3-27-24 Phoenix Suns Postgame Media Availability: Frank Vogel, Kevin Durant, and Devin Booker

3-27-24 Phoenix Suns Postgame Media Availability: Frank Vogel, Kevin Durant, and Devin Booker

Ready competitive response to uh a tough loss nobody was happy with uh with not getting that that second game in San Antonio our guys were super locked in uh to not only the the plan tonight but you know more importantly for our uh you know one of the things that’s been

Alling us is our transition defense and you know the urgency and and effort and alertness to get matched up and to get stops in transition has not been there uh of of late in a lot of games and uh that was the focal point of the spirit of film session yesterday our guys

Responded held them to five fast break points and we understand that we get our defense back and we get set we’re really locked in and we’re really guarding you know so um we held him to 97 points because we didn’t give up transition points so you know hopefully we can

Continue that Furious when you look at Kevin it just seemed like he set the tone on both yeah five blocks mean he’s got 30 points obviously carries a load for us there um you know when he’s being aggressive like that offensively I think I think it

Just gives our whole our whole group a little more confidence you know knowing that that we’re rolling with one of the best ever to do it and um and that he’s going and we got a great chance to win no matter who we’re playing uh but to

See his commitment as a low man another focal point of our film session where we’re we’re dodging out of the way as a group too much defensively uh his low man play was exceptional and like like we said five blocks just a great two-way performance I’m I’m curious you know

With n k you talked about him being the best defensive rebounder in the league but Durant took that on how big was that for him to yeah he got on boards what you get 13 11 defensive boards you know he he was super locked in on the

Defensive side you know to get in stops and and to rebound he had a couple rebounds he was pinned in okay Aaron Gordon had had him pinned in and he’s still poking the ball out and and making sure that we got it so uh he was great

Looking at um the bench obviously uh Eric does what he does and can score but daddy is younging what he was able to that’s the that’s the phone call you know when a guy gets waved and he’s trying to figure out where to sign like

That I need you to come here and help us win a couple big games couple playoff games potentially if we’re if we’re under man um you know this is the the night you know where we needed him you know he’s got to come in guard the MVP

You know for for big stretches and uh he really played great on both sides of the ball his his his foot speed defensively on a bigger guy is a is a mixed pitch um which was good for us his his deflections his hands but he got a lot

Of um offensive rebound tip outs and then his pocket play you know you hit him in the pocket he’s he’s been a four most of his career so he’s got that strong left-hand drive and he made some great paint the great plays out of the

Pocket as well so uh gives us a really good Dynamic right there and um you know that’s what we asked him to do when we recruit him to come and sign with us clearly you guys started H from three was a brad talk about some the finger it

Was bother him I was watching pre was bother he’s in a lot of pain yeah this speak but he knocked down his first couple what do he end up with uh three for seven hey we’ll take that you I was I was expect him to get out there and

Compete but um wasn’t know how it wasn’t I didn’t really know how well he was going to shoot the basketball so credit him for playing tonight first of all through pain uh and and for playing a great game you look at the threes early how been was that just to start off and

Spreading the ball around that’s when we’re at our best you know bring two to the ball or draw paint help and then spray it out to the perimet and we have great close out players you know not just great Shooters uh but great close out players and um you know all four of

Our perimeter starters I think hit a three in the first quarter uh just just um we’re really trying to to work to to get everybody involved okay and just strike the right balance because we know when everybody’s involved and everybody’s touching it that the defense

Is going to be really locked in you know that’s where you have the best energy game so uh a great start and uh you know great full full 48 last thing obviously you know the carry over you guys didn’t allow the Spurs game to carry over how can you build so this win

Can carry over yeah I would say we did have to carry over the the disdain we had after that game carried over into this game and and you know showed up as focus and and uh and intensity you know so you know we know what’s at stake you

Know we know how many games uh we have left we know what the schedule looks like we still say we remain confident confident against uh anybody on the schedule uh um as as illustrated by by coming in and and beating the Champs in their building you know so uh next game

