Media Availability: Brian Keefe, Deni Avdija, Kyle Kuzma, Corey Kispert | 03/08/24

Media Availability: Brian Keefe, Deni Avdija, Kyle Kuzma, Corey Kispert | 03/08/24

Ryan how nice was it just to get the win and and snap the losing streak um we want to win and that’s what you you suit up for right there’s they keep score for a reason so um but what I loved is the process how we we didn’t

Shoot the ball well um but we continued to guard and we really guarded in the fourth and then our offense came alive so the process is what we’ve been talking about the whole time you guys keep hearing me saying that we’re learning and growing and we had a great

Fourth qu but it started with our defense and then we we kept driving the ball in the basket and made good plays to outscore them by 20 points in the fourth quarter how and when do you think things really turned around for you I’m going to give a little shout out to

Anthony Gil um he came in the game I put him in late third quarter and he has a contagious energy about him made a basket I thought he kind of inspired our guys and then we went out in the fourth quarter and we really buckled down defensively it started with stops we

Made them Miss got out in transition then we kept attacking but really really thrilled for Anthony that he was part of that win for tonight he’s a as everybody knows what a great person what a great teammate is and a great basketball player so shout out to Anthony Brian

Leading off of that you could see it was different though not just what you guys were doing but kind of the way you were playing can you talk about the the energy in the fourth and it it just looked like guys were a little bit more

Desperate or more into it uh yeah that just goes back to the defense you know when we’re good we defend and then we can get out and make plays and transition and attack uh Denny and Koz were getting downhill ran was really big for us to on the defensive end really

Great and that group uh that that group played I think they played the whole fourth so they they were terrific did you make any tactical changes on defense it was just more effort and energy more Focus coach you mentioned uh Denny and C getting downhill they combined for 25 in

The fourth quarter and I feel like the vast majority of their points came from driving really hard and getting tough layups was that something that you told them going into the fourth quarter that you wanted to see an uptick in that that’s their game that’s their strength

And when we’re playing good we’re making quick decisions and those guys are getting downhill we were unselfish we got off it and those guys this attack close out so it was a team effort but those two guys really got to the rim great in the fourth what did you make of

Rwn Holmes performance specifically when it came to moving off ball and working off of the guards play and enabling those two-man games it was great you know he he spaced the court allowed those guys to penetrate and then like I said he was he was anchoring the defense

Every minute he was in the game but really in the fourth he was terrific and can you talk about the rebounding effort in the fourth quarter I believe you outrebounded uh Charlotte 17 to3 in the fourth quarter well I think we made a lot of shots so that probably helped

With that stat I think we shot close to 80% but um again we made them Miss and that fueled our offense so we limited them to one shot we got out spread the court and then looked to attack so I was really happy with the defense tonight

Especially the fourth Brian what did you see um from either you guys on defense or Charlotte in late in the second second into the third was it just that the Hornets started making threes when they started coming back yeah we you we we struggled a little bit there in that

Middle of the middle of the end of the second so a little bit in the third quarter we were missing shots um we had some great looks that didn’t go down um our energy dropped for just a second and then our guys responds we didn’t shoot the ball great from three tonight right

We were 18% and we still defended so that’s the growth that we’ve been talking about that you continue to play defense whether you make or Miss shots and that tonight was a great example of that hi Denny um what was it like getting the win tonight um and were you guys aware

That you were so close to a franchise long losing streak and what it what was it like to that from happening well it’s good I didn’t know that we were close to a franchise one but uh it feels good man I mean we’ve been going through a lot this

Year um I can’t tell you what it is to lose that many games I never experienced that in my my life it’s my first season doing that it’s definitely not fun you definitely can take the good out of it like progress learning you get to make mistakes and learn from

Them um but it’s definitely not fun and I think we show character today because at some point in the game I felt like we were breaking apart again and we were all like letting go of the Rope a little bit and I don’t know something changed

Um we talked about it in the locker room like AG was big for us bringing his energy come in you know to the game after like s out most of it and I think that got us going a little bit ran was great today brought a lot of energy um

