POSTGAME SOUND: ORLANDO MAGIC VS. NEW YORK KNICKS | COACH MOSE, DESMOND BANE & ANTHONY BLACK

POSTGAME SOUND: ORLANDO MAGIC VS. NEW YORK KNICKS | COACH MOSE, DESMOND BANE & ANTHONY BLACK

talked about consistency playing quality that they are. What did you like about your group? I loved our defense. I really did. I this this team has been averaging over 130 for the past three or four games. Uh our guys ability to sit down and guard, take the game plan and and execute it the right way. The energy, the spirit, the joy that these guys played with tonight was was fun to watch and be a part of for them. You mentioned all how well they’ve been playing. Um guys obviously they had 28 points in the first half and second quarter it seemed like. What was working so well that slow them down? You know I like I said I’m I’m proud of the way our guys defended. You know we took that as the that’s the first priority. That’s who we are a defensive team that can get out and run and create opportunities because of our defense. And you know just being able to be physical on the ball without fouling. Um, obviously we have to clean up some of the silly fouls, but our ability to guard the right way, uh, make it tough on them, contest all shots, keep them off the three-point line. Uh, this is a team that had been coming in shooting, you know, 47 something threes per game. So, just to limit them to that and get him into our range was what we tried to do. Do you have any update on how No, just a, you know, a left growing strain and we we’ll evaluate him when he gets back to Orlando tonight, tomorrow. Was there any play? Did you see it anything or did he come back to the bench and No, there was a moment he was going up and down the court. I think it was a quick turn and then I just saw him pause for a second. I looked at him just try to see where he was with it and then he just, you know, I got him out of there before anything changed. You guys play pretty physical defense and that hasn’t been rewarded so far in the NBA teamwide like we love. Do you think that’s something that throughout the course of the season it sort of levels out? Is like a point of emphasis officiating or do you just tell your players to just keep playing the way that you teach them? Well, we got to be smarter. I think that’s the part that’s a big portion of it too. Understanding we are a physical team, but we got to be smart how we’re physical, where we’re grabbing, where we’re touching guys. Um, a lot of those things they they happen in the lane. Uh, when those guys go up, you got to make sure you’re showing your hands. I’m screaming it on the sideline. We got to make sure we’re communicating that with our guys when they break that three-point line in that plane. We’ve got to be able to show our hands to play without last season. A guy like Dez in the lineup can also score and command gravity, you know, when he’s out there, you know, how much of an advantage you like to have? I mean, it is an advantage. I mean, understanding who he is. He’s a guy that has been making plays for a long time. Uh he’s played point. He played point in college. He did it when Jaw was out in Memphis. And I think he’s he’s able to make plays down the stretch. And and that’s what he’s comfortable doing. That’s what he’s capable of doing. and our guys trust him to know he’s going to make the right play. Jamal, this team was also part of the reason they were scoring so many part of the reason they were scoring so much was just the work on the offensive boards helping tonight which pretty good numbers in place. Um what what do you feel like is the trick to to keeping a team crashes like that high crash? Detailed fundamentals. It’s very simple. But when that shot goes up, you don’t watch the ball. You go find a body. You put a body on them. You hit them and then you go pursue the rebound. Now, obviously, they shoot a lot of threes, so it’s long shots and long rebounds. So, you don’t want to get pushed underneath the basket. So, you’ve got to circle that free throw line area and find the guys on the three-point line so they’re not flying in. You’ve got to make contact first uh before you allow them to get you inside the line. with the way that like so many teams are crashing the boards in that way like the high side crashing stuff where they’re going to beat guys. Do you have to the fundamentals of boxing out? Is that is that working out? No. And I’ll I’ll repeat it again. It’s the same thing. You’ve got to when the shot goes up, you don’t watch the ball. You go turn and check to see if that man is flying in. You make contact with them. And then you’ve got to know where that ball’s flying off. And then you go pursue it after you’ve cleared the box out. You don’t just go chase the basketball. You’ve got to put your body on them and make sure that that’s once it’s secure then you can get out on the break. What does it say about mask on comes out and play the way that he does? It’s frowns. You know, I I think you know we’ve seen over time what a what a competitor he is, what a winner he is that he’s going to find his way to do it to to get the job done no matter what. There was a point in that third quarter I think there might have been 230 or 3:30 left. He just told me I’m good. And that’s who he is. That’s what he is. He’s he’s about trying to find ways to win, doing the right thing uh throughout the game just because how much he cares about winning and cares about his teammates. Coach, this early in the season, it’s hard to, you know, call anything like a statement win. Is there some component of this game that you can talk to your team about is saying this is kind of like a a turning point or this is something we can continue to do going forward to get where we want to go? I said it to him in the locker room. It’s our defense. It’s our defense. This is like again this is a team that has been averaging you know close to one 130 and our ability to sit down and guard. Um it’s not a statement. It’s it’s our process. If we can sit down and guard the right way every single night, trust the pass, share the ball, get out on the break and convert on the break and do a better job defending without following fouling. That’s our process and the result will take care of itself. But we’ve got to continue to focus on our process and it starts on the defensive end of the floor. Good. Thank you. It’s been a tough team and a tough place to play. And what did you like