Up the competition is Pierce we’re going to have to repeat this and stay at this level to continue to win games how much ofle Prim example that stays ready for his opport and that patience a perfect example of it and you need those guys and he’s been very vocal

Too even games where he hasn’t played um you know calling guys out if if if if we’re not uh not playing the right way you know and you need a vet that that’s coming in that’s going to be able to come in and uh keep it real um but you

Know your voice can only go so far I mean he’s here to to contribute and um you know the pickup games yesterday were high intensity I mean these guys are working hard the guys that are not playing they’re not in uniform those guys are working really hard and the

Intensity of those games is helping those guys stay sharp uh mil Simon John Pastor our assistant coaches John Lucas you know th those guys Drew anth those guys do a great job um you know just making sure that those guys are understanding the importance of their

Off day work to stay ready and it showed up in thad’s performance tonight the only thing I had just to follow that up um obviously when you got nage and Drew that’s your one two but when you see how the way that played are you like okay I

Got to figure out a way to play more or do you stick with okay is healthy drew our second guy how did you I like our dep chart you know that that shouldn’t change but you know we have he’s different you know that’s why we went

Out we didn’t go out and get just another guy that’s that’s the same as as Drew and nerk you know we went out and got somebody that has a little bit of a different Dynamic and you know I think uh in an next-man upsetting like this I

Think it it helps but you know if you get into a playoff series where there’s certain matchup that we’re we’re struggling against you know you have somebody that can you know just give a different element to our attack so uh we’re excited to have him uh

Talk about what to do and what you got to do but it’s about playing how much of tonight was about that yeah yeah I mean I feel like we got enough talking in yesterday with film and practice and uh tonight I mean obviously you going communicate on the floor but

For the most part we were doing things we were out being active on both ends playing for one another and sometimes that non-verbal communication the eye contact with your teammates speaks volumes you know I think that’s what happened with us tonight you look at that the flow you got ear you

Think aggressive yeah just being patient I mean I just we playing a lot of games I play here so far A lot of times when I don’t start off well CU I’m forcing shots um I think I let the game come to me curious on the defensive boards

Without nerking somebody had to take that like you took that with 11 defensive rebound objective in that s tonight yeah just trying to get in there I mean I know they don’t they don’t crash every about it they try to get back that’s what the great teams do

Is um they don’t send four or five guys to the boards you know they try to protect their transition so I just try to make sure I didn’t take my eyes off my guy a little too early and he creeping behind me and get a offensive rebound so I just

Tred to keep my eyes on my man and the ball was just falling in my hands how just playing through the turn High number tonight say it again playing through the turn but like yeah I mean yeah I mean I’m I’m I’m heavily guarded all game I’m tall I

Dribble the ball out 40 feet from the basket sometimes like when I’m in the game like like I was tonight I was mentally in it locked in like I’m had turnovers greatest players had turnovers cuz they take risk that’s what risk do sometimes is you know player might get his hand on the

Basketball but um that’s part of the game um but I think our turnovers didn’t hurt us tonight we was able to get stops as well and I give up easy baskets so uh I’ll be better at that area yeah after Monday’s game this team is clearly frustrated what did you just think of

Your ability to be able to come out and respond tonight yeah it was good that we uh we was able to get some practice time in and watch some film yesterday and it was a truthful film session where you got to look yourself in the mirror and

See how you can be better to add to the group and I think we all did that just how important he was tonight and the guy that was staying ready for his opportunity yeah I mean nerk is a huge peace for us so without we need

Everybody to come in and step up and our bigs were incredible tonight Y is just tough to handle he can do everything out on the floor um so the battle was just making his life tougher and even if you do that he’s still going to play through

It so but I think we did a solid job of just being solid I think our double team stor him off just a little bit um and we was able to uh get out and run as well and that was just conman Pro came in there finished plays made their correct

