Hawks vs. Nuggets Postgame Press Conference: Kristaps Porzingis

Hawks vs. Nuggets Postgame Press Conference: Kristaps Porzingis

>> HELLO GUYS. >> FIRST GAME BACK FOR YOU IN A COUPLE OF THEM. JUST HOW DID IT FEEL SORT OF GETTING YOUR WIND BACK AFTER MISSING A COUPLE OF GAMES. >> HONESTLY SURPRISINGLY GOOD. YOU KNOW, IT’S TRUE THAT I ONLY PLAYED 20 MINUTES, BUT I FELT GOOD FOR THE FIRST GAME BACK. OBVIOUSLY I’VE HAD A LITTLE BIT LIKE SOME BUMPS AGAIN, WHICH HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, IT’S I WANT TO BE OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, IT’S LIKE KILLING ME TO NOT, NOT, NOT BE PERFECTLY HEALTHY. BUT BUT NOW I FEEL ON THE RIGHT TRACK. I FELT GREAT TONIGHT. YOU COULD SEE I THINK, BY THE WAY, I WAS MOVING, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING AND EVEN THOSE 20 MINUTES. SO I’M HAPPY ABOUT THAT. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO BUILDING ON TOP OF THIS GAME. >> WAS THE THE ILLNESS THAT YOU’RE DEALING WITH IS SOMETHING THAT YOU’VE DEALT WITH IN THE PAST, OR IS THIS KIND OF SOMETHING NEW TO YOU? >> NO, I WOULDN’T SAY IT’S THE SAME THING, JUST WASN’T FEELING TOO GOOD, HONESTLY. SO, YOU KNOW, JUST. YEAH, JUST JUST NOT NOT BEING HEALTHY. HEALTHY. YOU KNOW, LIKE, BUT NOT I WOULDN’T SAY IT’S THE SAME STUFF FROM LAST SEASON, SO THAT’S GOOD. I THINK I KIND OF PUT THAT BEHIND ME EVEN THIS SUMMER PLAYING FOR THE NATIONAL TEAM. BUT ANYWAY, JUST CATCHING WHATEVER. IT’S FRUSTRATING. YOU KNOW, I WANT TO BE HEALTHY. I WANT TO BE HEALTHY AND AND I WILL BE HEALTHY. >> OBVIOUSLY LIKE FIRST GAME BACK. PRETTY TOUGH MATCHUP FOR YOU TO TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH. YOKICH. YOU KNOW EVERYONE KNOWS ABOUT HOW GREAT HE IS, ESPECIALLY ON THE OFFENSIVE END OF THE FLOOR. BUT FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, TRYING TO TO GUARD HIM, ESPECIALLY YOUR FIRST GAME OUT, WHAT WAS THE DIFFICULTY YOU FOUND IN THAT MATCHUP? >> EVERY TIME IT’S THE SAME, HONESTLY. LIKE HE HAD 40. LIKE I LOOKED UP AT ONE POINT AND I WAS LIKE, OH, HE’S NOT HAVING A GOOD GAME. AND HE HAD 29. IN THAT MOMENT, I WAS LIKE, HE’S JUST, YOU KNOW, HE’S BORN FOR THIS LIKE LIKE NOBODY ELSE. YOU KNOW HE’S TALENT IS UNREAL. AND AND YOU COULD TELL, YOU COULD TELL LIKE FIRST HALF HE WAS HE WAS PLAYING AT HIS LIKE SLOWER PACE. BUT LIKE SECOND HALF HE STARTED TO TURN UP MORE. AND WE HAD A LITTLE BIT MORE TROUBLE WITH HIM FOR SURE. BUT OVERALL WE BATTLED HIM ALL NIGHT LONG AND THAT’S ALL YOU CAN DO, YOU KNOW, TRY TO BATTLE HIM AND MAKE IT DIFFICULT AND AND HE WILL STILL SCORE, BUT AT LEAST TRY TO WEAR HIM OUT AS MUCH AS YOU CAN. BUT THIS GUY IS SPECIAL. >> THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME IN YOUR CAREER COMING OFF THE BENCH, BUT YOU SEEM TO HAVE A GREAT FLOW WHEN YOU GOT INTO THE GAME. WELL, WAS THAT A BIG ADJUSTMENT FOR YOU OR WAS THAT SOMETHING YOU WERE ABLE TO HANDLE PRETTY EASILY? >> I DON’T KNOW, I THINK I’M KIND OF GOOD AT THESE KIND OF YOU. I