Jacque Vaughn recaps Nets’ effort in loss to Cavs

Jacque Vaughn recaps Nets’ effort in loss to Cavs

MET THE MEDIA AND HERE’S WHAT HE HAD TO SAY. >> CUTTER FROM 26 DOWN TO TEN BACK IN IT. DONOVAN COMES IN. DID HE STOP MOMENTUM YOU HAD BUILT OVER THAT THIRD AND FOURTH QUARTER? >> WITHOUT A DOUBT. THE MOMENT IT SHIFTED IN OUR FAVOR WE DO

SOME GOOD THINGS IN THE SECOND HALF. HIS ABILITY TO PUT THAT BALL IN THE WHOLE IS A DIFFERENCE MAKER AND HE HITS A BIG 3. WE MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO BE MORE AGGRESSIVE WITH THEM BUT HIS ABILITY TO SCORE BASKETS AT THE RIGHT TIME REALLY GOOD FOR CLEVELAND.

>> THIS WAS OBVIOUSLY A REGULAR SEASON GAME SO TRYING TO WIN WAS THE FIRST THING. I’M CURIOUS ABOUT THE IN GAME EXPERIENCE OF PLAYING IN A DIFFERENT ARENA. >> IT WAS GREAT. THE FEEL OF THE ARENA HAD A GREAT VIBE. THE LIGHTING. THERE WAS A REALLY GOOD FEEL OF PLAYING BASKETBALL

AT A HIGH LEVEL. UNFORTUNATELY WE DIDN’T GET A WIN BUT I THOUGHT THE CROWD WAS IN IT AND I THOUGHT OVERALL FOR OUR GUYS THAT EXPERIENCE WAS GREAT. >> IT FEELS LIKE CLEVELAND SWITCHING JUST RELEASED ONTO THE OFFENSIVE THE FIRST QUARTER. WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DO MOVING

FORWARD TO GENERATE MORE EASY LOOKS, WHETHER IT IS GUYS BEATING THEIR DEFENDERS ONE ON ONE OR A MORE DIVERSE PLAN OF ATTACK? WHAT IS IN YOUR MIND. >> IT’S A COMBINATION OF THINGS. THEY CHANGE IT UP A LITTLE BIT BUT HE GIVES THEM THE ABILITY TO SWITCH. THE BEST

PLAYER IN THE FIRST HALF WAS CAM THOMAS GOT THE SWITCH AND DROVE HIM TO THE BASKET. THREE DUDES COLLAPSE SO HIS ABILITY TO BREAK DOWN A DEFENDER IS HUGE FOR US. HE SWUNG IT TO THE HIGH COURT AND WE ENDED UP GETTING A CORNER 3. BEING ABLE TO REPLICATE THAT

OVER AND OVER AGAIN, BREAKING DOWN THE DEFENSE IS A CHALLENGE FOR US BECAUSE YOU DO HAVE TO HAVE THE PERSONNEL TO GO BY GUYS. CAM THOMAS PROVIDER THAT IN THE FIRST HALF AND THAT IS NOT MAKING THREES, THAT COMBINATION WASN’T A GOOD COMBINATION FOR US OF THE FIRST HALF.

>> COACH, SPEAKING OF CAM THOMAS. HE SCORED 26 POINTS. HOW IMPRESSED WITH YOU TODAY? >> IF YOU LOOK AT THE STATS, EVEN MORE IMPRESSIVE WERE SOME OF THE BOX AS HE HAD. THE REBOUNDS HE HAD. THERE WAS A STRETCH WHERE HE CREATED FOR US — HE DIDN’T SCORE THE BALL

BUT HE PROVIDED SCORING OPPORTUNITIES FOR OTHER GUYS. HIS GAME IS GROWING AND GREAT FOR HIM TO DO IT ON AN INTERNATIONAL STAGE AND EVENT HIS ABILITY TO GET TO THE PAIN AND THE RIM. UNCHARACTERISTICALLY MISSED FOUR FREE THROWS BUT THE FACT HE GOT TO THE FREE-THROW FREE-THROW LINE BECAUSE HE DOES HAVE

ABILITY TO ATTACK THE PAINT. >> LIKE YOU SAID CAM THOMAS WAS VERY, VERY GOOD TONIGHT. DO YOU STILL SEE HIM AS AN ELITE SIX MAN OR CAN YOU IMAGINE HIM BEING A STARTER AGAIN IN THE NEAR FUTURE? >> IT’S INTERESTING. FOR A WHILE WE WERE STARTING HIM BUT

WE ARE PRETTY SMALL AND IT WAS TOUGH FOR US TO REBOUND. YOU SEE OPPORTUNITIES WHEN WE ARE SMALL. THAT IS A DISADVANTAGE IS REBOUNDING THE BASKETBALL. GIVING GUYS X OPPORTUNITIES. WHAT I SEE FOR HIM IS HE IS A HECK OF A BASKETBALL PLAYER AND MY MESSAGE TO HIM IS SOME NICE

YOU FINISH AND SOME NIGHTS YOU START. IT COULD BE VICE VERSA PICK HER TONIGHT HE DIDN’T START TO FINISH THE GAME FOR US. I’M GOING TO CONTINUE TO COACH HIM AS A BASKETBALL PLAYER WHETHER IT IS SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT TO STARTERS. I APPRECIATE WHAT HE DOES FOR US AS A BASKETBALL IS A

BASKETBALL PLAYER. >> COACH, THREE OF YOUR STARTERS SPENCER DINWIDDIE, DORIAN FINNEY-SMITH AND CAM THOMPSON ONLY COMBINED FOR FIVE POINTS. WHAT HE THINK THAT WAS AND WAS AT THE MAIN REASON THEY DIDN’T PLAY MUCH OF THE SECOND HALF? >> SPENCER CAME IN QUESTIONABLE NOT FEELING WELL. ACTUALLY GOT

AN IV INTO THE GAME AND TRY TO GIVE WHAT HE HAD. DORIAN FINNEY-SMITH ENDED UP LEAVING THE GAME AFTER GETTING THE IV ALSO AND TRYING TO PLAY HIS WAY THROUGH THE GAME. THAN THE FEEL OF WANTING TO HAVE MORE MINUTES FOR CAM THOMAS AND LONNIE WALKER TOOK AWAY SOME OF THE MINUTES

FROM CAMERON JOHNSON TONIGHT. >> COACH, BEFORE THE GAME YOU SPOKE ABOUT CONSISTENCY BEING A KEY THING. YOU NEED TO GET GOING. ONE HALF AND ANOTHER HALF. DO YOU THINK IT WILL EVEN OUT ONCE YOU MAY BE ARE FULLY HEALTHY? IN CONTEXT OF HAVING TO FACE INJURIES THROUGHOUT THE SEASON?

>> THAT IS THE EXACT MESSAGE I HAVE FOR THE GROUP IS I DO STILL BELIEVE THIS GROUP CAN GET THINGS ACCOMPLISHED AND WE CAN PLAY CONSISTENT BASKETBALL. IT DOES HELP TO BE HEALTHY BUT WE CAN’T USE THAT AS AN EXCUSE. OUR ABILITY TO CREATE AND FIGURE THINGS OUT TOGETHER LIKE WE DID

IN THE SECOND HALF. WE’VE GOT TO HAVE THAT MINDSET GOING IN

The Nets cut what was once a 20-point deficit to single digits late in Thursday’s showdown against Cleveland. Jacque Vaughn describes the health of his team and how things unfolded in Paris. Subscribe for daily sports videos!

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