J.B. Bickerstaff | Cavs at Hawks Post Game | 1.20.2024
How’s Ma he sore um but we think it’s just a bruise obviously we’ll you know take tonight tomorrow evaluate it and see where we go from there but he wanted to go back in the game um that’s who he is talk to the game about
It I mean it’s a mindset for us no matter who our opponent is and I think that’s something again that the guys have really engaged in um and it just makes it difficult you know I mean if you come out uh and get a great lead uh
And set the tone defensively that things aren’t going to be easy um you know you put yourself in a position where people are chasing you all night and we know in the NBA um you know runs happen um but you know you’d rather be playing from
The front than trying to climb back in a game where you got to find a spurt where you got to be almost perfect um so you know great mentality from our guys um you know the grit the togetherness um the competitiveness um you know I’m really proud of those guys for tonight
And the formula success and starts wasn’t thee tonight how did you guys I mean it was our defense uh and then everybody contributed you know you look at we had seven guys in double figures tonight um you know the ball was moving uh I think we had 16 or 17 assists on 21
Sh made field goals in the first half so that means we’re sharing the game and that’s what we’re trying to do is make sure that everybody gets a piece of it because we just make the right basketball play and if we make the basketball play over and over again uh
We got guys that are talented enough that can make the playj yeah I mean again our aim is to make defenses have to make tough decisions uh we obviously have you know an elite score right now in Donovan um where we know when time is needed he can
Go get a bucket uh but you know our opponents know that as well and I think he’s done a great job of finding the balance between both you like tonight there was a stretch in that fourth quarter where we needed some buckets and he went and created buckets but you
Watched him throughout the game and he just made sure that his teammates were involved and um you know I think that’s a great sacrifice on his part but that speaks to his uh you know want to be a part of the team and how he’s helping to contribute yeah offensively terms of how
You get your points I mean more than half your shots were threes tonight you had a guy off the bench take 14 I guess it’s it’s a little bit of a change from how you guys have played in the past how much of that is just
Personnel and how much of that is kind of strategy that’s how you want to play now uh I mean that that’s been our strategy you know really focus in since the injuries um you know we wanted to play more movement you know more um uh more fluid since the start of the season
But it was just choppy because of the injuries and it was you know new guys and change for the old guy so it was a little choppy um but we understand that when you lose 36 37 points in scoring from uh Darius and Evan and there was a
Stretch you know a couple games where Donovan was out and then Carris missed a game so we were down you know close to 60 something points at one time so um you know we gave gave our guys the green light to go out and Jack as many threes
As they can uh but they want we want them to be quality and how we create a more catch and shoot than put it on the floor and try to create your own uh so we’ve definitely taken an uptick there do you think that’s something that can
Carry over to when come back yeah I believe so uh again it it’s all about sharing the game and you know we find the proper spacing and we want to take the best shots that we possibly can um we obviously understand you know you want to get as many layups as you
Possibly can but with our Personnel that’s there now like they can stretch the floor uh got quick triggers and no conscience so uh we want to do a great job of taking advantage of that CH hey what’s up Chris over the last four games you’ve trailed by a
Grand total of 35 seconds how do you explain that uh I mean it it’s an intent uh and a purpose to start basketball games um and you know it is a complete buyin to be elite defensively um and I think when you set the tone defensively uh it makes the
Offensive part of it easy for you um but our guys have bought in to being great defensively um you know individual guys continue to take challenges but you know systematically they understand it you know they see the plays now before the plays are happening and can anticipate
Where they need to be um and I think that’s what it comes down to at the end of the day is you know you got to get stops I think tonight if I’m not mistaken they had four points at the six-minute Mark uh we talked about that
Pregame you know teams have been at like 5. s points so I mean you know you are doing something special uh if your defense is containing a team like that in the first quarter how many suffocates did you have I have to go back and find
It I don’t have it off the top of my head but we have plenty yeah all right
Cleveland Cavaliers Head Coach J.B. Bickerstaff spoke to the media following a 116-95 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on January 20, 2024 at State Farm Arena.
