Kevin Ollie | Post-Game Press Conference | Toronto Raptors | 3.25.2024

Kevin Ollie | Post-Game Press Conference | Toronto Raptors | 3.25.2024

Coach I know there are times where Raptors were on a run you guys would go on a run just but what do you make of just the fourth quarter and your ability to close out this game uh we just did a good job um you know playing with one

Another getting stops I mean our defense was phenomenal uh tonight um and then we just out rebounding them um you know we got I think we beat him 20 on boards 16 um offensive rebounds that couldb abouted and helped us with the uh turnover so I can’t say my recipe no

More that’s dead now I was like damn y’all mess my recipe up so uh 20 turnovers is too many I told those guys but we combed it by getting 16 offensive rebounds and beating them on the boards and playing phenomenal defense and you know cam gets hurt you know at the at

The you know in warm-ups and guys just got to step up T stepped up and Noah stepped up and that’s what that’s what it’s all about as a team and you know I’m so passionate when I talk to these guys sometimes because I know what they

Have inside and I know what we have in that locker room and I just want them masterpieces that come out all the time and that’s why I talk with passion to them um and try to give them that and give them that life because we got a lot

Of great players in there and when they play together in Collective Spirit we can win we can win games I just always want them to understand that that’s why I’m so passionate a lot of times you mentioned the cam Thomas getting Hur warm up just you know what happened and

Just back spasms back spasm any any idea for Wednesday yet or not sure no we don’t know yet we don’t know yet we GNA get him a couple extra pillows in the hotel put his back up we we’ll be all right all right obviously with with him out trendon had a big game

Jaylen starting had a big game just those two guys and Noah coming off the bench with that that I think a corner three and a couple clutch rebounds those three guys in particular how much does it say about them to be ready for a chance to play more minutes as you

Wanted and they delivered they delivered big time that’s that goes back to the work when you know shooter rounds when we leave everybody leave and they go play you know stay ready which we call it three on three and you know just putting the time in the gyms with their

Individual coaches just to be ready and that’s what the league is about you never know when you’re going to get your opportunity you never know when the opportunity is going to be going to knock and you got to always be ready um and stay ready and I think they did a

Great job with that it just shows the you know they their want their will and stand in the game and I told T wat a lot of times I hear him on the bench even when he’s not playing I hear them um and that’s always a great thing for a coach

I hear Jay will um I hear those guys they’re involved even when they’re not involved in the rotation they’re still involved and that’s what as a pro is about um I’ve been in that position um not playing and then start a NBA Finals game without playing so it’s like you

Never know when your name’s gonna get called and I give those guys so much credit for what they do in the dark when nobody’s looking so they can have these moments to shine when everybody’s looking with Noah just again second time in three games he’s come in for him and

Jaylen at this point is it how valuable is it for them to not just get these minutes but be able to as you always say take care of those minutes by playing well for those two guys being rookies learning this this this road there on

Yeah they know they role and they a star in their role they come in they do solid things they do simple better uh they give us extra possessions with they hustle and energy and they effort and that’s what we need um and we going to continue to ask those guys that do that

Muel mentioned um today it shoot around like how this is an opportunity for the team to kind of grow yeah um to move past the last game here in Toronto just in what ways did you see this team kind of grow and take it even further yeah um

We got one more turnover um actually we should have had 19 we got a um uh uh shot clock violation because I didn’t want to shoot at the end of the game but you know we didn’t give up 46 transition points and we we took care of the ball

Uh when we needed to down the stretch and that was just show their growth uh we went to the same play over and over again down the stretch and Dennis took care of the ball got to the Lane T got to the Lane that just shows growth when

We get in those opportunities know what we need to do um stay calm and Collective and I always say it’s the eye of the hurricane you all the distraction going around but can you be calm in the eyee of the hurricane and they did that today I’m so proud of these guys what

We’ve been through and we going to take these wins I told these guys when I was in there it’s it’s hard to win in the NBA we see that so celebrate it uh we going to get a nice team dinner uh the wine is going to taste a little bit

Better and then we going to get there and go to Washington tomorrow coach Yeah question on related to the game if you allow me about Ian almana you know I asking him because my my outlet is from from Spain uh well I don’t know if you have been watching him

Very a lot this this year but he’s expected to be to be picked in the in the first round of of of the coming draft I don’t know do you think that he he could make this to theb ex he ready for it he no no what did you uh make just of

The the three from Noah clown you mentioned it after the Bucks game but for him to get another one what was your reaction to see him knock that one down oh I’m I’m not surprised with that I see him knocking shots down all the time in

Practice and uh he does a great job with Ronnie barell and they do their different things but he’s always stepping out there knocking down shots but you know I like his addressing that’s going to the rim too that dunk in the first half was pretty pretty big

Time we haven’t had a couple we haven’t had a lot of those this year so just to see him attack the rim and space the court like he done but he’s if y’all watch the game how he plays defense is phenomenal um he’s like another Nick out

There that can play guards and get through get through screens um I mean his defense was phenomenal and that sticks out to me more than the threes and the dunks Nick had 16 rebounds you mentioned how big the rebounding was on a night where you guys obviously had the

Edge on the glass how big was that for him to kind of just control the glass and kind of you know take away those possessions to give you guys more options yeah cuz we you know of course we didn’t uh shoot the three ball on that well 23% but cleaning those

Rebounds up I think we got like four in a row I think in the fourth quarter I believe like four um in a row and that was like huge but Nick down there they went small and just to take advantage of that Nick really you know attacked the

Backboards and got us some extra possession so it was huge because we had the 20 turnovers so that just combed the 20 turnovers so I just very proud of our guys um how they stepped up and you know they just did they just did a great job

Staying in the fight not letting go of the Rope tonight no matter how many runs they got U we always stayed together even in the even in the huddles everybody challenging each other nobody taking it personal uh knowing that we all want to win the game so it was great

Growth to see them think in the third quarter take a bit of a fall a little bit how is he at this point he played on but is he is he all right yeah he’s all right he told me don’t take him out the game so um he was going to finish the

Fourth quarter for us so he did a good job you know Mel is an Iron Man like you said so he’s not going to come out the game so it was good to see it hopefully we get an opportunity to examine it but I don’t think it’s anything too much too

Serious where we’ll have a problem with itk

Kevin Ollie spoke to the media following the Nets vs. Raptors on March 25, 2024