What they said after the Hawks’ 112-95 win over the Pistons Saturday:
"It's a good road back-to-back effort. I think the defense in the first quarter set the tone, the activity and obviously we shot the ball well tonight. We talked before the game that last night we found a way to win without making shots. Tonight, we made a lot of 3's. We were able to get some separation. I thought the pace into the offense and the ball movement was good. Hopefully, we can keep building on this." – Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer's opening statement
"He had a monster game. Blocked shots. Steals. Points. Rebounds. Everything. It was a big-time game from him. Fortunately, we had a little bit of a lead when it happened and we were able to close it out. Hopefully, he'll be OK." – Budenholzer on Paul Millsap
"He's a heck of a player and we are very fortunate to have him. We actually want more. We are on him. We think he can do even more for us. When he plays with energy and great force, his impact on the game is huge. And he knows that." – More Budenholzer on Millsap
"I think Thabo (Sefolosha) is going to be OK. He just had a tiny bit of stiffness. It's our last back-to-back of the season. I think we just wanted to air on the side of caution and do everything we can to keep him in a good place because he's playing so well. He probably could have played. He and I together agreed that it was best not to play." – Budenholzer on Sefolosha
"Playing the two point guards together was a way to replace Thabo's minutes. Jeff and Dennis together bought us a few for different guys and we could sub in and out and work our way around not having Thabo." – Budenholzer on playing Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroder together
"It was a little bit of both (offense and defense). We were able to get a couple stops, a couple boards and transition baskets. I think Mike Scott and Tim Hardaway running. When they cut it to seven, you could feel the momentum changing." – Budenholzer on Hawks' 20-6 fourth-quarter run
"I think, honestly, for us more than the defense it was the energy. I felt like we came out, all of us, with good energy and good focus. We understood that this was a really big game. The Pistons have been playing great, winning five straight. They are a team that's a problem. We needed to jump ahead and do that." – Al Horford on Hawks' start
"I thought our defense was great to start the game. It was a big game on the road. First quarter can dictate a lot of things, how the game is going to go. I thought we came out with a lot of great energy, attention to detail and really put together a solid first quarter and set the tone for the game." – Kyle Korver on Hawks' start
"I think we are playing our best basketball right now. You look at a period of games, 10 games, 15 games, I think you can get a good grasp of where we are at as a team. The last 15 games has probably been our best stretch of the season. We have a lot of tough games coming up. We probably have the toughest schedule coming up of all teams that are in this mix with us. So we know that every game is really important. Guys are really focused." – Korver on Hawks' hot streak
"I think that's going to happen either way. We feel pretty confident about that. We are going to be a playoff team. It's just where we are going to be. When it's all said and down, no matter what the standings say, we want to be playing our best basketball at the end of the season. It feels like we are headed in that direction." – Korver on nearing playoff berth
"He didn't play fair. I was mad, heat of the moment. I set a screen really hard on him because he gave me an elbow first. I've got to control myself. I can't do that. Still, heat of the moment and sometimes you do stuff you regret afterward." – Dennis Schroder on issue with Pistons' Andre Drummond
"That's my guy. He was in Santa Barbara too and we were working out (together). We cool. But on the court, there are no friends." – Schroder on talking to Drummond following the game
"We came out with a ton of energy, which is good this time of year because no matter what's going on it's important to keep your eye on your prize and what you're trying to get accomplished. We've got a tight race coming down the stretch and it's important we win this tight games. We have a tough schedule. We have to come out every night ready to play. It's a great win for us. Road win. Back-to-back. Got in late. We had everything going against us and they won five in a row. It just shows how focused we are." – Kent Bazemore on Hawks' start
"It's fun, man. First time in a long time. I think it worked well tonight. We had a lot of momentum and played faster. Hopefully, we can use in the future." – Jeff Teague on two point-guard look
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