And we sealed the game in the fourth quarter with our defense so coach Keef uh brought up AG as well gave a shout out um what was it like knowing uh Anthony and the person that he is to to have him be the guy to kind of turn things around like

That well like I don’t want him to blush seeing this but uh that guy was um next to me from the moment I got drafted he’s the first player I saw in the elevator when I got to DC and he’s been through a lot and you

Know he hasn’t played most of his time here but he he kept being positive he kept working hard he kept being in the gym before everybody else you know it’s easy like to be like I’m not playing I’m not going to do as much

But he had he had the effort and the and the mentality of like a a 40-minute player a 48 minute player um and it’s something that I learned about how to be a a good person he he taught me a lot cuz it’s more just

Being a player in this league and I felt like he has the talent for sure to play everywhere he wants but how he treats the game of basketball how he treats the people around him is amazing and I I never never met a teammate that I had like that but um

That’s it I I was happy for him that he scored and uh hopefully I could contribute a little bit more but uh that’s about it he’s definitely goingon to blush reading that um Denny what did you guys do differently on defense heading into the fourth quarter I don’t know I think the pride

Kicked in and we were like man we we lost so much in a row like we’re trying to get out this slump like this is our chance right here like we knew that’s our chance you know we have tough games coming up and this game was close and

Was done to the wire and like I think everybody was like okay enough like we’re going to step it up and it showed the progress and it showed what we’re capable of and uh hopefully it’s going to continue Denny you had seven points the first three quarters

And then you had 11 in the fourth alone and you were getting downhill you were attacking the rim there in the final 12 minutes was that something that was talked about in that huddle between the third and fourth quarters or did it just click in your head personally you know I kept

Rebounding kept trying to be in the game but I was mentally I’ll be honest with you uh mentally I was not there the first the first half even third quarter something was off I was emotional I was you know a little frustrated but you know I picked myself up it’s part of my

Growth it’s part of my process um I I kicked everything to the side I was like you know it’s time to win the game we’re close game I’m trying to do whatever I can to win the game and and I and I and I think I I helped as much as

I can uh but everybody was so engaged in the fourth quarter you know I was just trying to make good plays and uh I’m proud of everybody for sure is that something that’s happened to you before where you find yourself just mentally not there for a stretch of the game and

Then you click it on yes no actually no no I you you were in the right direction but no no you’re good um I definitely had those moments but I will disconnect from the whole game and I will take myself out of the game I would probably

Finish the game with those seven points uh wasn’t like won’t be focused on defense and I think that’s a good growth and that I I’m happy that I recognize it because it usually not like that and the fact that I can step it up and be

Focused and be there for my team it’s um it’s a great step Kyle I know this is 1 to 82 but what did this win mean to you and to your team uh meant a lot um I’m a little emotionally drained right now but um you know it meant a lot

You know for us to uh pick that up you know being in a a big slump for um a long time and um you know we we we came in halftime uh only up three after playing pretty well in the first half and um you know we had some some

Good tension in in the locker room um guys kind of going back and forth at at each other and um I think that really sparked us and and we came together as the team tonight um in that second second half after you know maybe six to five rough minutes to start the

Third and um you know really just put everything together defensively offensively um and uh I’m just happy for everybody in the locker room to get that dub so were you guys aware that you prevented it from becoming like a franchise record losing streak no not at all um not at all

That’s the first time I heard of that actually and just what was the the relief like I mean you know Brian Keef has talked a lot about the the process being more important than the result but to get a positive result what does that feel

Like yeah you know um yeah I mean for sure I think today we got a win but you know over those 15 games I can I can name you probably five or six games where we actually played better and still lost and um you know it it’s definitely a sign of

Relief because it it’s tough to lose that many games in a row and at one point you know you kind of get a little numb to it and you got to think about the next game uh especially in this league cuz I think I said it last

