Coach Malone Post-Game Press Conference vs. Thunder 🎙 | 12/29/23

Coach Malone Post-Game Press Conference vs. Thunder 🎙 | 12/29/23

Well yeah I mean that’s what they do I mean they lead the league and points off turnovers as we talked about uh pregame and you know to have 25 points off far mistakes um makes it that much harder uh to guard them and to guard him they had

25 in transition um but you know we we just didn’t have the the proper energy um starters uh tonight you know and obviously as you mentioned the turnovers no one’s trying to turn it over but you know nicoa had seven and the game was really decided in that third quarter 34

To 20 and I think that quarter six turnovers for 12 points in that quarter alone so um give them credit they’re a good team obviously they’ come in here beaten us twice won a really close game and this one was uh and was there anything in particular that they were

Doing on those turnovers was it unforced was it that’s what they do I me once again I can’t say it many times they lead the league in point scored off turnovers after 30 some odd game so obviously you got to be clean with the ball you can’t

Play in the crowd um you know that’s something they do to most teams but um you’re not going to give yourself a chance to win when you allow them to play to their strength to your point Ryan so uh we have them one more time obviously in OKC really weird beat him

The first time in OKC by we’re up by 30 points they beat us here in a really close game and then tonight was their blowout and the truth is somewhere in between I guess but uh we just didn’t have it tonight you know and um you know

That’s that’s going to happen at times I guess their the three-point shooting went way up in the second half you guys I think four for 17 first half was that sort of just an offset of some of the transition stuff some of those open looks yeah I’m sure it was a combination

Of you know getting threes and in transition um getting threes in the half court obviously chat was four or four I believe and he was very hot to start the game um but then just you know when you you got to be able to fly around give

Multiple effort I just didn’t think you know we were nine to1 going into tonight’s game and we had the number three defense and that that team that we you know we went out there and showed tonight that wasn’t a team that’s played the last 10 games and again whether it’s

Fatigue you know it makes it really hard to play against a team that is very talented if you’re not given just great great effort what’s the most important thing when talking to a guy like Jamal I know that blue D has had success on him in the last round as well just how

Impressive is L as a Defender is there something schematic there yeah he’s very good Defender strong physical um obviously they match his minutes to Jamal’s every time Jamal came back in the game they brought a Lou in the game um but I think we we have not done a

Good enough job to help Jamal you know yeah he can help him self but when you got a guy draped all over you we have to set better screens try to free him up and then the other thing too is you know when they’re taking the ball when we’re

Taking the ball out of the net every time because we can’t get a stop they’re set they can get to the matchups they can get to the game plan and um you know the last six games we’ won six in a row we’re averaging over 19 fast break

Points in a game in that six game span and tonight we only had 13 so um yes he’s a good Defender but we can do a lot better job of freeing Jamal up and getting him uh some some more quality looks but to his credit 11 assists two

Turnovers and 35 minutes um you know he took care of the ball at a high level start tonight again Watson this time against a very good team just curious what you saw from him tonight yeah I mean it’s uh every night that he gets a chance to start and play minutes

Is a is a a learning and growing opportunity um you know he 14 points one to six I think as I told him at halftime you know even after the game last night just um don’t don’t play with the settlement mentality you know I mean like I think yeah you’re opening the

Corner but they’re shrinking so much they’re helping on the drive cut behind it like he’s so damn athletic he got one from Jamal in the first half behind the defense so yes you can make make threes we all know that but don’t just settle for that put pressure on the rim dunk

The basketball get to the free throw line and obviously I think you know he can help us a lot more in the glass than he did tonight but I mean pton is just a work in progress who’s just getting better and better and um you know it’s while Aaron is out for however

Long Aaron is out you know this is just a great opportunity for Payton what you tell Reggie and what do you want to see from him when he goes into a shooting R the last five or six games yeah I mean it was good to see him make some Shots

Tonight made a couple of Threes um but get guys involved you I mean like he’s attracting so much attention in the pick and rolles whatever we’re doing offensively when he’s out there with that second unit uh you got DJ on the rim you got Shooters behind him him and

You know try to run your team and and you know get Christian Brown off get Julian STW off help get Justin or Payton DJ Zeke whoever else is out there like get them some easy ones you got DJ in the one Lop tonight um and continue to

Attack you know if you can get to the rim see getting an easy basket get to the free throw line you know maybe that helps your three-point shot uh fall but uh Reggie will be bounce back he’s been terrific for us this year and you’re right he’s going through a little bit of

A slump but you know I I was surprised he actually played in the second half you know he was uh questionable to return and uh that speaks to Reggie’s toughness guys had onid a couple times the second it me there was a wing is that something you canet or

That no we’ve done stuff that like that throughout the playoffs last year it’s just looking to a cross match at times and um you know if a big is a pick and pop three-point shooter um maybe switch the matchups so now we can just switch that to take away that separation and

Limit the three-point shot by Chad so it’s something that we’ve done it’s something that we’ll continue to do depending upon the team and the opponent and uh just who’s on the floor at that particular time this might be a film thing but you mentioned ni’s seven turnover do you

Have a feel for if that was him rarely making the wrong player was also on other guys not doing enough off the ball to get him better options oh I’m sure be a combination of all the above I think some will be uh maybe poor decisions by Nia some will be poor

Spacing poor reaction to the double team um they they do such a great job of collapsing in the paint so you got to make sure when two come to the ball you have to have Outlets if you don’t have the proper outlets now he’s being forced

To try to make a play and throw into triple coverage at times so um when you have 17 turnovers to 25 points or an individual like Nola has seven it’s not just on Nola it’s on you know once again everybody was guilty and that’s something that will clean up and

Hopefully we get some rest tomorrow get back to practice and get ready for uh for January thanks everybody app

Hear what Coach had to say after the loss

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Coach Malone Post-Game Press Conference vs. Thunder 🎙 | 12/29/23