Game 5 Post-Game Press Conference: Tobias Harris | Pistons vs Knicks | 04.29.25

Game 5 Post-Game Press Conference: Tobias Harris | Pistons vs Knicks | 04.29.25

>> QUESTION. >> BEFORE THE GAME WE TALKED ABOUT THIS ONE MORE GAME MINDSET. WE’VE TALKED TOO MUCH ABOUT THIS TEAM’S EXPERIENCE COMING IN. WHAT DID YOU SEE FROM THE GUYS DOWN THE STRETCH AND HOW THEY WERE ABLE TO EXECUTE, NOT RELINQUISH THAT TEN POINT LEAD AND PUT THIS ONE UP? >> MAN, I THOUGHT OUR EXECUTION WAS REALLY GOOD. I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE FOUND SOME THERE THAT WAS WORKING FOR US. I THOUGHT CADE DID AN AMAZING JOB OF JUST EVALUATING HOW THE DEFENSE WAS PLAYING HIM AND WANTING TO GET OFF IT, WHEN TO BE AGGRESSIVE. AND I JUST THOUGHT AFTER THAT EVERYBODY WAS JUST MAKING THE CORRECT PLAYS. I WAS ABLE TO FIND A T THERE FOR A LOT OF BASKET CUTS, LOBS AS WELL. AND DEFENSIVELY YOU KNOW FOR US JUST BATTLING AND FIGHTING. AND THAT’S WHAT THIS TEAM THAT’S WHAT OUR GROUP HAS BEEN ABOUT ALL YEAR LONG. EVEN AT SHOOTAROUND TODAY YOU COULD JUST FEEL THE ENERGY OF A GROUP WHO HAS SOMETHING TO PROVE. AND ONCE EVERY PART OF THE ACTION OF IT AND JUST WANTS TO EMBRACE THE OPPORTUNITY IN THE MOMENT. AND I THOUGHT WE DID A GREAT JOB OF THAT COMING INTO THIS GAME, COMING INTO THE GARDEN AND JUST STAYING COMPOSED AND FOCUSED. AND, YOU KNOW, WE KEPT SAYING IN THE HUDDLE LIKE, WE GOT TO JUST FIND THE JOY IN THE WHOLE GAME AND JUST STAY WITH IT. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE WERE ABLE TO BATTLE AND COME OUT WITH A VICTORY EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR US TONIGHT. >> DID YOU FEEL PRESSURE AT ALL? >> NO PRESSURE. NO. I LIKE MY, YOU KNOW, MY MOM AND DAD SITTING UP THERE WATCHING ME, YOU KNOW, GREW UP, GREW UP IN LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK. YOU KNOW, MY FATHER USED TO ALWAYS ON THE WEEKENDS, YOU KNOW, DRIVE ME INTO THE CITY TO PLAY AGAINST CITY COMPETITION, YOU KNOW, ALL, ALL, EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND AS A KID. AND SO, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO GO OUT THERE AND PLAY THE SPORT THAT I LOVE AND, AND HAVE THE JOY AND BE ABLE TO COMPETE WITH THIS GROUP AND SEE MY SEE MY PARENTS UP THERE, FAMILY AND FRIENDS. IT’S THERE’S NO PRESSURE. IT’S JUST A JOY NOW OF GOING OUT AND PLAYING AND DOING WHATEVER I CAN TO REALLY HELP, HELP THE GROUP PLAY AND, AND JUST JUST HELP THIS GROUP WIN IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE. AND I’M EXTREMELY APPRECIATIVE AND GRATEFUL TO BE A PART OF THIS TEAM AND TO BE WITH THESE GUYS. YOU KNOW, THE FUNNY THING ABOUT THIS TEAM IS LIKE, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY’S LIKE BACKS AGAINST THE