What they said after the Hawks’ 112-100 win over the Timberwolves Sunday night:
Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer
Opening statement: "Not our prettiest game but to make a couple of big plays down the stretch, a couple of big shots, the way the ball moved, when the game got tight they trusted their spacing, trusted their pass. A couple of guys made big plays and obviously Jeff (Teague) getting to the rim. Defensively, I thought the first half was good. But taking care of the boards, taking care of the free-throw line continue to be things we talk about to improve. To find a way to win today when we don't really play our best is a good sign."
On Timberwolves ability to score in paint and get to free-throw line: "They were good tonight. Adding (Nikola) Pekovic to the lineup gives them a real force on the interior. I thought Thaddeus Young tonight was great. Their cutting off the ball, slashing and getting to the basket and the guys finding them. Their execution and their will to get to the paint, their will to get to the free-throw line, I think we can be better but I think they are to be commended. They are very good. We've got to be better."
On closing out games: "I think our poise and our confidence is growing. Like I mentioned, I think they are trusting each other, trusting where they are going to find their shots late in the game. Obviously, Jeff in pick-and-rolls is somebody we can use whether it's Al (Horford) or Paul (Millsap) with the spacing. We've got to work on our execution but just to see them trust it when (the lead) was cut to six and to hit a couple big shots and make the right pass and the right play it's good for us."
Thabo Sefolosha
On win: We played against a team with a lot of talent. It wasn't a pretty game tonight. I think the energy of defense could have been a little higher. Overall, we did enough good things to win the game.
On Timberwolves inside play: "They are a physical team. Like I said, they are NBA players. They know what they are doing out there. It's not always possible to stop it. I think we were able to disturb their pace and do enough good things to build a lead and keep it."
On winning 16 straight: "It's awesome."
On what is special about this run: "We are playing a basketball that we can sustain. It's not anybody doing something out of the ordinary that makes us win. Everybody is playing to their character. Everybody is playing to their role. It's working for us. I think the pace out there is great. We keep our mind. Sometimes we are up, sometimes we are down coming into the fourth quarter but we just find a way to do what we do best."
Jeff Teague
On win: "We are a resilient group. It's all about W's. We'll take them any way we can get them."
On winning streak: "I can't complain. I like winning. I'm enjoying it. I hope it continues."
On ability to sustain current play: "Just wanting to win and not being satisfied. Guys know it's a long season. We just want to continue to rack up wins. We want to be a good team. Good teams win games like this, games that they should win. That's what we have to do."
On current run without one dominant player: "We are just playing team ball. As long as we keep playing team ball, moving the ball, helping each other on the defensive end, we should be OK."
DeMarre Carroll
On winning ugly game: "It says a lot about out character. We learned a lot last year. It was an ugly game. You have to give them credit. They did a good job executing. But at the same time, whenever you get a win it's always good."
On Thaddeus Young: "He's really good. I told Paul (Millsap) he reminds me of a left-handed Paul. He's good. He can play a lot of positions. He's good."
On streak: "What streak? No, it's good but we are not really worried about the streak. We are just worried about getting better and playing winning basketball."
On sustaining winning: "Just the fact that games like this, ugly games, we still find ways to win. On the games, we play really good we find ways to win. Whatever a team throws at us, we still find ways to win. I think that is the biggest thing for us, just finding ways to win."
Kyle Korver
On sustaining winning: "I think what helps with being consistent is there are a lot of people touching the ball every night. If your game is focused on one or two guys and one of those two guys has a bad game, it makes it a lot harder for you to win. We are able to find the hotter hand a little bit and not relying on one guy."
On Timberwolves presence in the paint: "Give them credit. They have a couple active bodies and big bodies. Pekovic and him and (the Thunder's Steven) Adams the last game, they are like the two strongest guys in the NBA. They are like banging into a rock. That is their strength. They are top 10 in the NBA in points in the paint. They are not doing it by driving into the paint. They are doing it be post-ups. We didn't play our best game tonight but good enough to win."
Paul Millsap
On sustaining winning: "Our style play. We know there is a type of play we need to play to succeed. If we stick to that map, I feel like we'll win games."
On sharing the ball: "It's part of the blueprint."
On comfort level with so many able to carry the load: "It gives you a lot of comfort. When things aren't going right and you are having one of those 3 for 10 or 1 for 7 nights, you know somebody else will pick up the slack. That is what a full team does. It give you that comfort level."
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