POSTGAME SOUND: HAWKS VS. MAGIC | COACH MOSE, CALEB HOUSTAN, MARKELLE FULTZ & PAOLO BANCHERO

POSTGAME SOUND: HAWKS VS. MAGIC | COACH MOSE, CALEB HOUSTAN, MARKELLE FULTZ & PAOLO BANCHERO

Your group came up with a number of big plays in overtime what did you like about your group’s Collective effort in the extra session to Come Away with the win learning how to win understanding that what’s important and what’s needed in those moments uh the Poise that we

Showed knowing the things we needed to get done which were big defensive stops big defensive rebounds and then finding the matchups that we need and then when it comes down to it it is making big shots down the stretch as well coach Caleb Houston 25 points a career high

For him can you just talk about just waiting his turn and just you know finding his moment now to really show and and help this team Caleb is a machine and I mean it and I call I laugh and joke with him every day that he’s in

That gym he is a machine he’s the first one in he’s the last one out he’s not taking days off even when you tell him to take a day off he’s not taking it off he’s working his tail off night in and night out to do the right thing and he’s

Someone that we’ve talked about that you know where he’s going to be on the floor both offensively and defensively CU he studies he works and the coaches do a phenomenal job of keeping him ready coach this is this is your team’s second overtime game the last three

Games what do these experiences help how do they help your team at this point in the season and down the stretch of the Season well there was a time in in that huddle that we talked about it right we said this is just like Sacramento what

Can we take from that so you go out you win the tip you execute you try to do it the right way um you know exactly what you need to do cuz you felt that firsthand seven days ago you know so what does that look like what does that

Feel like what’s the possessions we need to take care of what’s the execution we have to have um and then the level of communication and focus of what we’ve walked through during shoot around they’ve seen that and felt that so that’s what they learned in those

Moments I know it seems like every game that we’re coming up with some new Accolade to give to give to Pao but what did what what does it say about him to be able to step up the way that he did in overtime I think get eight of the 12

Points in overtime to kind of pace this team and and deliver the win he’s a winner I’ll probably say the same exact thing every time because because he’s a winner he’s going to find a way to help the team win whatever that looks like know Finding guys finding mismatches

Defensive assignments whatever it looks like this young man is growing more and more each and every single game uh about what he has to do and the responsibility that he possesses with this team and these guys trust what he’s capable of doing coach 18 seconds left in the

Fourth quarter you had a chance to take a timeout you chose not to can you explain the reasoning behind that you gave Pao kind of a nod did he did you know what he was going to do with it well he called out and got exactly what

He wanted so you know you the situation that we’ve been working on before Trey had been in a couple pick and rolles with with Paulo they were showing out and it was his ability to either get downhill which he did they closed the Gap he threw the ball back to Caleb for

A wide openen three which is for winning the game so he made the right play which is exactly what we say for a young man that you need him to make the right Play because I’m telling you right now if i’ have called the timeout I’d have

Probably called the exact same play I would have zippered him up from the side out of bounds got the ball in his hands we’d have slipped out of the pick and roll he’ either got downhill or he thrown it back to Caleb Houston for a knock down three same

Play coach uh Trey young two of nine from three Deon Mar o of two can you talk about the job that Jaylen did on those two guys and then just the the collective team effort there I think Jaylen does a tremendous job and I’ve said it before I said it in Denver he’s

A top five Defender when he is fully and completely locked all the way in and that’s what he’s capable of doing on a regular basis coach just in limited minutes tonight getting marel back out there on the floor what do you evaluate from him

In terms of the case of play that he was playing with than really just his overall performance well he played himself to exhaustion in his minutes and that’s why being able to be on a minute’s restriction in that moment is is good because he can get his wind uh

He can get a rhythm for being back on the floor with with the guys uh and then they can feel the pace in which he plays at so understanding how much we’re going to have to push that ball even more uh then defensively just crawling into guys getting over stren showing your hands

Being active uh throughout the night and that’s going to take some time but that’s what this team is about by committee and when the guys are asked to step in they’ll continue to to do it did you get an explanation for the tech you received I was wishing him a happy New