WALL TYPE MENTALITY. BUT THIS GROUP REALLY LOVES BEING AROUND EACH OTHER. AND I THINK THAT WAS LIKE ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS. LIKE WE DON’T WANT THIS THING TO STOP. LIKE WE GOT TO KEEP ON FIGHTING. AND YOU KNOW, I JUST THOUGHT TONIGHT IT WAS A FULL ON EFFORT. YOU SEE, YOU KNOW, GUYS ON THE BENCH, THEIR SPIRIT, THEIR INFLUENCE AND THEIR PASSION AND WANTING US TO JUST STRIVE OUT THERE IS AMAZING. IT’S A WHOLE ORGANIZATION, A WHOLE GROUP FIGHTING FOR EACH OTHER. >> DEVOS CAN YOU SPEAK ON WHAT YOU’VE SEEN FROM AUSAR THOMPSON TONIGHT? >> I THOUGHT HE DID A GREAT JOB EARLY ON IN THE GAME OF BEING AGGRESSIVE AND, YOU KNOW, ATTACKING AND JUST JUST PLAYING DECISIVE OUT THERE, PLAYING, MAKING QUICK DECISIONS DEFENSIVELY. WE KNOW WHAT HE BRINGS TO THE TABLE. WAS ABLE TO DO A GREAT JOB OF JUST TRYING, TRYING TO SHOW HIS HANDS ON A LOT OF DIFFERENT PLAYS. BUT YOU KNOW THE CHASE DOWN BLOCKS, THE ENERGY, THE SPACING OUT THERE AS WELL OF EVALUATING THE PLAYS TO BE MADE. YOU KNOW, THAT’S THE FULL ON GROWTH OF HIM AS A PLAYER. HE WAS, YOU KNOW, THE X FACTOR FOR US TONIGHT OF GETTING GOING AND PLAYING GREAT EXTREMELY HAPPY AND EXCITED FOR HIM. AND THE NIGHT THAT HE HAD YOU KNOW HE’S SUCH SUCH A HUMBLE GUY AND HE’S ALWAYS THE FIRST ONE IN THE LOCKER ROOM AFTER GAME TO, YOU KNOW, PULL UP THE FILM OF THE PHONE AND TO SEE WAYS THAT HE CAN GET BETTER. SO FOR HIM TO HAVE THAT TYPE OF PERFORMANCE TONIGHT, I’M EXTREMELY HAPPY FOR HIM AND I’M EXCITED AS WELL. >> BECAUSE YOU TALK TO THE FIRST FOUR YEARS ABOUT HOW THE STYLE OF OFFICIATING FIT YOUR PHYSICAL STYLE. WELL, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE A LOT OF STUFF GO, YEAH, HOW DID YOU GUYS ADJUST? TONIGHT’S GAME WAS CALLED MUCH, MUCH TIGHTER. HOW DID YOU ADJUST TO THAT? >> YEAH. YOU KNOW, IT WAS DEFINITELY CALLED TIGHTER TONIGHT. AND NO, I THOUGHT I THOUGHT FOR US WE KIND OF JUST I THOUGHT WE DID A BETTER JOB OF REALIZING HOW THE GAME WAS OFFICIATED. I MEAN, PERSONALLY FOR MYSELF LAST TWO GAMES, GETTING IN FOUL TROUBLE IN SITUATIONS, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THEM, LIKE EARLY ON, THEY LET GO ON BOTH SIDES. SOME OF THEM THEY CALL. SO TONIGHT IT WAS KIND OF LIKE ONCE WE KNEW WHERE THE WHISTLE WAS, WE KIND OF JUST ADAPTED AND JUST PLAYED WELL OFF OF THAT. >> YOU GUYS HAVE WON FOUR. >> TIMES HERE. >> NOW THIS YEAR. >> YOU KNOW I KNOW IT’S ONE GAME AT A TIME, ALL THAT STUFF. >> BUT HOW. MUCH THE. >> CONFIDENCE IF WE CAN GET IT TO SEVEN. >> WE FEEL GOOD THERE. >> YEAH. WE’RE JUST FOCUSED ON THE NEXT ONE. YOU KNOW THAT’S THE THAT’S THE THAT’S THE BEST ONE FOR US AND THAT’S THAT’S IN OUR ARENA. AND WE NEED TO GO GET A VICTORY THERE. OUR FANS DESERVE THAT. THE