about your group’s efforts to come together? Um I felt like we were together uh from the from the very beginning all the way through the end. Um you know, Paulo obviously went down and um you know, we suffered a little bit of adversity uh with that and uh they made their run, but we we stayed together and um found a way to make plays when they mattered, get the stops when they mattered. Um good collective team win. They were averaging over 120 some points a game of over 130 the last four. You know, what does it say about your defense that you were able to such? We we’ve known that, you know, we can we can do it. Um we got to be consistent with it um night after night. And uh you know, obviously having Jay Suggs back in the lineup tonight obviously helps, but um down the board, I mean, you look at a guy like Jonathan Isaac and what he’s been able to bring um coming off the bench, Anthony Black’s point of attack, um Goa, Wendell, um Paulo’s rim protection been great. Boogie does what he does. So um we got a lot of guys that take pride on that end of the floor. You know, look at the nose last game. What does it say about him to slap a mask on and and come out and perform the way he? Yeah. No, I mean we we you know that about Bug, you know, that’s that’s who he is, man. He uh he’s himself, you know, rain or shine, it don’t matter. He’s he’s going to do what he do. We talked about the kind of momentum that your shot could have. Compare that with over the Knicks in this place. Just just how much momentum can that create for you guys? We’re uh we’re trending in the right direction. um you know, over our last seven, I think we’re five and two and um playing better basketball. Um you know, it takes time. It’s new um for everybody. So, trying to get this thing to to come together and um I think that we’re we’re headed in the right direction. Keep trusting our habits and uh what we’re doing and um enjoy the journey. Good. You know, this group was undefeated at home prior to this matchup. What does it say about your group’s, you know, fight tonight that you’re able to come out with? Uh, I think I think we just did a good job. Uh, I think we show showed growth in a lot of areas. Um, uh, like you said, playing on the road against a team that hasn’t lost. I think we did a good job within their runs, um, and just staying poised, uh, staying together, and, you know, we’re able to to get a lead early and keep the lead. So, uh, it was it was a good step of improvement for us. They were averaging over 120 points per game, over 130 in their last four. For your group to step up the way it has been defensively tonight. Is that something you guys really need to make your calling card? Uh yeah, I mean uh defense has been our calling card uh since since I came here. So um I think that’s what leads to a lot of our wins um and even a lot of our offensive success. So, I think the more uh we keep uh getting into the ball, being physical, uh creating turnovers, I think that’ll keep leading to better offensive performances and uh just just a better vibe and and just better a better feel out there for sure. It’s broke. Well, yeah. Well, uh obviously, you know, he’s really tough. uh he was he was able to finish that game uh where he got hit in the nose. So that shows a sign of toughness. Uh it was obviously bothering but uh he stuck with it and you know he was able to come out tonight uh in the mask and and do his thing you know uh not a beat miss uh no step behind you know he came out he was he was aggressive he attacked um he got into the paint same way and uh he’s just a really tough player and you know he helped us get a win today. play stretches without less and now have another additional scoring punch like Dez in the lineup. How much does he held, you know, full additional gravity, especially in the moments, you know, without a lot. You know, uh, Dez gets downhill, uh, really well. You know, we joke around and say, uh, we need him shooting some of those, uh, shots that he’s attacking, but, uh, he just does such a good job getting into the paint. He’s so fast getting past his man that it just makes it easy, uh, for the other dudes to play off of him. and uh you know he’s averaging a lot of assists. He’s getting into the paint making plays. So uh you add that on top of his scoring ability and it’s just it’s just really helping our offense out for sure. Feel like you have a good right now shot uh for sure. You know uh always take two wins in a row. Obviously uh the buzzer beater was was good for us. Uh and it just I think it brought a little spark and you know today we were able to to carry that with us on the road uh in front of a lot of people in a in a hostile environment and get the dub. So uh we definitely we we two in a row. Uh we got to do a good job at home and uh try to make it three in a row. Uh coming into tonight, the Knicks gave up a lot of threes and gave up a high percentage of shots from behind the arc. You obviously shot well tonight. You guys, you know, put up more shots from deep than you usually do. Was that something you guys kind of stressed coming into the game that you knew you were those opportunities? For sure. Um, you know, they give up the the most threes in the NBA and uh they got one of the lowest percentages and give up the least amount of looks at the rim. So, uh, we know they pack the paint a lot and uh, part of the game plan was just being ready to shoot um, and being being able and willing to make the the right play. So, uh, to answer your question, yeah, it was part of the game plan. Um, I think we did a good job executing, stepping into our shots with confidence. Do you think that’s an area where as you guys go on in the future, you know, you guys get a ton of points in the paint, you think there’s still room for you guys to grow, hitting hidden shots behind the arc, too? Uh, for sure. You know, uh, it’s still, you know, still what, 11, 12 games in. So, uh, we’re still trying to figure out playing with each other. It looks a little different. Uh, rotations are a little different. So, um, I think as we’re finding out where to be on the floor, uh, we’re getting better looks and we’re figuring out how to convert. So, um, I think it’ll just keep getting better and better. Uh, dudes are starting to find their rhythm. their confidence. So, I think if we can keep that going, we’ll start to start to make more shots.

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