Postgame quotes: Clippers-Blazers
Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2009 – Final Score: Portland 103, L.A. Clippers 99
COACH NATE McMILLAN
Losing another player in a win/other guys stepping up:
“This has gone past crazy. Bad luck, or whatever, to continue to see our guys drop the way that we are and to walk in that locker room and see LaMarcus in a boot – not just a swollen ankle – but a boot… It’s a credit to these guys. We are right where we were last year record wise. With all the adversity, with all the adjustments we’ve had to make with this group, it’s a credit to those players. They guys who are healthy, who were in rotation early, Brandon and Blake, Miller, they have to step up their play. They’ve done that. Then our guys who are getting that opportunity are stepping in and being very productive. I thought Dante and Jeff were huge tonight. I hate to single out individuals because it was a team effort but we needed that from them. Pendergraph 14 boards tonight when LA goes down, guarding Kaman for most of the game. DC, in and out of the rotation, stepped in and knocked down some big shots and had some big boards. Bayless didn’t drop anything last game but he came out and made big plays tonight. Credit to this group for hanging in there and continuing to work.”
More incredible: losing another player or that Blazers are in first place in division
“I think both. I have just never – I’m afraid when our guys are on the floor. We have guys who have tweaks. LaMarcus has had a sore ankle for a week or so. That’s not the same ankle. He has had to play through it and we have other guys with some tweaks. Brandon with the shoulder – so it’s just nerve-racking – we certainly can’t practice… I think both. I hate to say it but, when a guy goes down, we play – we’re playing good basketball. I think we’ve been able to win these games, but I think both are amazing: the fact that we have lost as many guys as we have and we’ve been able to win these games.”
On fourth quarter:
“The lineup is different. Bayless and Blake and Roy has been pretty much the same, but tonight it was DC and Howard and a little bit of Jeff and down the stretch we tried to slide Martell in there for a possession. It’s been a different group except for those three guards and now they’re playing off of each other. We tried to give Brandon a breather. We were able to buy some time with him to start the fourth quarter. I thought that group of Martell, Bayless, Blake, Howard, and DC was able to stretch that lead out and then we came in with Brandon to finish. Defensively we had to get stops. The zone, we talked about having to mix up our defense going from zoning to trapping to calling it off and that requires guys to have their head in the game and make adjustments on the fly. I thought it disrupted them tonight.”
BRANDON ROY
“With injuries, yes, we’re definitely snake bit. There’s really no other word for it. It’s frustrating but the biggest thing is that we’re getting a lot of young guys a lot of experience. It’s definitely hard because you’re still looking to the future and there’s so many games to be played. It’s like we just don’t have the bodies so we just keep playing.”
“It’s just so early. Even when we’re healthy, I always go ‘I’d rather be in first place in March and be in the hunt.’ Right now it’s something to smile about for now. With all that’s gone on, we won nine games this month. Our goal was ten. We’re happy for that but at the same time it’s tough. Our biggest thing is that we’re going to keep playing. We don’t have anything to lose. We’re just going to keep trying to be aggressive and tell these young guys to keep playing and make the most of this opportunity.”
On Jeff Pendergraph:
“This offseason we were looking for that hustle guy who can come off the bench and rebound and defend. We found that in Jeff so that’s a huge plus for this season. He just plays with a lot of confidence out there. We were looking for a guy like that so it’s good to see him coming along.”
“We’re getting a lot of experience and we’re finding out about guys. We’re still finding out about Jerryd Bayless. He’s playing great basketball. Who knows –when guys are healthy you just never know. We’re finding out a lot about our team right now.”
