Dennis Smith Jr.| Post-Game Press Conference | Oklahoma City Thunder | 1.05.2024
Dennis obviously first of all how good is it to end the five game lose streak and second just kind of what’s what’s the move in the locker room kind of after this letting this thing finally end a little bit U everybody can you know just breathe now you know what I’m
Saying it’s like we got the monkey off our back after having a pretty solid start to the season and we had a little a little Street where we slid for a little minute so it feel good to get a win I guess to even more anything that
This team just beat you guys a few days ago how big was it for you guys to not just beat them but also put forth at least for the first first half second third quarter Just A Better allaround Effort compared to what it was last Sunday oh that mean a lot that show
Resiliency you know what I’m saying we came in with a belief that we could win the game uh and like I told him at halftime it’s just game plan discipline we came out and executed we had a good scout we followed it and it worked well for
Us Dennis you said it it was the beginning of the season was was felt good did this feel did this have that feel to the beginning of the season when you the way you guys played tonight I mean anytime I don’t lose I feel good personally speaking that’s my
Whole thing like I I don’t want to lose I hate losing more than I like winning so I feel good speaking for myself um really shoot I was just in the lock room man everybody feeling pretty good about this win there one that we needed like
They said they beat us on New Year’s and uh this our first win in 24 so it’s a great feeling talk about him you were three assist shy a triple double were you even thinking about that did you know they keep telling me they be telling me like that in the I
Mean stuff like that my bad they be telling me in the um whenever I come to the side like boy you would have got three more assists You’ been woo woo but uh I I think instead of chasing it just let it be a product of uh let it be
A byproduct of just making the right plays and that’s what it was tonight so I was close maybe one game I get it maybe I don’t but long we win that’s cool with me during their run you had that big put back did you feel like you
Needed to put the team on your back right there and stop what they were doing I just feel like I had to make a play we we started shooting a lot of tough shots and uh we couldn’t buy one so uh tried to sneak one to CJ in the
Corner uh he got a short clock he got it off hit the rim and just try to make a play and luckily it went in um just that fourth quarter kind of downturn in the offense do you think some of that was just a like a almost a
Playe not to lose like kind of slowing the clock not really getting into the offense quickly or were you just kind of due for a regression after that first half definitely not due for regression I think um and I don’t even think it was
Playing to not lose I think is is we got comfortable and then this is what I was trying to tell them at halftime is just we can’t get bored making the right play and uh it sounds stupid but it’s a real thing you know what I’m saying when you
Start getting comfortable and all the things I was working in the first half you like all right well instead of swinging to to get the shot to drive and kick I’m just going to shoot it anyways you know what I’m saying so we start getting bored making the right plays and
They get a little tough for us and that’s when we start getting stagnant and that’s how they end up making they run when they’re telling you that your three assist short do you tell them like that’s their fault they got to make the three more shots they all
Right yeah that’s they fault I’mma find you now say it’s something you to put in the basket for sure uh Dennis you mentioned at halftime about Kevin Ali and The Scouting what’s specifically without giving away State Secrets What specifically did he point out to you guys when it came to facing okay see
Tonight um I can’t tell you without giving away secrets so yeah I can’t tell you that but uh he was on top of the Scout I came in yesterday on the off day me and do was in there and he we see him breaking down this film you know what I’m saying and
So we go in there he like what y’all think about this what you think about this so he just he just super dedicated to um putting us in a position to win so somebody like me I appreciate that Dennis there are multiple teammates of yours who call you a dog and they feed
Off of your energy do you do you feel them feeding off of you and does that feed you as well um yeah I can kind of feel it I can kind of feel it just because uh it’s like I don’t even want to say this like like bragging anything but you know
Whenever I I tell whenever I speak on things people listen to me so um you know I don’t ear everybody respect for the most part and uh you know I appreciate the position that I’m in and I I I thank them guys for trusting me to um be somebody that give them
Energy Den we probably may not talk to you before uh Sunday night when you guys head out but just how much are you looking forward obviously Portland’s the priority but how much are you looking forward personally to going to Paris to be honest we just came back from a
Road trip you know what I’m saying I really want I really want to chill for a little bit but um I think I think my tuna change whenever I get out there to Paris but yeah I want to be home for a little bit honestly so um we’ll see when
We get out there ask me again when we get there I guess is there anything that excites you about it maybe I never been before I never been and I get to pop out there me and do get to go see Paris so that’s going to be smooth
Mhm how important was it for you guys just to get a positive result tonight with with the win that was Major for our team like we had we had a little Street when we was losing games I think we was what uh 2 and eight in the last
10 so this was Major first win to 24 um you got to start somewhere you know what I’m saying so what better place to be the team that beat us a couple days ago one of the top teams in the west maybe in the league so this is
Major it should be a morale booster for us going forward
Dennis Smith Jr. spoke to the media following the Nets vs. Thunder on January 5, 2024
