Media Availability: Brian Keefe, Kyle Kuzma, and Deni Avdija | 03/21/24

Media Availability: Brian Keefe, Kyle Kuzma, and Deni Avdija | 03/21/24

I liked about we had some really good stretches of the game and then we had some tough ones but we were really resilient they made some big runs and they’re a good team uh obviously fighting for a tough playoff spot in the west but our guys answered the bell and

Were resilient and then it was really our defense closed the game out but we controlled we got good shots a couple key offensive rebounds but our process was good and this is the stuff that we’ve been talking about each game we’re looking to grow and it was a good growth

For us tonight you mentioned the defense how important was ran tonight in just establishing presence you know protecting the rim the rebounding um it’s great to have him out there he kind of anchors us when he’s out there I thought Anthony Gil was the same thing so both those guys were anchoring our

Defense back but uh it was a team effort and he was at the back line protecting us but kept him out of the paint which is you know one of the things that we were trying to do but good overall game defensively for us coach I was going to

Ask you about those runs I think uh Sacramento ended the first half like 21 to4 or something so what do you say to the team to mitigate Those runs heading into the next sequence one of the things we talked about is that sometimes you forgot how you got got the lead so we

Were talking about you know we got a little stagnant want to get back to playing with more Pace you know a couple offense of rebounds for them and during that stretch but sometimes you got to remember how you got it and I think that’s what was great about our guys

They they played down the stretch really shared the ball moved it and that’s how we got the lead in the first place so we learned throughout the game what got us there and that was great two guards seem to stand out defensively in the fourth quarter late and that was Jared Butler

And Jordan P I think Jordan P had a really good defensive possession on uh Darren fox in the corner just talk about how when your guards play good defense so I can Elevate the rest of they’re always the first point of attack so you know guarding the ball fighting over

Screens giving time so we our bigs can get back to their own those guys were great coach how important was it for Kyle to be able to sustain his scoring throughout the entire game not just in the first half or one quarter it was great yeah he obviously great to have

Him back tonight um you know he’s our Catalyst you know he’s our guy we look to to make plays and he made a lot of them tonight got us going really early but also his passing he was drawing a lot of attention he got five assists

Also so nice to have him back but he’s been doing that for us for a long time I know they’re missing herder but how important was your perimeter defense to try to make sure that I know Fox and monk eventually got going but you guys

Were able to hold them down for most of the game I thought we did good job trying to pressure him contested shots they probably missed some shots let’s be honest but I think our defense was there we were contesting and what we really wanted to do tonight was take care of

The paint and we were we were in the paint flying out to Shooters so good overall team effort defensively tonight oh coach you guys win the battle of the boards tonight how good can his team be when you guys win the battle of the boards we’ve had a little bit of a last

Couple games we had a drop but before that we’ve been rebounding pretty well for a while uh ran has been great Marvin Bagley obviously a big contributor to that too when he’s been out so you know we’ve talked about this for a long time Denny Avio nine comes back tonight he

Has nine rebounds so like when we can defend and we can rebound we can play in transition and make easy simple plays find our teammates that’s always our key if we can defend and rebound we’re pretty good in transition that second quarter I don’t remember which one

David they had uh scored several points in a row and were uh yeah what yes sure we all have emotions during the game I’ve showed it a little bit to our team because I think we lost a little bit how we talked about before you came in David like we got the

Lead because we were really sharing the ball and we got a little stagnant and what I liked about the game is that we learned some lessons through that we had a little tougher stretch at the end of the third beginning of the fourth but we

Found our way back and that for us was great growth and you asked the question before the game all these things are valuable to us right right we’re learning lessons every day and that’s what we’re preaching to our guys and our guys are buying in so they learned a

Good lesson tonight this is how you got the lead if you figure out how to do that and something hits you you go back to the process that you got it and they did it at the end which was terrific I like how we executed it was

You know pretty sharp simple ran the same couple plays everybody knew their spots um Jordan did a great job um you know with the attention that he drew tonight a lot of the blitzes that they uh were sending at him and uh he was making just

The right play um hitting it Des Shawn um Sean another guy making big plays in the last five minutes um you know whether it was four on threes he had one hit Cory Cory drove float uh other one he drove got fouled whatever didn’t get

Fouled but um you know we did a great job down the stretch so what do you feel like um was the commonality when you guys when they were coming back after you had the 19-point lead in the second the 15-point lead I think it was in the

Third uh we got stagnant um for sure um you know we were rolling in um the second unit we were rolling for a quick second and we made some subs and we just got really St stagnant and um it bit Us in the butt but you know we did a

Great job coming out the third quarter which we have all year and um you know really got the game you know I think it was to about 12 13 pretty consistently and um we closed out um you know they were probably a little tired coming from

That back to back um in Toronto and we took advantage of it and um uh team win team win tonight how big was the rebounding Advantage you guys had uh I mean ran was huge um he was huge for us all night um I know I’m sure he really wanted this win obviously

Playing his sack and um you know we really just played off of his uh um fierceness tonight and he did a great job uh Den he pitched in um but a lot of it was you know we kept sabonis off the glass that’s always the key when you

Play sack uh cuz he’s a he’s a Workhorse down there and um he makes it an emphasis to throw throw his body and um get down there and um you know punk people and um you know we did a good job tonight so it seemed like the momentum