ALWAYS LIKE, SAY TO MYSELF THAT YOU CAN PUT ME LIKE ANY SITUATION. I’LL FIGURE IT OUT. YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY IT’S NOT WHAT I LOVE, YOU KNOW, BUT BUT I THINK IT MAKES SENSE, YOU KNOW, PLAYING LIMITED MINUTES AND AND I WILL, LIKE, DO WHATEVER IS BEST FOR THE TEAM. I REALLY AND I SAY THOSE WORDS AND I REALLY MEAN IT. YOU KNOW, I, I’M HERE JUST TO HELP THIS TEAM WIN. IF THAT MEANS LIKE COMING OFF THE BENCH THEN YOU KNOW, THAT’S THAT’S, THAT’S THAT’S PERFECT FOR ME AND AND BUT YEAH I LOOK FORWARD TO BUILDING BACK UP FROM THIS POINT ON. >> YOU TALK ABOUT PLAYERS WHO ARE SPECIAL. WHEN YOU MENTIONED YOKICH BUT YOUR OWN TEAMMATE JALEN JOINS KIND OF UNIQUE COMPANY WITH HIM BEING ONE OF A FEW PLAYERS THAT HAVE A FIRST HALF, TRIPLE, DOUBLE, TRIPLE DOUBLE. WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN OUT OF JALEN SINCE YOU’VE BEEN HERE IN ATLANTA. AND JUST SORT OF HOW HE’S KIND OF TAKEN THE MANTLE AS A LEADER ON THE TEAM. >> HONESTLY I’M I DIDN’T LIKE FROM OUTSIDE LOOKING IN. I DIDN’T EXPECT HIM TO BE THAT GOOD OF A PASSER, THAT GOOD OF A CREATOR. AND AND HE’S YOU KNOW, HE’S HE’S HONESTLY HE’S JUST PUTTING THOSE NUMBERS UP KIND OF LIKE CONSISTENTLY AND PRETTY LIKE WITH THE FLOW OF THE GAME, YOU DON’T FEEL LIKE HE’S FORCING TOO MUCH. YOU KNOW HE’S JUST GETTING DOWNHILL. KICK OUT THIS LIKE GETTING SOME EASY LOOKS FOR US, SOME DUMP OFFS FOR US. LIKE HONESTLY HE’S HE’S PLAYING AT A SUPER HIGH LEVEL. I’M HAPPY TO SEE HIM PLAYING LIKE THIS. HONESTLY JUST SEEING HIM LIKE DAY TO DAY, HOW HE WORKS. LIKE HOW HE’S LIKE LOCKED IN ON EACH THING. LIKE, YOU COULD TELL THIS GUY WANTS TO BE GREAT AND AND I’M JUST HERE TO SUPPORT HIM AND GIVE WHAT I CAN, WHAT I SEE, AND BUT THIS GUY IS ON TRACK TO BE, LIKE, CRAZY. SPECIAL PLAYER. >> ON THAT FINAL OFFENSIVE POSSESSION FOR YOU GUYS. YOU KIND OF HAD THE TIME TO BE ABLE TO PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER AND GET A THREE THERE. WHAT WAS DENVER DOING DEFENSIVELY THAT THAT MADE IT JUST SO DIFFICULT TO BE ABLE TO GET OFF THAT SHOT. >> ON THE LAST PLAY? YEAH, WE HAD OPPORTUNITIES, HONESTLY, AND I THINK NICKEIL WILL BE THE FIRST ONE TO SAY LIKE, YOU KNOW, COULD HAVE PROBABLY KICKED IT OUT THERE. LIKE EVEN I THINK WHEN HE SHOT THE FIRST ONE, THEY KIND OF GOT A PIECE OF IT. I THINK MURRAY OR SOMEBODY, PROBABLY HE WILL LOOK AT THE FILM. HE’S LIKE, I HAD TO KICK BECAUSE I THINK I WAS PRETTY OPEN, YOU KNOW? AND WITH ME SEVEN, THREE, LIKE PRETTY MUCH MOST OF THE TIME I CAN GET A SHOT OFF. BUT EVEN WHEN HE DROVE, THAT WAS PERFECT. HE GOT IN THE PAINT. I THINK WE HAD A KICK OUT, YOU KNOW, TO TO VIT. BUT IT’S JUST HOW IT GOES, YOU KNOW, LIKE LIKE NICKEIL WAS HAVING A GREAT GAME, PLAYED LIKE GAVE EVERYTHING FOR THE TEAM. AND THIS IS A SPLIT SECOND DECISION YOU HAVE TO MAKE. WHETHER YOU SCORE THAT AND YOU KNOW, YOU TRY TO GO FOR A FOUL AGAIN OR MAYBE A STEAL AND YOU KNOW IT CAN GO 100 DIFFERENT WAYS, YOU KNOW, AND AND HE JUST TRY TO MAKE THE RIGHT PLAY FOR THE TEAM