Year and telling him he was doing a great job at that time and that’s pretty much all I can remember all right thank you thank you guys the group came up with a number of key plays down the stretch of overtime what did you like about your group’s

Collective effort in the extra session to Come Away with the win uh yeah I think just staying poised I think we talk about it a lot coach Mo talks about that a lot um we kind of go over these situations and practice walk through film um so just being able to stay

Poised and and do what we kind of go over was was a big thing for us Caleb you’ve been able to really just make more minutes come into the game can you talk about just you know getting a career high tonight and just how it felt

For you just to see the offense going for you I mean yeah it was fun uh I think we all played well obviously a big win with a lot of guys out um but I mean just just next man up we talk about that

A lot um so just a lot of fun it’s being out there playing with the guys um yeah got three the buzzer at the end of regulation was going in and just what did you see from the floor tonight in general yeah I mean every shot I take I

Think he going to go in I I wouldn’t shoot it but um uh yeah I mean it felt good um I mean yeah I feel like the whole game felt good I feel like I was aggressive and I feel like we really moved the ball um and it was just fun to

Be out there like you had a handful of these continuing to grow and grow you know your your performances on the court as a second year player how comfortable do you feel out there uh definitely a lot comfortable than than last year I think that just comes with like

Experience obviously just continuing to play in this league and learning uh from your mistakes and things that you do well in certain games um but yeah definitely just learning taking it day by day just trying to get better Caleb obviously career high 25 points you talked about it coach talked about gu

Stepping up all the time coming in for different guys um you also had fources zero turnovers just just all around great game what would you say like what would you want the league to know about about Caleb Houston I think just someone that’s just always ready to play and just really

Just trying to do anything to help their team win where they got to come and make shots um space the floor uh defense just just trying to help my team any any way I can Caleb how much has your confidence grown within the last month or so and do

You think that entering the starting lineup tonight may have added to that um I think uh confidence I feel like I’ve always been confident especially see my shot I mean I put the work in um I think just continuing to be aggressive um which is a big thing um sorry what was

The second part of the question I mean I feel like it’s it’s always great to start but I don’t think it it really adds more confidence or anything I’m always confident in myself um but definitely it was it was real cool to start for sure you you’ve been alongside you know

Pao and watched him grow firsthand you know to see the kind of growth that that he’s making and the steps he’s taking this season just how how impressed are you by that yeah I mean you guys see everything everything that he’s doing um carrying us just doing everything for us

Um so it’s great to be able to be out there with him or whether I’m watching playing on the court with him just what he’s uh able to do is special um so yeah just it’s just really fun to be out there playing with him and watching what he’s

Doing appreciate you guys we know how much work you you put in to to get back onto the court just just how good did it feel to be back out there with with your teammates and playing an NBA game again that’s huge um I’m just extremely blessed just to had the opportunity just

To be able to step back out there with my my teammates um that’s pretty much it you know that’s all I care about is being able to be out there with my brothers go out there and compete and um just try to get wins and that’s what we did tonight so again I’m

Just extremely thankful uh I’m glad I made made it through the game healthy I’m glad we got a win you said you made it through the game healthy so how do you feel now and and I remember before we talked with you uh like maybe a few

Weeks ago you said you wanted to make sure you were coming back for the long term so do you feel like you’re going to be able to do that absolutely um I think you know obviously with our training staff and Coach Mo you know playing precautious having me on minute

Restriction right now and just you know again uh we’re worried about the Long Haul here um especially for myself and with the organization um and again all I care about is contributing to this team help helping them win whether that’s 2 minutes whether that’s 20 minutes whether that’s 30 minutes um I’m going

To do everything in my power to just help my teammates uh try to contribute to a win so when Bell came back after his absence he said he felt maybe a step behind how did you feel out there just with the pace of the game and and you

Know first game back since November 9th um I felt I felt fine actually you know again uh I think I can just help the team anyways I just tried to push the ball even when we start an offense you know I think that’s one thing I can

Bring to the game no matter what compet on a high level on defense and I know myself I know it’s just going to get better as games go along and and as well as with the team you know we’re going to continue to build continue to get better

On both ends of the floor and um again just taking me one day at a time I can’t can’t come back and think that everything is going to be you know amazing and perfect like I said my my only thing go out there have fun and I

