Hawks-Celtics postgame quotes

Here is what they said after the Hawks’ 94-87 loss to the Celtics Saturday night:

“It’s a tough loss. I think the free-throw line and the aggressiveness of Boston in the fourth quarter was the difference in the game. For the game it’s 31-12 from the free-throw line. That’s going to make it a difficult game to win. I think we need to learn from that and be more aggressive and get to the paint, get the basket, get to the free-throw line. It’s a tough lesson to learn. It’s a tough way to learn it. I think there were times for three quarters when we were efficient and we were good but we weren’t able to bring it home in the fourth quarter. I think their aggressiveness put them over the top.”

- Coach Mike Budenholzer’s opening statement

“We didn’t force the issue enough. We didn’t get to the paint enough. We didn’t get to the basket enough. And when we did, we didn’t finish. We need more of all of that. We need to get there more. We need to finish better. We had some open looks. It obviously helps to make some of those too.”

- Budenholzer on Hawks’ fourth quarter

“In the NBA, if you watch a lot of NBA games, it seems like no matter who it is it ends up close in the end. You always struggle to keep a lead. The other team gets more aggressive when they are down. That’s kind of the theme or the message to take from tonight. I think they got more aggressive and they were able to make up the difference and then some. You can’t not stay aggressive, you can’t not stay disciplined, if you want to maintain a lead. It’s something that every team in the league, including us, needs to work on.”

- Budenholzer on Hawks’ failure to hold late leads

“I felt like we did a good job yesterday (holding lead). Today we were just flat in the fourth. I take blame on the offensive end. I missed a lot of shots I normally make, easy baskets around the rim. That’s on me. It’s just disappointing. This is a game we felt we should have won.”

- Al Horford on failure to hold late leads

“I don’t know if it was getting tight, but we just couldn’t get back into a rhythm.”

- Horford on Hawks’ fourth quarter

“They got a lot of calls down the stretch.”

- Horford on free-throw disparity

“I think it was one of those games where in the fourth quarter we were complacent. Maybe we felt like they were going to give us the game and they took it. You have to give credit where credit is due. They made shots, we didn’t. We didn’t get stops, they did. They won the game.”

- Lou Williams on Hawks’ failure to hold leads

“It snowballs, once it starts, especially when you are getting free points at the free-throw line. You start to gain confidence. Once that starts rolling, it’s hard to bounce back from.”

- Williams on fourth quarter

“I wouldn’t say we get tight. I would say sometimes we probably just relax a little too much. Tonight we should have been the aggressor instead of letting them be the aggressor.”

- Williams on whether Hawks get tight with leads

“Man, I don’t know what he was doing. He messed my back up. My back is killing me know. I messed my back up on that. Then that other kid (Vitor) Faverani messed my wrist up.”

- DeMarre Carroll on whether Jared Sullinger flagrant foul was a cheap shot

“It is what it is, man. We gave them a gift. Merry Christmas.”