Last game but it’s it’s 82 games so you can’t really dwell on things and um we we just stuck with it and um kept together kept together I think that’s one thing you know it’s it’s very tough to do when you start losing a bunch of

Games and it’s easy to point the finger but uh I think we we stayed with each other throughout this entire time and and um like I said I’m just proud and happy happy for everyone um to get out of that ditch that we were in so CZ how

Important was ran to kind of writing the defense in the late in the third and the fourth he had a couple big open boards in the fourth quarter I think I mean huge we we’re down bodies we’re already a very small unit um small ball club and

Um you know he played probably one of his better games probably his best game as a wizard tonight and and uh he was huge for us down the stretch um rebounding offensive rebounding timely pick and rolls um timely putbacks and um really proud of him so kuzo was there in the

Fourth quarter that wasn’t necessarily there in the third like what clicked for the team in the fourth um I think defensively we got our stops we made some threes uh we didn’t shoot it well all night um you know whether it was three or at The Rim

Um so yeah mhm I know you’re a big fan of Anthony gills um he’s gotten some shout outs from like Brian Keefe and others uh for the way he kind of changed the energy of the game uh what was your perspective on the minutes that he gave you

Guys great minutes um how many minutes he played he played seven minutes um uh no played 2 minutes but I guess he was a negative3 so I guess it didn’t matter right but no he changed the game like you know you look at a box score it

Doesn’t matter but you know just his energy came in right away got a little basket got a stop um came out the game but um you know he’s uh he’s just the ultimate professional and um he’s a a great North Star for all of us um as a

Man when we’ve been in these close games we’ve been in close game after close game really it feels like for the last 10 games or so um been in a lot of them kind of lost them down the stretch so to be able to close this one out and come

Out on top feels really really good um just a kind of a morale boost for our team heading to the last 20 or soach made sure to shout out Anthony Gil he thought he kind of Chang the energy of the game what was your perspective on his minutes yeah I mean he’s impactful

Uh he’s he’s a pro um he’s always ready like always always ready to play and when he came in uh he Chang the game he played great defense got a got a nice float or nice layup brought our energy up brought our spirit up and when you

See a guy like that do well in a game um you just want you want to run through a wall form so I’m obviously really happy to see AG succeed and uh get a chance tonight what was Brian’s message here post game if there was one uh he just he

Was happy with how we responded we were came out super flat in the third quarter our offense was really uh stagnant and uh felt like there was a lad on the rim and we did a really good job stay in the course and not letting what we do on

Offense dictate how we play defense so um we were able to get stops when we needed them and uh played the full 48 and and figured it out at the end it was a lot of heroic it was a lot of heroic by some of our guys

And um you know sometimes it comes down to who makes shots at the end and we had the guys who did it tonight

Interim head coach Brian Keefe, Deni Avdija, Kyle Kuzma, and Corey Kispert spoke to the media following the Wizards’ win over the Charlotte Hornets.

🎥 #ForTheDistrict #Wizards #DCFamily

📲 𝗙𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗪 𝗨𝗦 𝗢𝗡 𝗦𝗢𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟
𝗙𝗔𝗖𝗘𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞 → https://www.facebook.com/Wizards
𝗧𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗥 → https://twitter.com/WashWizards
𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗠 → https://www.instagram.com/washwizards/
𝗧𝗜𝗞𝗧𝗢𝗞 → https://www.tiktok.com/@wash_wizards
𝗦𝗡𝗔𝗣𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗧 → https://www.snapchat.com/add/washwizards

𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗪𝗜𝗭𝗔𝗥𝗗𝗦 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗧
💻 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲: https://www.nba.com/wizards
📱 𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗽𝗽: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/washington-wizards/id518100653

𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗣 𝗪𝗜𝗭𝗔𝗥𝗗𝗦
🎟 𝗕𝘂𝘆 𝗧𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀: https://www.ticketmaster.com/artist/806042?home_away=home&CAMEFROM=CFC_WWIZ_SOCIAL_TTO_2324SGB
🛒 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗵: https://shop.monumentalsportsnetwork.com/