Did that so uh I checked the box for myself and again we got to win so I couldn’t be any better it be any any happier Markel picking up on that point on the defensive side of the ball you did a really good job getting over those

Screens to kind of running Trey off the line how would you rate your defensive performance tonight really the team with Trey young in general uh I just think that I honestly think it was around a c uh I think I can get better in many ways we all can but again

I think defensively it’s it’s mostly effort that’s one thing that you know I pride myself on is going out there and competing on both ends of the floor and I think I did a good job of that you know just while I’m in there just again

Picking up trying to make it tough on them and uh it’s a team effort so I think we did did a good job tonight uh we pulled out the win Mark H you’re this isn’t basketball related but you’re a Washington guy there’s a ton of Michigan guys in that locker room you guys

Talking a little smack about tomorrow’s national championship game absolutely I’ve been trying to ask them what they what we’re doing for it you know whether or not you know we got three so I’m kind actually Four Chad isn’t here so I’m kind of scared if we lose but I got

Confidence in in ubb you know we go out there and get that dub Markel as a team obviously you guys are very close but given the fact that you guys have faced a lot of adversity these last couple of games does that bring y’all closer how does that like

You know how does the team kind of progress after these last couple of games I think absolutely makes it closer you know we we always talk about doing it by committee um and we believe in everybody on our team you know so when when guys go downs and things happen uh

We practice for this we we we know that the next guy mentality next guy up and we all give each other confidence we believe we can go out there and win with whoever’s on the floor and um I think that’s one thing that’s special about

Our team not only on the court but off the court you know we really believe in each other we really care about each other so um that’s something that shows and I think that it’s just showing in in a few couple wins that we had you know

No matter what what the game throws at us what what happens with us no matter the adversity uh we’re g to stay together and we’re gonna go out there and compete speaking of one of the Michigan men can you talk about Caleb Houston’s performance stepping up tonight in the

Starting five and dropping a career high 25 sniper my guy’s a shooter uh he’s one of those guys that’s in the gym every day you know he works really really hard to to work on his craft and um you’re just seeing a product of that you know he’s getting opportuni taking full

Advantage of it and that’s what it’s all about you know you never know when your opportunities going to come and I think he’s doing an unbelievable job of just you know doing what he does you know playing his game and he’s showing everybody what he can do Mark hell you mentioned uh checking

Checking off the box of playing your first game tonight what’s what’s the next box that that you feel needs to be checked and and how do you kind of just make sure that you’re you’re measuring yourself and making and and saying like hey it’s not going to all come back at

Once just keep having fun uh that’s it that’s all I care about keep having fun and and try to win as many games as we can um I’ve been through this enough times that that I know how it goes I know sometimes you know you feel extra

Pressure you know to try to get everything back at once but again I believe in our team I believe in everything we can do I know they believe in me so um I’m always just going to go out there and try to make whatever winning plays I can make to help our

Team win and sometimes that might be defense sometimes that might be scoring sometimes I might be just talking to my team in off the court so um again uh my only objective is one stay healthy two have fun three keep trying to win that’s it anything all right

Bu PA we we’ve talked a lot about this season about this team learning how to win this is your second overtime game in the last three um just what did you make of this experience finding a way to win in overtime and what do you think you

Can learn from this this this win tonight yeah I think I think we’re getting to the point where you know we’re not uh we’re not phased by close games you know I think or at least for me last year like being a rookie like not saying I was afraid of the big

Moment but it would get to like that you know nut cutting time and you be like okay like you kind of feel that pressure you know that anxiousness to you know like plays have to be made you know we can’t lose you know we might have a lead

We don’t want to lose it and I think all that’s gone this year just throughout the team um you know whenever we’re in a close game or over time or whatever it may be there’s just you know it’s a sense of calm throughout the coaches throughout the players throughout myself

And uh I think it’s showing you mentioned just now a sense of calm and confidence in your second year in close games uh you hit a uh a nice turnaround jumper over uh Jaylen Johnson in overtime put you guys up 115 110 you hit them with the two small just curious

Kind of like what you’re feeling in that moment you had a big smile on your face as you went back down the court just kind of walk us through that moment yeah I mean that’s just having fun like you got to be able to obviously in those moments are very serious very intense

