting frustrated: "Definitely, a little frustrated. A little frustrated."
Al Horford
On difference: "You have to give them credit. They played great. But I think the difference was the first quarter. We came out a little stagnant. They jumped on us. After that, we really couldn't recover. After that, each quarter was pretty much even."
On Pelicans challenging every shot: "Give them a lot of credit. They played harder than us. They moved the ball well, inside out. They really had it going."
On loss: "I don't think we were expected to win every game. We were definitely taking it a game at a time. But it's great. I'm proud of our team and what we've been able to do. We've been playing high-quality basketball for the last two months really. Now that it's over, we'll reflect on what we did and get ready for tomorrow."
On a sense of pride in the fifth longest winning streak in NBA history: "Now, we can look at all that stuff. I wasn't really paying that much attention to the numbers and the history. But I'm proud of our group. We played good basketball."
