J.B. Bickerstaff | Cavs vs Bulls Post Game | 1.15.2024

J.B. Bickerstaff | Cavs vs Bulls Post Game | 1.15.2024

In cleveland.com coach what was the mindset going into the fourth quarter you guys had an up and down first three quarters uh I mean you know again I thought we were Elite in the first quarter kind of set the tone um you know I do think there was you know a little

Bit of fatigue kind of through the quarters trying to figure it out just talking to different guys and looking at different guys trying to figure out the length of their minutes and their stretches and those types of things um but you know we got to a point where um

The guys knew it was winning time and just found a way to dig it out you know to come up with uh a 14p point fourth quarter uh is Elite and it’s what our defense is capable of um you know but to be able to do it when it matters most to

Do it on command um you know you’ll give yourself a chance if you can do that in the fourth quarters how important is it for you guys to be able to Resort back to what you guys know this team is as a defensive team five steals in the fourth

Quarter and also you guys added the three-point game you last six of the five of the last six field goals were all three-point makes what was it like to get back into your Rhythm uh I mean you know it was it was good obviously you know we continue to talk about being

A defensive team first and foremost uh we know that’s where we’ll find our most success uh and then you know using the three-point shot as a weapon um and again those threes the majority of them came um you know assisted and they were you know the guys doing the right thing

Like Dean uh last few you know it was his teammate finding him believing in him um you know I don’t think he had made one up until that point and they continued to believe in him find him told him to shoot it uh he shot it with

Confidence and knocked him down Jack uh Jackson flicking right down ID uh over the last 12 games you guys have led the league in three-point frequency and offensive rebounding rate tonight that was one of the things that really pushed you over the edge how was that consistency and style really help this

Team uh again it’s the recognition of who we are um understanding you know not only do we have Shooters but we have guys that can space in that are Scrappy right so if you’re taking those threes there’s going to be a lot of long rebounds uh and then having guys

Who are willing to stick their nose in there uh and come up with those long rebounds and I think that’s what’s happening for us um you know quite a bit and then you know ja’s been on an offensive rebound and tear uh he’s extremely difficult to deal with down

There in one-on-one situations um so I think that’s a big part of it as well do you feel like this team has found more of an identity than they had in the beginning of the season I mean yes but I believe you know that was beginning of

The year was just so choppy um there was so many guys that were in and out um that we were just hunting you know we were talking about playing you know a little bit differently playing with more movement and those things and if you don’t get the Reps at it it’s hard to

Become you know what you want to be so I think now you know we’ve gotten you know close to 40 games under our belt uh guys have an understanding what we’re trying to do uh and they’re going out and they’re able to execute it now anything

Cleveland Cavaliers Head Coach J.B. Bickerstaff spoke to the media following a 109-91 victory over the Chicago Bulls on January 15, 2024 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.