What they said after the Hawks’ 111-105 loss to the Pelicans Friday night:
“We’ve been making progress defensively. I think tonight in a lot of different areas we weren’t as good as we needed to be defensively, particularly fouling. At the end of the game there were obviously fouls but I think before that they went to the free-throw line 30, 31, 32 times before we started fouling and they were on pace for a 30-point fourth quarter. I think the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth quarter we didn’t execute. We didn’t get stops. Luke Babbitt came in and hurt us. He made a couple of big shots that really changed the game and he played really well. Obviously, Anthony Davis was very good all night. It was just a night where collectively as a group we didn’t play our best. So the challenge now is to get ready to play on Sunday.”
- Coach Mike Budenholzer’s opening statement
“They ran some pick-and-rolls and collapsed our defense. He was open. I would necessarily call it an error or a mistake. I think they deserve some credit for getting inside the paint and collapsing the defense and then finding the open guy. He stepped up and made the shots.”
- Budenholzer on reason Luke Babbitt was open for 3-pointers
“Our defense went down. That’s about it. We couldn’t defend and they had a (42-)point fourth quarter. That says it right there.”
- Mike Scott on Pelicans’ decisive run between third and fourth quarters
“He just came out shooting. It was bad coverage on our part. We just have to watch film and learn from it.”
- Scott on Babbitt’s 3-pointers
“They came out playing better at the end of the third, beginning of the fourth. They made some big shots. (Luke) Babbitt came in and stretched the floor for them. That changed the game.”
- Jeff Teague on difference in game
“We wanted him to make tough 2’s and that’s what he was doing. He was making that step-back jumper that fall-away jumper. You just have to shake his hand and run back down the court. He made some tough shots. He is a great player. That’s what great players do.”
- Teague on defending Anthony Davis
“They put in Luke Babbitt. He was ready to play. We didn’t make the proper changes and he made us pay for it.”
- Shelvin Mack on difference in game
“We just weren’t aggressive enough. We didn’t execute. You name it, we didn’t do it. Just a complete mental breakdown. Something that we are just not used to doing.”
- Paul Millsap on difference in game
“It wasn’t a step back because we know exactly what we need to do. It’s just one of those things where they hit shots and we just didn’t get stops. We just have to be mentally stronger.”
- Millsap on Hawks’ defense
“He came out and made shots on the pick-and-pop. If he makes those shots, he is going to have a big night. And he did. We tried to take everybody else out of the game. We just didn’t get any stops down the stretch.”
- Millsap on defending Anthony Davis
“We just didn’t give the effort we needed to give. We weren’t aggressive. It backfired on us tonight.”
- DeMarre Carroll on difference in game
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