Jacque Vaughn | Post-Game Press Conference | Houston Rockets | 1.27.2024

Jacque Vaughn | Post-Game Press Conference | Houston Rockets | 1.27.2024

Did you enjoy that one that was a lot that was a good one that was a good one that was fun did you enjoy that one yeah especially when when you the winner at the end yes well you talk about being a winner at the end just what did it take

Just to close out this game yeah it’s great that uh you know we’ve been in these close games and um I never looked at it as a negative like our guys are growing and uh each situation is different and tonight there were a lot of different situations and uh we’re

Just learning how to respond got a chance to respond with a win tonight uh but the way we played throughout the course of the game to give up only 104 points again so defensively we were locked in uh we did a lot of good things

Tonight to earn a win when you look at just that first half how did that help set the tone and what did you like from your group during that stretch yeah I think we did a lot of good things we really sprayed the ball around to each

Other uh the ball was uh moving from side to side uh we were able to rebound the basketball and uh a big piece of it as we were we were taking care of the basketball ball and so that was a big difference in the second half of us

Turning it over allowing him to get out and transition so this is a transition team so if you can score the basketball and not turn it over uh it’s definitely to your benefit when you look at the run that the Rockets did go on to cut into

That lead in that fourth quarter what do you hope that your team can take away from that as they continue to learn and grow yeah there so many opportunities to uh be in different situation whether is making the free throws at the end whether is rebounding and boxing out at

The end whether inbounding at the end uh whether is Gardener three at the end whether is executing your your side out of bounds so all those things uh we’re getting better at and uh we learn and I just told him mistake is a is a lesson not learn so we learning some lessons

For sure Jack in that fourth quarter I think you guys um you scored 18 points I guess what’s stalled with the offense that kind of like you guys were scoring really well in the first three but what changed in that fourth quarter offensive wise yeah the turnovers turnovers and

Then uh um that allowed them to get out and transition so then now we’re walking the basketball up it’s just a trickle down effect uh I thought we did have some good looks at The Rim that uh rimmed out for us uh their ability to go

Small gave us a chance to to get downhill they took sangon out the game they mucked up the game by fouling Nick and so we had a a little break in the game where uh they changed the momentum and uh we weren’t able to take advantage

Of it and then you mentioned kind of growing from this you guys have had these fourth quarters where things have have gone wrong a little bit for this one to kind of end with you guys on the on the winning side I guess does it show specifically that the guys even if the

Mistakes are there they’re still learning at the right times I guess yeah for sure Evan and and still believe that they can win that’s I think that’s the most important thing is our huddles were based off you know we’re going to win this game whether it was the timeout I

Call with us up being six we’re up six at home let’s go win a ball game and so whether it’s executing the inbound to get it to cam him him knocking down two free throws there were a lot of good things that happened throughout the

Course of the game and a lot of less we’re going to be able to look at and get better at cuz we’re going to be in the situation again uh 37 points for uh cam Thomas tonight you know obviously he started in place of you know cam Johnson when you

See a performance like that are only thoughts of keeping him in that first five yeah for sure CJ the the thoughts have always been there uh it’s always been about trying to balance that group out and um uh I know cam can score with the first group or the second group

That’s what he can do and uh I I loved his aggressiveness tonight we needed it he set the tone for us early uh his ability to make shots is is huge and I think uh overall defensively we are learning how to play with each other and

To be able to be in positions for each other which is huge for this group so uh it definitely has always been on my mind what’s best for the group and it continue to be on my mind for sure obviously a recurring theme of when you guys are up entering these fourth

Quarters some struggles closing these things out when you’re in that position is there any common denominator that you’re seeing that’s leading to the group tightening up in those moments it’s just playing with the lead Eric you know uh when a team makes a run and um whether it’s inbound the

Basketball whether it’s taking care of it so you don’t turn it over uh really trying to stress to our team how you value the possessions in the second quarter as they are still as valuable in the fourth quarter uh I did feel we were more comfortable in the fourth quarter

Even when they were making the run the conversation between our guys was good going back to the Huddle in the huddle so that’s a a big difference than it what it was a month ago uh so I’m going to take away the positive piece of it is

Uh we’re in the situations over and over again which is good and we’re learn how to deal with them hey coach um your team’s offense tonight played with a real selflessness finding the open man constantly can you just speak to that and kind of how important that is for

You guys going forward yeah we’ve been trying to really grow in that area and uh it allows everyone to be involved which is a big part of having them be involved on the defensive end of floor and so uh if we can move the ball side

To side and really play for each other it benefits everyone uh I haven’t told anyone on this team they can’t take 20 shots just take the right shots take the right shots for you and your teammate uh that’s your responsibility so if the ball can move side to side and we can

Play for each other uh we can have productive halves like we did this this first half tonight hey jock uh what did you see from Dorian tonight before his injury you know he’s really effective on both sides of the ball and then I’m sure there’s maybe not an update yet but if

There’s any word on just how he’s feeling after the game yeah unfortunately he wasn’t able to finish the game and uh which which is huge for us uh it affected us a lot of ways I would have subed him uh when they were fouling nick uh so that piece of it Nick

Was tired because we had to play in 40 minutes so we needed doe also and then Doe’s ability to as you saw tonight really stretch the floor get downhill his defense abilly he was able to guard sanon he was able to guard van Fleet he’s able to guard uh Jeff Green and so

His till is huge for us especially with no dayon right now so uh no update besides he wasn’t able to finish the game but we definitely missed him thank J all right guys enjoy your Sunday

Jacque Vaughn spoke to the media following the Nets vs. Rockets on January 27, 2024