Coach Malone Full Post Game Press Conference vs. Trailblazers 🎙

Coach Malone Full Post Game Press Conference vs. Trailblazers 🎙

Season trip what it mean for this team for call him to play the way he did Off the Bench I’ll give you a funny story about that so after the game you know obviously Michael had a great night Joker had a great night F Pope’s defense

And just you know I wasn’t even sure if he was going to play tonight for him to you know fight through that hand injury and play the way he did and then U the guys gave Colin the game ball you know for his performance 18 points four

Assists no turnovers and uh he looked very comfortable both very confident out there and upon seeing that some of the guys gave Colin the game ball and ni said what the hell you do I just had a triple double that’s my game ball so uh yeah a lot of guys stepped up

And played well we’ve been very good in the second night of backto backs this year and uh you know we got contributions from a lot of guys tonight which is H which is what you need I think that is why do you think you guys have played so well on second night of

Back Tob backs um I’m not really sure it’s not something that that’s black and white that I could pinpoint it’s this I think um I think tonight it was understanding that okay we handled our business last night against Washington didn’t have to play guys um really heavy

Minutes and then the time of the year you know I think you know we talked about going into the break having lost three in a row which is not what we wanted but you have to own it and uh you know we talked about coming out of the

Break and hitting the ground running and playing at a high level and obviously Nicole back toback triple doubles but you know Michael’s 34 and 12 and a lot of other guys um playing well but I think it’s more of a understanding of what time it is what have you seen from

From Michael Porter in terms of taking advantage of some opportunities to get good looks inside The Arc in the last couple of games well yeah I mean he the good thing was he was five or 10 from three tonight last night he was two of7 um he’s rebounding that’s back toback

Nights where he’s been all over the glass I think 11 last night 12 tonight um but he’s also shown that he can put the ball on the floor and uh if if Michael fully commits to passing and cutting I think he gets so many more easy baskets because the guy that he’s

Passing to is arguably one of the greatest passers in the history of this game and Michael’s such a big Target and they play on the high side so they’re trying to make him a two-point score and he’s shown that he can do that just as efficiently so uh this was a night where

Michael played at a high level throughout the whole course of the game does he sort of understand those you know the the need for him to score a little bit more on on certain nights when someone like Jamal’s is going to be out for you guys yeah I mean we we want

Michael to be Michael no matter who’s out there you know I mean we know that he’s efficient uh he can shoot the ball with the best of them and um you got to take what the game gives you you I mean I think it’s important I think we have a

Lot of guys that don’t come out and try to force the issue they take what the defense gives them and um that’s that weight room over there our guys are getting after it getting after yeah so um but yeah I I mean Michael’s reading the game and and reading the defense and

It was great to have with without Jamal you know you have three guys get you know 34 29 and then Colin Off the Bench gives you 18 you you just talked about Michael moving without the ball passing cut there was an interesting timeout ear in the game and Aaron Gordon was out and

He was talking to the guys and and he was talking about move move they’re overplay and cut is that the key to your offense just just movement without the ball yeah I mean we are a ball movement and player uh player movement team and we we get ourselves into trouble when

You turn it over so you know 13 turnovers but I think nine of those were in the first half so second half much better job of not beating ourselves which was great to see but if you move the ball you know the defense is going

To break down if you give yourself up I mean there’s so many ways to be unselfish in this game and people always think being unselfish is just with the ball and the pass if nicoa pops and I slot cup behind it I’m opening up something for somebody creating a paint

Three behind that so uh um and when you have a quarterback like you know Jamal Murray and Nicole yic who just going to find you it’s just just how we play in this for me the right way to play you talked about talking to the guys about hitting the ground running post Allstar

What can you say about I mean you go up against two teams that on paper you should be but kind of the approach your guys have had so far how impressed have you been with the way they’ve come back yeah well on the season I I think you

Know in this league you have to win the game you’re supposed to win on paper and I think overall we’ve done an outstanding job of beating the teams out of below 500 and that has to continue now with 25 games to go but then more importantly to your point Katie

Understanding like I thought cavius coell Pope in the huddles tonight was great even late in the game when I put in you know uh Jaylen and Julian and Justin and Jay and braxon he’s in the Huddle saying hey play the right way build good habits you know we’re

Building for a championship and so I think you know when you have veterans like kcp uh vocalizing that and making sure everybody understands that um we have to start our um kind of playoff push now you know and and not that we’re not going to go

25 and0 the rest of the way but just the approach and the proper mindset and I’ve seen that in two games and now we know we go to San Francisco and it’s going to be a hell of a challenge uh playing them for the fourth time this year and uh I

Think our guys will be up for that challenge as well coming off of the solid game yesterday what did you see from Zeke tonight yeah I mean just uh you know rebounding he’s a great offensive rebounder and I love when he rebounds in traffic takes his time

Gathers goes up strong and dunks it you know that that’s always just so much fun to watch I thought he had some very good defensive possessions tonight fighting Eon in the post got of Steal working to front him in the lane um you know three

Or four from the field he’s uh you know Zeke is getting an opportunity and to his credit he’s taking advantage of it how much or conversations with him about sort of using his size the right way and sort of understanding his Pres inside on after those kinds of rebounds yeah I I

Think it’s just something that you know we’ve worked with him on and give Zeke all the credit in the world because he’s understood okay these opportunities I know that maybe I’m not going to get a lot of play calls for me but when I get an offensive rebound Moses Mone said it

Years ago every time my teammate shoots the ball I think it’s a pass to me that’s Zeke’s mindset when somebody shoots the ball he’s crashing the glass he’s getting us offensive rebounds and he’s going up with authority and finishing it but um one thing you I know

About Zeke Nai is that he’s going to play extremely hard every single night and I admire that about him one more question did Nicole end up taking the game ball or did Colin get to keep no he uh that’s Nicole a banging the wall right now but uh I think he’s going to

Let Colin have it um that’s what I love about our team you know uh you know people are excited for Nicole a triple double but like Colin has a game like he had and the entire locker room is really really happy for him because it wasn’t

Just Colin had a good game he had a good game and helped us win the game and and that that’s a huge difference and uh you know shout out to Colin for just everything he’s been through staying ready and going out there and playing the way he played thank you coach thanks everyone

Hear what Coach Malone had to say after the win in Portland.

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Coach Malone Full Post Game Press Conference vs. Trailblazers 🎙