Hawks-Spurs postgame quotes

What they said after the Hawks’ 106-104 loss to the Spurs Thursday.

“I think there are a lot of positives to take from the game tonight. The group kept competing. The ball movement overall, 30 assists on 39 baskets, is something that we have been emphasizing, talking a lot about. The pace that we played at for a lot of the game. Jeff (Teague) really being the engine that generates that pace and gets us out and going.”

- Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer on what went right

“In the third quarter they got away from us. It’s something we talked about in the locker room. We can’t have a 38-point defensive quarter.”

- Budenholzer on what went wrong

(Coach) told us before that he was going to get us to play more extended minutes to get ready for the season. We really haven’t all been together. Al (Horford) sat out one game. I sat out. He is just trying to get us to gel.”

- DeMarre Carroll on the starters playing the majority of the fourth quarter

“At this point we are not really concerned about the score much. It’s more about what we are doing on defense and making sure we are doing the right things. I was encouraged to see the guys are on the same page defensively for the most part. Our offense still needs some work. It’s nowhere near where it needs to be. But we understand that. We’ve only been running it for two weeks. I was encouraged with our defense.”

- Al Horford on what he takes away from the game

“I asked him for that backwards dunk. When he dunked the normal one, I said I can do that. I cannot do (the reverse dunk). He’s more talented.”

- Pero Antic on Jared Cunningham’s two dunks

“I feel like I’m coming out every day and competing. I guess it’s showing. Coach is trusting in me a little more each day. Whatever I can do to help my teammates, that’s what I need to do. If it’s coming off the bench and score, that’s what I need to do.”

- Cunningham on entering the game as the first substitute off the bench

“We were supposed to do a handoff and my outlet was to Kyle but the three seconds went so fast, I felt. Maybe they started the clock a little early (laughing). It is what it is. It was a great play design. I had a chance to lay it up but they switched to small on small. We had a small on Paul (Millsap) and I should have thrown it in and let him make a play.”

- Jeff Teague on the final play - a drive and outlet to Kyle Korver that did not beat the buzzer

“A lot of what our offense is going to be is chemistry. We don’t have a lot of plays. We have a lot of concepts. So, we are trying to get used to the new concepts but we are also adding some new pieces. Even the pieces that were here last year are getting used to these new concepts.”

- Korver, who scored a game-high 26 points, on new offense