DIDN’T WORK OUT FOR US. BUT BUT YOU HAVE TO GIVE CREDIT TO HIM AND THE WHOLE TEAM THAT WE BATTLED ONLINE. >> DURING YOUR TIME IN BOSTON. YOU GUYS RAN A BASELINE OUT OF BOUNDS SET PRETTY OFTEN, LIKE TRIANGLE, LIKE A FLAT ALIGNMENT. AND ATLANTA HAS GONE TO THAT AS WELL. I’M CURIOUS, LIKE HOW COMFORTABLE ARE YOU IN THE HALF COURT OFFENSE IN ATLANTA? DID YOU SUGGEST LIKE THOSE TYPES OF PLAYS OR WAS THAT MORE SO, JUST THE COACHING STAFF BROUGHT TO YOU AND SAID, HEY, LET’S CONTINUE THIS FROM BOSTON? >> NO, I THINK YOU LIKE, WATCH SOME OF THE STUFF THAT THEY WERE RUNNING FOR ME IN WASHINGTON AND THEN BOSTON THAT WORK. AND, AND HE’S KIND OF TAKING SOME STUFF AND MAYBE TWISTED IT A LITTLE BIT OR WHATEVER HE SAW AND SEES AND KUZ LIKE OFFENSIVE MASTERMIND HONESTLY. LIKE YOU KNOW THE STUFF THAT HE HAS AND AND HOW HE HAS US RUNNING. AND THE PRINCIPLES THAT WE HAVE WITH OFFENSE IS IT’S NOW BEING HERE LIKE IT MAKES SENSE. YOU KNOW IT MAKES SENSE WHY HE’S THIS CALIBER OF A COACH, YOU KNOW, AND WHY WE’RE PLAYING, YOU KNOW, DECENT BASKETBALL. >> HEY PETE HOW TOUGH IS IT TO WHEN YOU HAVE THIS TEAM LIKE THIS ON YOUR FLOOR? YOU HAVE THEM ON THE ROPES IN THE FIRST HALF. YOU ALL SHOOT LIGHTS OUT IN THE FIRST HALF. AND OBVIOUSLY IT’S A BACK AND FORTH GAME. YOU LOSE THE LEAD, THEY GET THE LEAD. YOU KNOW YOU FIGHT BACK. BUT HOW WAS IMPORTANT? HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO KIND OF WHEN YOU HAVE A TEAM LIKE THIS ON THE ROPES TO CLOSE THEM OUT? YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO THE MORALE OF THIS TEAM AND JUST HOW THIS TEAM IS CONTINUING TO GROW, HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO JUST CLOSE A TEAM LIKE THIS OUT WHEN YOU HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY? >> I WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE WERE IN CONTROL OF THE GAME FOR, I DON’T KNOW, 30 WHATEVER MINUTES. AND THEN THAT LAST STRETCH, THEY WERE KIND OF IN CONTROL. YOU KNOW, THEY WERE UP TEN, UP EIGHT, YOU KNOW, AND WE FOUGHT BACK AND WE KIND OF GOT US IN THE GAME. SO I WOULDN’T SAY LIKE IT WAS MORE KIND OF ON THEM TO CLOSE IT OUT MAYBE, YOU KNOW. BUT WE ACTUALLY FOUGHT BACK AND GOT GOT RIGHT THERE. OF COURSE, THERE’S THINGS WE CAN BREAK DOWN AT THE END THAT WE COULD HAVE DONE BETTER, BUT I THINK IT WAS MORE OF THAT RUN THEY HAD. AND YOU KNOW, WE GAVE UP SOME OPEN LOOKS, SOME OPEN THREES THAT GAVE THEM MOMENTUM AND GAVE THEM LIFE, THAT WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A BIT MORE SHARPER THERE. MAYBE SOMETHING WAS WAS WE COULD HAVE DONE A LITTLE BIT BETTER JOB THERE. I THINK THAT WAS LIKE OUR IMPORTANT MOMENT OF THE GAME. BUT THAT’S HOW IT GOES. IT’S LIKE RUNS, RUNS, RUNS, RUNS. AND HONESTLY, LIKE EVEN THOUGH IT’S A LOSS. BUT I’M LIKE HAPPY WITH THE WAY WE FOUGHT, HAPPY WITH BEING BACK. AND AND I’M SURE IN THE FUTURE WE’LL

Atlanta Hawks vs. Denver Nuggets Postgame Press Conference: Kristaps Porzingis after 134-133 Loss

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