But like you got to still enjoy it you know and um I mean it’s a big shot and uh you know just a smile I think it’s just just a testament to the way the game went um I think guys played great um Caleb Houston played great uh he made

Big shots through a whole game you know just when they were starting to you know get right to taking the lead or or tying it up you know he would hit a big shot to keep him at arms length so I think just having fun in those moments you know cu

I mean I think at least for me like that’s the most fun part of the game is when it’s the last you know five minutes or overtime and you know you can make big plays to help put your team over the edge pal picking up on that point you

Did make a lot of big plays in those last five minutes of the game and in overtime but coach Mosley talked about it after the game before you got in here Caleb making big shots you guys creating that play where you kicked it out to him

At the end of regulation just talk about the big shots that you guys are allowing Caleb and Jaylen to make and the trust that you have in those kind of guys yeah um like kale just said right here like Caleb he comes in every single day same

Routine same work same attitude uh every rep looks the same um and you know it seems basic but it’s really hard to you know do that every single day and stay in that routine every single day and so him being in his second year you know

He’s already ahead of you know a lot of guys just because of the work he puts in every single day and um you can just see like you know every shot he shoots looks the same and he has the same look on his face you know you never see him you know

Flustered you know he’s just out there doing him and he’s been a big time player since high school you know like this isn’t some Cinderella story like Caleb Caleb been a Hooper for a minute so um I’m just glad that he’s going to show it PA you know how much work marquel’s

Put on in to get back out to the court to see him back out there and and playing Just H how happy were you for him tonight yeah I was super super happy uh you know kale Kel’s been a a key leader of this team since I got

Here and he’s no matter if he’s been on the court off the court he’s been the same leader um same attitude same approach and he’s just always a positive voice for the whole team and so then when you get to have him on the court it

Just elevates all that and so having him out there seeing him just get to run up and down make plays like it just felt great for for us and also for him I’m sure so obviously his first game you know he’s he’s he’s going to keep coming

Coming back you know one step at a time and uh you know when he’s ready to fully go you know we’re going to be even better Mar I Paul those MVP CH were pretty loud tonight in the overtime period can’t tell me what it meant to get those after all these MVP

Performances well yeah I mean you dream of that I can’t lie I mean watching watching games on TV you see guys get those chance uh shoot even on 2K you score enough points you start getting MVP chance so it’s something that you dream of since you was a kid and uh it’s surreal

You know you want to focus on making the free thr but when the whole Arena’s chaning that uh you know I actually I think I missed it went in and out so maybe it was a little bit of uh jinx me a little bit but no it’s a great moment

And I don’t take that for granted so I appreciate the fans and you know the magic faithful for sure power how much of your game is changing because you don’t have frond out there um I think I think I have to take a little bit more of a load just in

Terms of uh creating and scoring um you know with frons out you know there’s sometimes in the game where you just kind of give it to France and let him do it and so some so now I think just more of a load but I think my Approach is the

Same I think um you know I’m always trying to be aggressive I’m always trying to make the right play and then uh yeah I mean I think doesn’t change as much because I know we got guys stepping in in who who can play and and and fill

In obviously they they may not be able to do what France does um obviously him being one of our leading you know main leader scores but just the ability to step in and play their role whether it’s chuma Caleb uh TQ you know those guys are coming in playing great minutes and

I’m just adjusting and trying to help them out as much as I can with you know finding them talking to them and helping them out so um yeah I mean hopefully we get France back as soon as possible but um you know we’re just going to keep going P this isn’t basketball related

But there’s a lot of guy you’re from Washington arel went to Washington you got a bunch of Michigan guys in the locker room game yes sir it’s game time baby you got you got a prediction you guys talking a little smack to win udub or uh or Michigan yeah uh obviously I

Got udub all the way um that’s a huge game I honestly never thought I would live to see today they in the national championship so um I’m I’m happy you know my parents are even happier uh they’re going to be at the game um and

Yeah I got I got you dub best show on Turf shout out Mike pennick shout out all my guys from uh OD Day High School who’s on the on the Washington football team uh hopefully they go get a dub man thanks

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