Reads he was incredible big big picture how much is a win over one seed does it mean anything to you or not really no no it’s just I mean honestly I don’t want to undermine the win downplay what we did tonight but the new season starts in

In a couple weeks and these games don’t matter at all once that season start uh I think we just want to continue to build on the habits that we that that make us successful and I think every other team is thinking the same thing as well what what happened with you and CB

Were you just messing with them Christian Brown yeah the block he they called it foul and um and I was like and we had dialogue throughout the game and him and P wat and I was like come on Brown that was a foul he was like he ain’t say

Nothing and then and then he he’s like that’s why I walked to the free throw line after they overturned it he’s like that’s why I walk to the free throw line so fast but um um it’s all in the fun all in competition um you get to know

These guys a little bit when you play play against them had five of those by the way did you were you realizing that d was going on yeah I mean I’ve seen it of course uh I should have had more I feel like that Reggie made a layup over

Me I I could have blocked if I was there a little earlier uh but just about alter shots just being there sometimes if you don’t even got to block the shot just throw a guy off his rhythm a little bit he’ll miss a shot I think that’s what

Happened with Michael Porter Jr he missed a dump uh probably had nothing to do with me but he might have took his eyes off the rim just a split second I know how that feels so uh anything to get a sto I think that’s uh that’s what

We’ve been trying to do tonight does this win kind of set the tone for for the team as you guys go down the stretch I mean it’s a game at a time we could call out there and play shitty next game and this game don’t mean nothing you know so

We want to build on what we do um I’m glad we didn’t let that San Antonio game um bleed over to the next game so it’s about being consistent and uh given that that that that effort you know that we’ve been showing you know throughout

The season you know I think um when we lose games we show that effort and we show who we really are in spurts and I think when we do it for the full length of the game like tonight we’re a dangerous team that the golf the other

Day it was good pretty fun with everyone yeah went with the coaches yeah yeah um Franken said just the film session was was pretty spirited holding guys accountable out there what allowed you guys to be able to come back respond like you did tonight um I mean

That’s just our group you know the guys obviously were angry after you know the last loss and you know we came out and showed that how much stock do you put in I mean just being able to take down the defending champs twice this season doing

It on their court and just being able to build off that yeah definitely not an easy place to play um you know but again you know to our group’s credit you know that’s you that’s what we’re built for so you know excited about it we still

Have some more games left that we got to finish so you know it’s a good step forward also have the the rebounding advantage to tonight what did you just think about the team’s effort off the glass yeah I mean we knew you know yic was going to be a problem and you know

When you try to take that away you know you’re giving up open threes on the backside or you know tonight we were able to get to them makeing them a little bit contested which force his long rebound so to still secure the possession was you know a big emphasis for

Us out the outside know how big was that to like out what you’ve been here and then what the team’s been here and the b a play what you got it was great keep doing it is there anything as far as following the game plan that you

Felt like you did best that that LE to um you know just making it tough on yage you know limiting his touches um taking away you know his pocket passes as much as we can um and doing that and still being able to get to Shooters and making them contested shots you know

It’s hard to do both it takes a lot of effort but we did tonight he got it going kept going speak to what you saw with Kevin I mean that’s what he does um you know any matchup any defense that’s on him you know it’s it’s just a go and you know

We’re going to keep him keep him going and you know we’re following this lead one of the things with that he hadn’t played obviously Hardley played go and do what he did uh the biggest um that Andrew you know like I said earlier it’s not an

Easy matchup um and you know those guys took on the challenge at elevation that has even been in the rotation so you know it just shows his his leadership um he’s a true professional true vet um he was ready for the opportunity and you know it’s going to be tough to keep him

Off the court now how does this carry over how do you carry over win like Vis I was the another OKC on Friday I we watch film in OKC the last few games and try to take away their strengths

Frank Vogel, Kevin Durant, and Devin Booker speak to the media following the Phoenix Suns win on March 27, 2024.

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