Here’s what they said after the Hawks’ 104-96 win over the Rockets Tuesday night:
Mike Budenholzer
Opening statement: "I think a lot of credit to our players for finding a way to comeback a couple different times tonight. It seems like we were constantly trying to dig ourselves out of a hole. The last one we went down by 15 with nine or 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter. They found a way to make one more run and get over the hump. They figured it out on their own at halftime. It's a good group that way. They are resilient, a lot of character. I thought Houston played really well. Without two of the top players in our league (James Harden and Dwight Howard) those players wanted to drive us and kick and get to 3's and get in the paint. They did a lot of things well. I think we are fortunate to dig ourselves out of that hole. Just proud of our guys."
On message during timeout early in fourth quarter: "I really just said let's make one more run. Let's see if we can make one more just like we came out of the halftime. I thought we made one or two runs. We'd make a run and they would push (the lead) back. There was a lot of time, nine or 10 minutes. We kind of all collectively said let's make one more and we were able to sustain it and get over the hump. It's a lot of credit you can go up and down the roster. Dennis (Schroder) and Jeff (Teague) playing together, I thought really helped us defensively. Jason Terry had an amazing game tonight and Dennis was able to get into him a little bit and maybe slow him down late. Then we could play with a little more pace."
On difference in fourth-quarter run: "I thought Jeff and Dennis collectively, and then with the bigs, were setting a lot of great screens, rolling and we had a good mix of getting to the rim and finding some shooters. Mike Scott hit a couple shots. Al (Horford) and Paul (Millsap) got to the rim. And then Jeff and Dennis were able to score themselves too. Tonight, having both the ball handlers out there and being able to attack was good."
On first technical foul of season: "It's a competitive game. The refs have an incredible difficult job. At times you feel like it's not going your way. I guess he didn't like what I thought or said."
Al Horford
On early defensive effort: "You have to give them credit. We couldn't contain them. They were doing a lot of great things offensively. They kept us guessing a lot of the time. We prepared for playing against James Harden and it kind of changes how you are going to approach the game. They came out and didn't miss a beat. They were very aggressive. You have to give them credit."
On message during timeout early in fourth quarter: "It was kind of to slow that momentum. Coach wants us to play at a certain pace. He just told us to keep playing and not get discouraged. We stayed with it."
On difference in game: "The difference was we started getting stops defensively. I feel like we finally figured out how to guard them. And our intensity picked up. Once that happened everything was easier."
On playoff atmosphere: "Oh, it was chippy, definitely it was. Two of my former teammates, Smoove (Josh Smith) and Corey (Brewer). Smoove doesn't really talk trash but Corey on the other hand, he was talking to me the whole time. At the end, I kind of gave him a look and he wasn't too happy."
On Smith trying to silence crowd after 3-pointer: "The thing about Josh is, he is a good player and he shoots the ball. That's just Josh, Josh being Josh. He had a good game tonight."
Paul Millsap:
On decisive fourth-quarter run: "Just being more aggressive on the defensive end, rotation, reacting with our hands. We played the opposite in the first half."
On poor start: "Personally, I think we have to do a better job of starting games out, focusing beforehand and not waiting for the second, third and fourth quarters to wake up. We put ourselves in binds when we do that. It was an uphill battle. We finally got over the hump and were able to finish it out."
On playoff atmosphere: "It was great. It was fun. The atmosphere was great. The fans were great. I'm glad we responded to the atmosphere."
Kyle Korver
On poor start: "It wasn't great. (Budenholzer) told us he wasn't going to yell at us. He just showed clips of us not playing at a high enough level energy wise. He told us we have to care a little more. There were a bunch of plays where we weren't getting back on defense and we were letting them get the loose balls. Sometimes you can challenge people with words and get mad at them. Sometimes you just show them the film. We are all professionals and we know we can play better."
On decisive fourth-quarter run: "Our energy went to a whole new level, especially around the basket. We were getting rebounds and blocking shots and getting out in transition. Jeff obviously made a bunch of plays offensively. Paul made a bunch of plays. But really our energy just picked up six notches. That's how we need to play."
On playoff atmosphere contributing to increase energy: "I'm sure. It always gets that way but I think more than anything after watching the film at halftime we just knew we left a lot out there and we didn't play Atlanta Hawks basketball. We were letting them beat us to loose balls. Our body language wasn't too good. In the second half, we picked that up."
Dennis Schroder
On playing he and Teague together more: "I like to play with Jeff at the same time. We are pushing the pace on offense. We are way faster than everybody else. I think when we are both on the court we can push the pace every time. It's been great."
On playoff atmosphere: "First of all, the fans are great. They are helping us a lot. When you talk to the opponent and get a little trash talk going, that's basketball. I think it was a great comeback and a great team win."
On Jason Terry talking: "Yeah, he talks a lot. At the (Chris Brown) concert yesterday he said he is going to go at me. I was ready for it. I was in the elevator and it closed and he a was like 'I'm coming for you tomorrow.' It was like 'Nah, I've got to go at him.'"
Jeff Teague
On comeback: "Just energy on the defensive end. Guys picked it up, rotated, ran shooters off the line, made plays at the rim. Defensively, that was it."
On fourth-quarter run: "Guys came out with energy. Bench came in and did great for us and gave us a great lift. Guys were just playing really hard. We knew we had to make a run to get the lead down."
On message during fourth-quarter timeout: "Stay the course. Keep doing what we do. We did that."
On playoff atmosphere: "That's when it's fun. I think guys like playing when it's emotional. Josh (hushing) the crowd. That is fun. … I knew he was going to do something like that. They were booing him all night. He is a good player. I'm glad they responded the way they did (after hushing incidents). It was fun. He did a lot of great things for this franchise but he's gone now. They wanted to let him know he's not welcome here anymore."
DeMarre Carroll
On his fourth-quarter 3-pointer: I didn't want to shoot it right away when I pulled up. I would rather catch-and-shoot rather than pull up. I threw it to Paul and he threw it right back to me. I hit it. I had been feeling good the whole time during shootaround. The first one I missed but I thought it was good. I already knew it was going up before I got it."
On chippy atmosphere: "It was chippy and I thought that's what really got us going. If they were quiet and went ahead and did what they did, they wouldn't have woke up Jeff Teague, wouldn't have woke up myself, wouldn't have woke up Paul. That's when the game got chippy when they started talking and Josh Smith was doing all of this."
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