Media Availability: Brian Keefe, Kyle Kuzma, and Jordan Poole | 03/04/24

Media Availability: Brian Keefe, Kyle Kuzma, and Jordan Poole | 03/04/24

I thought at the beginning of the fourth we had a couple good looks some wide open threes that didn’t go in and then we got really stagnant the game really slowed down for both teams uh we got stagnant um we weren’t getting into the pain as

Much as we had and we we had some tough looks at the end of the clock um through the first three quarters you guys have 33 F break points fourth quarter didn’t have any what kind of changed in the transition part of that stagnation that you were

Talking about a little bit of stagnation um a little bit at the end that they they scored down the stretch so we were taking the ball out that but we we weren’t playing with the same Pace I think we did a little bit early but as that game got under probably six minutes

That game got very slow for both teams so it became a really a halfcourt grind out game what did you see on the defense on Clarkson we we Clarkson got going I mean he he had 20 at something at the half I think um you we kind of missed a couple

Blown coverages early we weren’t great defensively in the first half at all I thought the second half we we stepped up we were better um but then he hit some tough shots late you guys start slow you to know um I think that that’s how the game

Sometimes goes you know the fourth game is you know if you look at analytically the game typically slows Downs for all teams in the fourth quarter uh we probably didn’t get the shots that we wanted I thought we had pretty good ball movement before that but we weren’t uh

We weren’t attacking we’re getting into stuff a little bit late in the clock and we weren’t able to penetrate their defense and get good looks I don’t have no what did you see from Jordan tonight especially early uh Jordan’s been great like this is what Jordan has been doing

For for a while here so Jordan tacking obviously hitting tough shots but it’s the speed and the pace that he’s playing uh he really carried us in that first half how did below look in terms of I thought yeah I thought he looked good his conditioning looked good he looked

Physically good um good to get him back on the court I mean we just didn’t uh we just didn’t get enough stops that came down and um you know their scoring punch combo back court really uh uh affected affected us all night so given how much how much time you have in

The league how do you stay positive in terms of the long-term direction of U of like of the team um like I said you got to have short-term memory and you have to just have faith at the end of the day um you know those two things always uh I think

Keep me positive in my life you know being patient having faith and um I would say that right now I mean I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad thing that we slowed it down in the fourth quarter um closer to the end of the game you

Kind of want to you know get good shots I know we want to play fast and play in transition but later in a game we don’t want to play out of control um we’re a young team so we’re sure kind of figuring out when to pick and choose our

Spots when to be aggressive when to get out in transition um to feel the flow of the game and then when to slow it down when to get into his set and try to figure out what shot we want um tough loss but I think it’s really good for

Our team to kind of experience this early a lot of young guys like balal in is in at the end of the game then he’s in at the end of the game um Ty coz and myself have been there before so just trying to figure out kind how

To teach the way to play down the stretch when you are playing slow then and working out of do you like the shots that you got tonight they just W falling we could have got better shots in the stretch um you don’t want to take away the level of

Aggressiveness um but we need to have better have a planning know who we want to get the ball to and what we want to run um comes with time comes with experience um so better planning not necessarily execution I mean you can always have better planning and better

Execution um but it takes experience to figure out how to do it on the floor and on the fly as opposed to calling timeout having coach call the set um I think that’s what we’re figuring out right now how did how did Clarkson get free as

Much as he did and do as much damage as as he did uh he’s a good player um they got a really good system in place for him he got aggressive down the stretch um they were hidden and helding their screens I was creating some space for

Him um and he was able to get to his spots you’ve been at high level uh for many years and now you’re dealing with this losing streak how do you maintain faith in um that there will be better days ahead for for the team next year

And Beyond um just kind of how I explain use these games as experience um to try to slow the game down in the fourth quarter be more diligent be more intentional with what we want to run where we want to get to what coverages

We want at the end of the game who we want in the screens um when to attack when not to attack so comes with time um but it’s fun essentially to be in those close moments at the end of the game um right now we’re learning and um next

Year or in a couple years we’ll be able to have the experience to know what to get too and um how to execute better Jordan you’re in the middle of that 8 for eight start what is that the what the 8 for8 start you shot 8 for eight to

Start yeah yeah what does that feel like I know that’s a dumb question but it’s got to feel very good um I mean just playing my game honestly being aggressive when I get open looks just take them really about and I mean every shot that I shoot

I expect it to go in unless I wouldn’t be shooting it um got going early tonight tonight yeah is there any through line you can draw between the Lakers game where you guys were close and couldn’t close it out in the fourth in this one or were they just two totally different

Situations uh similar similar down a stretch on the road um loud atmosphere again just kind of getting know what we want to get to who we want to have the ball who we want shooting with who we want making plays um comes with the level of maturity as well

As just learning just knowing um what you’re doing those moments it is really honestly just all experience that’s all I can really say

Interim Head Coach Brian Keefe, Kyle Kuzma, and Jordan Poole spoke to the media following Monday night’s matchup against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City.

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