That's What He Said - 15ers @ Celtics

Brad Stevens
RE: If he thought Boston could go 10-3 in the last 13 games:

Obviously, we’re judged on wins and losses, but I don’t really know about the total number or how many games out of how many games – I just think, I knew we were on the right track. Even when we were losing earlier in the year I felt like we had made a lot of progress tactically and technically on both sides of the ball; it was just a matter of getting guys, getting us over the hump. And we found a group that’s really connected and playing well and we’re fortunate that they’ve continued to play well with guys out. I mean, four straight games without Isaiah (Thomas) now, and three straight before without Avery (Bradley) and it’s not easy to play without basically your two leading scorers. Not even including (Jared) Sullinger in that. So it’s been good, and the next man stepped up. We’re going on a tough road trip; that’s really all I’m thinking about right now.

RE: The team's progress and consistency:

Well I think it’s the continuity of the guys that have been here the whole time. They’ve really helped and really helped the way in a lot of ways. And then I just think our additions have been good, good solid team guys that will compete, that are our there helping each other and supporting one another and so that’s been a positive.

RE: The Celtics' fast start:

Yeah, I didn’t think we continued it. Like we didn’t push it out, you know what I mean? But it’s hard to push it out. And I think the biggest thing is when you’re up 23 is being able to answer their punches quickly, and we did that. You know, I don’t think it ever got below 16 and I was monitoring that pretty closely, and we answered pretty consistently in the second half when they did make a basket or two. And they can put a lot of pressure with their athleticism on your defense when they start playing really free like that, especially with Ish Smith pushing the ball. So as a coach you’re never comfortable, and certainly it’s 20 points at halftime’s like – all you’re wanting to do is the clock to run twice as fast. But our guys responded well and I think we grew from – you think about the last time we played Philadelphia, we were up 26 in the first half and then it was a three-point game in the fourth quarter. So we talked about are we any better? Let’s find out. Maybe we are a little bit better. That’s obviously the goal as you move forward through the season.

RE: If his players are talking about the playoff race:

I don’t know. I haven’t heard them talk about it once. I’m dead serious. I mean, we’ve talked about it, we’ve seen the standings, like you see it but I don’t hear it. I have not heard them say whoever Miami’s playing today, or who’s Charlotte playing today. They haven’t talked about it around me; maybe they are, I don’t know. But I just want to play good basketball and I think our guys just want to play good basketball, and I think as a result you have a lot more fun when you spray the ball around the way we’re spraying it around and when you’re competing together and pulling for one another and five guys playing together on a string defensively. And we’re still not as good as we need to be, even with – I think our team that’s out there right now without Isaiah can play better. And you know, we’re going to need to play better in the next two games to have a chance to win.


Tyler Zeller
RE: Scoring a career-high 26 points:

I don’t know, I mean the shots fell down. Jumpshot felt really good and then they kept leaving me open so I just kept shooting it. Once again my teammates do a great job of getting me the ball on time and it makes it a lot easier.

RE: Making a playoff run:

It’s a lot of fun. The whole year we’ve been changing, I think Danny (Ainge)’s done a great job putting together the team that we’ve got. We’ve been playing with different players every night and finally have a team where we’ve settled in, playing with the same players every night and it’s fun to go to battle that way. We do a great job of playing hard and playing together.


Avery Bradley
RE: If he thought this team could make a playoff push:

For sure, I saw that we were improving every single game and I knew we would have a chance if we set our mind to it and started speaking it to existence and that’s what we were doing. We never thought we didn’t have a chance to make the playoffs. Now we’re right there.

RE: Being able to maintain a big lead:

It’s hard, especially when you come in at halftime up by 20 and your coach might say, ‘Let’s go out there and continue to play hard,’ you get a little nervous. You start thinking once you get back out there on the floor - and that’s one thing we didn’t do. Even though they were scoring we continued to execute our plays on both ends of the floor and it helped us continue to have a 20-point lead.

RE: If maintaining large leads means the team is improving:

It does because even though they were making shots, at the beginning of the year we might have put our heads down and let them come back and probably would have lost a 20-point lead.


Gigi Datome
RE: Becoming a fan favorite:

For me it’s just nice... (I'm) happy to be out there, happy we are winning, we are living in good moments as a team so it’s just very fun to be here.

RE: What made the difference tonight:

I think the starters set the tone from the beginning, maybe everybody says it’s easy to win against a team when you have a better record, but if we let them play, they’re a good team, good players. The starters just made a great job on setting the tone and it also came from the bench, great attitude great effort. Another team win.


Marcus Smart
RE: Boston's resilience despite the injuries:

We’ve been playing more and more like a team. If somebody goes down the adversity kicks in. We bond together as a team and we try to pick them up and pick up the slack.


Brett Brown
RE: The game:

We just competed after the first period. The game was determined after the first period and it almost stops and starts there. I didn’t feel like we competed in the first period. I feel like they (Celtics) got whatever they wanted offensively and we give them a lot of credit defensively; I think they’ve improved a lot defensively since the last time we played them. They’ve always had that firepower, the ability to score, but you can see a team that’s right there to slide into the playoffs. We give them credit.

RE: Nerlen Noel's performance:

He was a lot better than he was the last time we were here. You saw some good things from him, but my quickest thought was he was better than he was the last time. There’s still some things, you come out after a loss like that and you’re trying to search for better answers but I feel like he was far more composed than he was the last time he was here.

RE: Celtics not turning the ball over in the first half:

I think that we were screened easily, they got free looks easily, they didn’t feel us - they just didn’t feel us - and we give them credit, they made shots. We missed an abundance of layups and open looks but I think that some of that - oh, you credit them closing out the 3 point line. We’re learning how teams guarded us pre All-Star break to now is entirely different based upon what we’re doing. We shoot a lot of 3s and making 10 a game and I feel like they did a good job of chasing us off the line and contesting some stuff but defensively, yes, I didn’t feel like they felt us that first period.


Nerlens Noel
RE: What determined the outcome of the game:

I think the 20-point difference in the first quarter definitely put us in the hole that was hard to dig out of. I think the last three quarters we had a more balanced effort, looking at the stats I think that it was about even. I think we have to do a better job of defensively starting out games like that.

RE: Philadelphia playing lackluster defense:

I’d definitely say so, and especially down the stretch. They shouldn’t have gotten as many shots as they did. They did hit some tough ones, some long range 2s and most of the time you’ll take that, but they were knocking it down tonight.

RE: If this was his best performance in Boston:

I’d say it's my better one, but I think I have to do a little more than that to help my team win this game. I should have brought it on the defensive end a little more and I should have been more assertive to get the ball. We’re going to take a step back, look at film and see what we have to do to get defensive stops because that’s what we’re based on.



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