Swings were kind of uh tied to turnovers at least a time so uh how did you guys kind of settle down when the turnovers were piling up and sort of change course yeah during during that little stress we had just had turnover spacing issues um you know guys just you know trying to

Make moves and playing on top of each other and um I mean besides it’s not even really about offense because we had a 19point lead and let it slip and that’s really a lot of defensive issues uh Fox got hot um he was due to get hot

Cuz he started a game probably 0 for eight or something um he hit about three straight threes or something something like that so um that’s what great players are going to do in the game of basketball is a game of runs and um you know we just combed their runs and made

More runs so hey CZ speaking of runs I was uh asking coach about the run to end the first half where Sacramento I think outscored you like 21 to4 and he talks about how it’s easy for players to forget how they got the lead so can you

Just talk about how he coaches you to withstand Those runs and come back better uh I mean he he gives us a lot of confidence uh gives me a lot of confidence uh to be myself and play my game and um I mean throughout the group

I think he does that pretty well um you know he was pretty animated after that 21 to4 run uh rightfully so and um you know we responded we responded well and um you know response to something we haven’t really done so it’s good to good to feel from the group

Unrelated to tonight I’m just curious if you’ve able if you’ve been able to share the court all with Tristan vukovich if he’s been spending time with you around the clubhouse or anything like that nope not at all uh he’s been around been on the um bench a little bit past couple

Games um being able to be around a little bit uh but I you know kind of kept track of him chatting back and forth throughout the season you know when he was over overseas so um look forward to playing with him at some point cluz how do you find a kernel or

Two of growth or development that can maybe carry over to next season I know you’ve got games left this season but are there things that you’re seeing that go okay well it’s something we can start to build on uh you know just togetherness and being there for each other uh playing on

The string defensively I think you know if we can kind of figure out some type of defensive rotations um I think that’s a that that would be a positive play with pace and space every possession that’s a positive if we can get to it um you know and then also just like

Continue to learn our teammates because a lot of times the basketball is it’s not X’s and O’s it’s about mismatches and advantages so like knowing if JP likes to go right you know sit the screen so he can get get over top and get downhill same with me um you know

Learning Denny learning the spots that guys are successful at if we can do that as a team you know it really doesn’t matter about the X’s and O’s part so those are little things that we can kind of carry over and hopefully um you know can springboard us into next year

So now that now that bal’s rookie season is over just what do you think of the year that he had um up and down like a rookie you know um I think uh his greatest his greatest uh trait is his um he’s very inquisitive I think that’s a very

Important uh you know trait to have you know he wants to learn um understanding why things work a certain way um how things go about and um for your first year in the league you know it could be a whirlwind and I’m sure it was for him a little bit especially not really

Having that much time off coming from um you know Metro straight into the summer league straight into this that’s a lot and um you know I give him credit he’s a he’s a Workhorse he loves the game of basketball um he wants to get better and

His offense will catch up to his defense um it’s just a matter of time and confidence and Reps and and learning what you want to do on the court um and that takes a while it takes a while for at all of us to figure out what we are

Strong at on the court and he will eventually so I think ran did a great job um first of all I really like playing with him he’s really he knows to be in the right spots he’s he’s playing his his mind off and I feel like um he’s doing a good

Job on the glass he’s really helping us um box out uh get the boards get stops protecting the rim uh finishing in the pain so all those stuff like is really important for us especially as a group and I feel like he did a great job of that tonight unrelated to the game

Tonight how much do you know about Tristan vukovich just being a fellow European Prospect and have you had a chance to communicate with him at all who Tristan W oh vich mispronounce no no no you’re good uh he just arrived uh we had dinner together um we just it was good it was

Good we just talking about like how how he’s been for him in Europe and how his journey I gave him some you know some tips like for for a rookie who starts in the NBA and um I think he’s a great player he has great potential um I’m

Happy I’m happy he’s with us and hopefully he’s going to be able to play and uh show off his skills this season hey Denny um season’s wrapping up um this year you broken out offensively obviously you’re already a dog def but you broken out thank you um what what’s

The next level I mean what’s next counters I feel like counters being better in communicating on defense be a defensive leader uh putting everybody in the right spot and offensively just you know keep being consistent keep uh keep creating for others uh and keep countering I mean mean I mean people

Slowly going to close out my right hand which is good means I need to work on my left hand maybe maybe take some mid-range shots if it’s little packed into pain uh but it I’m I’m slowly progressing like I’m not rushing the process like I’m still trying to

Dominate simple and and do my job and you know when the when the chance will come with the experience I think I’ll be fine with the hard work as well um and that’s about it I’m not thinking about it right now but I appreciate the compliment thank you you and you and C’s

Returned tonight but you guys were still missing of course a lot of key players what’s it like uh being out there when you know you’re in a rotation with a lot of uh moving Parts um I mean that’s that’s kind of the situation well I mean you know I

Came back after three games a lot of our young guys kind of like um played a lot of heavy minutes and I think they did a great job um carrying the load um me and cus came back to today obviously we got some more players important players who needs to come back

Hopefully they get healthy soon but uh I think it was it was big time like you know everybody was involved today everybody played played good um competed and that’s that’s what team basketball is all about that’s why it’s a beautiful game

Interim head coach Brian Keefe, Kyle Kuzma, and Deni Avdija spoke to the media following Thursday night’s victory over the Sacramento Kings at Capital One Arena.

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