ENERGY THAT THEY BRING NIGHT IN AND NIGHT OUT, WE WANT IT. AND THAT’S THE ONLY THING WE’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO RIGHT NOW. AND IT’S JUST US GETTING GETTING OUR REST, GETTING OUR RECOVERY AND BE READY TO BALL. >> PIGGYBACK ON WHAT BRIAN’S ASKED. YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN A GOOD ROAD TEAM. >> THIS YEAR. >> A FEW TEAMS IN THE LEAGUE, LIKE 7 OR 8 THAT HAVE HAD WINNING ROAD RECORDS THIS YEAR. WHY ARE YOU GUYS SUCH A GOOD ROAD TEAM? >> MAN, I DON’T KNOW. I WISH I COULD TELL YOU THAT. YOU KNOW, I DON’T KNOW, BUT I DO KNOW THAT. YOU KNOW, THIS THIS GROUP EMBRACES A LOT OF CHALLENGES. A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, ATMOSPHERES THAT THAT WE GO IN AND PLAY. I THOUGHT, YEAH, TONIGHT, LIKE WE WERE VERY WELL COMPOSED IN TIMES WHERE THEY MADE SOME RUNS OR MADE SOME TOUGH SHOTS OUT THERE. AND, YOU KNOW, THAT’S WHAT PLAYOFF BASKETBALL IS ABOUT. IT’S KIND OF HOW YOU RESPOND. SO I COULDN’T ANSWER THAT QUESTION. IF I KNEW THE ANSWER, THEN I THINK WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD HANDLE SOME BUSINESS AT HOME. YOU KNOW. >> TOBIAS, CAN YOU GET BACK TO CUNNINGHAM FOR A SECOND? CAN YOU DESCRIBE WHAT IT TAKES TO SHOOT AS HE DID IN THE FIRST HALF, AND MAYBE MAKE A COUPLE OF TURNOVERS IN THE PLAY, SORT OF SHAKE THAT OFF AND PLAY DOWN THE STRETCH AT HIS YOUNG AGE THE WAY HE DID. >> YEAH I MEAN, YOU KNOW I DON’T THINK ANY OF US REALLY LOOK AT LIKE NIGHTS WHERE HE MAY NOT BE LIKE PARTICULARLY SHOOTING IT. WELL JUST BECAUSE OF HOW MUCH USAGE HE GETS LIKE THROUGH THE COURSE OF THE GAME, WE KNOW THAT HE’S GOING TO FIND HIS SPOTS. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, HE’S SIX SEVEN, SIX, SIX, SIX, SEVEN POINT GUARD. HE’S YOU KNOW, HE’S NOT HE’S NOT LIKE MUCH A LOT OF DEFENSES CAN DO WITH HIM WHEN HE GETS TO HIS SPOTS AND WHEN HE’S GETTING OUT IN TRANSITION, WE KNOW HE’S GOING TO FINISH. LIKE HE’S JUST LIKE YOU KNOW, MISSING. IT’S NOT NECESSARILY WHAT SOMEONE ELSE IS DOING. IT’S JUST KIND OF MAYBE THE LOOKS THAT HE’S GETTING. BUT YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT EVEN IN THE FIRST HALF HE DID A GOOD JOB OF FIGURING OUT WHERE THE DEFENSE WAS AND GETTING OFF IT A LITTLE BIT FASTER AND CREATING SOME OPEN SHOTS FOR OTHER GUYS. SO WE WEREN’T REALLY TOO KEYED IN ON, LIKE, DOES HE HAVE IT GOING? DOES HE NOT? LIKE WE KNOW HE’S GOING TO GET TO HIS SPOTS? AND I THOUGHT SECOND HALF HE JUST DID A GREAT JOB OF MAKING THE PLAYS, MAKING HIS LOOKS, LEADING HIS TEAM, TWO BIG FREE THROWS DOWN THE STRETCH OF THE GAME. YOU KNOW THAT’S WHO HE IS AS A PLAYER AND THAT’S WHO HE IS AS A LEADER OF THIS GROUP AS WELL.

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