Mikal Bridges | Post-Game Press Conference | Atlanta Hawks | 3.2.24

Mikal Bridges | Post-Game Press Conference | Atlanta Hawks | 3.2.24

Muel defensively what clicked after the first quarter where you guys I think only had 21 points but then after that you held him to you guys held him to 40 in the second half and then in the second quarter I think you guys had that 133 run before halftime what changed

Defensively for you guys just an intensity um just everybody stepping up you know we started that first quarter really bad and sluggish you know me personally it was pretty bad first quarter for myself and I knew it I just was trying to get my legs under me but

We just all locked in um I think June came in you know changed energy as well um but we just kept fighting you know we we looked up and we was wasn’t we was playing pretty bad we was only down like seven so we’re just like just stay the

Course you know it’s all right like just part of the game like it might happen like you can’t just soak on it and and just you know be down seven because you’re playing bad in the beginning and just let it go like you just got to keep

Fighting and uh that’s what we did and then obviously you guys talked about these two games being you’ve said every game is important but these twoam games you guys know you had to win so now that you’ve accomplished that part of the mission how do you now carry this

Forward knowing that like as you said every game now kind of matters with the ultimate goal of getting into the playoffs yeah I mean that’s how it is is every game is really important for us so treat every game like like it’s our last and we guys just keep fighting you know

Every day take one game at a time after they sent a lot of doubles and traps your way they kind of played more straight up drop coverage for most of your possessions when did it really start clicking for you in how to attack that coverage

Um I’m I I I I really don’t know I just you know they stopped you know it’s been the past three four games where it’s kind of been a lot of blitzes and stuff and um so I’m always you know mindful prepared but it’s kind of

Playing drop and it’s kind of you know I was like okay like you know you know you know I like that so they just they did that and I was just trying to find it you know try to make the right play um but yeah obviously as a player likes

To score you know getting Blitz and not getting Blitz is is different but um yeah they just I guess they changed it from yesterday or the other day but was nice Miguel you guys went eight for eight from deep in the second quarter that had to be a good feeling at a team

Right I didn’t even know that yeah we just sharing the ball and finding each other you know getting stops um that’s what it is everybody you everybody can dribble shoot drive make the right play so just find everybody sharing the ball and um everybody be ready to knock it

Down you guys had one of your poor games in that Orlando game and then you come out and you dominate large stretches of these two games you let up zero fast break points tonight was there any change in messaging from KO you or anybody else on the team you know

Entering this these two games against against the team that is directly ahead of you in the standings yeah I mean I think it was everybody you know everybody’s voice and everybody knowing like these are two important games and um I mean obviously now the rest of these games are super important too but

At this moment you know it’s kind of like a little playoff series where you play the first one then you play again they’re going to adjust so no knowing we need these two big wins and um just shows the fight and we just got to keep

It throughout the rest of the season you just got to keep fighting you know might not be perfect and obviously you can’t you might not win every game but as long as we playing hard and playing the right way you know I like our outcome like our chances Mel have you seen anything

Different with how clax is being used on offense just maybe whether it’s initiating or doing anything differently because obviously his rebounding and defense has been a huge help these last few games but are you seeing anything else with how he’s being used differently just getting more comfortable and a different offensive

Role um yeah I mean I think you know him having up top and being be able to keep and you know get to the paint score um I think he’s he’s getting better at finding players as well but you know having that Dynamic of rolling and getting it and creating and

Making a play as well so just just expanding you know making it tough for defense to guard and you know I think he’s doing a really good job he’s continued just to get better and we’re going to need it and then defensively this game I think the hul again had 40

Points in the second half how much has he been so important these these last few games defensively just setting a tone whether’s not scoring but just his defense setting a tone these last few games yeah I mean we we’re we’re switching everything you know strictly

On because we trust him on ball so um you know he’s a big part of our team our defense offense as well and you know for him to switch every time and that’s what he loves to do and uh you know it makes it easier for us you know all we got to

Do is kind of box out and help but you know he loves guarding his guy one-on-one and we try to help him but you know he pretty much you know be good over there in his in his Island

Mikal Bridges spoke to the media following the Nets vs. Hawks on March 2, 2024