POSTGAME SOUND: BOSTON CELTICS VS. ORLANDO MAGIC | COACH MOSE, DESMOND BANE & ANTHONY BLACK

POSTGAME SOUND: BOSTON CELTICS VS. ORLANDO MAGIC | COACH MOSE, DESMOND BANE & ANTHONY BLACK

Coach, you got a number of key contributions from guys down the stretch. How pleased were you with with your group’s fourth quarter performance? Very pleased with the way the these guys played, pulling for each other, you know, say it over and over again, you know, by committee. Uh, seven guys in double figures. Um, but then there was just the little small things that we did down the stretch. I thought that was very good of our guys to communicate the right things. the coverages we were in. Uh, knowing that these guys were looking to attack and get to that three-point line, I thought I did our guys did a very good job of that tonight. Boston had a couple different runs at a couple starts of some quarters, but you guys continue to fight. What did you like about the way your team fought tonight despite what Boston did? Never overreacted. I I think that’s going to be key for us. Uh, teams are going to go on runs, 48minute game. There’s going to be things that happen within that game, but our guys ability to keep poised, to keep their focus, to communicate the way that they were in those huddles with one another, I think those are going to be key for this group just to continue to grow and get better even on runs with other teams. Coach, 28 assist in the game. Um, seven guys, double figure. Is that what it to take uh for you guys to start winning games in a consistent way? And what do you see down the stretch with Bane taking over the game? Do you see that he’s feeling more comfortable within within his role and within the team? Well, I challenged him to get 30. So, it was only 28. Uh, a couple guys would have made a couple more layups, we might have been better there. But, no, honestly, it was good to see everybody chip in uh and then trust each other. It didn’t matter who had the ball in the end. They were they were supporting and and expressing who had the right matchup, what what the right play was. They communicated those things to each other. And I think that’s so important that they celebrate each other’s success no matter what. You know, Desmond getting it going, Fronzie getting going, Paulo making the right play at the right time. Uh, you know, drawing a crowd everywhere on the floor. Then then I don’t think people understand how much of a wake he creates when he has that basketball. So it opens up things for others on the floor without him even having to put the ball on the floor. Coach, how do you balance the challenge of the the stars trying to be aggressive versus the the playmaking of passing up good shots for great shots? And and how did you like the looks tonight? Because it felt like that was the common theme. Did you like the looks tonight? Yes, sir. I like the looks tonight, too. The the open man gets the ball. The right play is the right play. You know, I think, you know, you you’re going to down the stretch you’re going to go to those guys and some nights it’s going to be different. you know, Desmond had it going tonight. So, those guys trusted what he was able to do to make plays. Um, you know, there’s nights that we’re just going to go to P to understand exactly what he creates and on every on any given night. And these guys trust each other enough to say that whatever is we’re supposed to do to get the win, that’s what we’ll do to get the win. You know, 40 47% from threes is tough to sustain. But to see that clip tonight against Boston, just what does that do for your team’s confidence shooting wise? Well, when when you make the right easy play, it’s easier to catch and shoot in rhythm. And I think that’s what our guys did tonight. Trusted it, stepped into it with confidence, knowing exactly what they needed to do. And that when that ball moves the way it did, uh I I think it’s easier to catch a rhythm for our guys. Jaylen Brown came out in the second half pretty hot about seven made field goals for him. you know, when a player comes out like with that mentality and he’s hitting everything he can, what do you do to try and suppress that to really try and, you know, try and find that lead again? Yeah, you know, he’s I mean, he’s a great player. There’s a reason why. You know, he’s all star, all NBA. That’s who he is and that’s what he’s capable of doing. Now, it’s a matter of what type of shots he’s getting. You know, that’s a team that shoots normally 48 threes per game. And so, limiting him to the tough contested twos is what you have to do. And now, some of them are tough, some of them are overhands. and you just have to tip your hat and you’ll work to go the other way. But if we can get him off that three-point line the way that we did, then you give yourself a chance. Jamal, you talked about doing whatever it took to win. Desmond seemed like his activity level was all over the floor. He’s chasing down loose balls. He’s even kind of forcing unforced turnovers by kind of running after balls and making rushing and speeding them up. Um, can you just talk about his his presence and what he gave you guys today just outside of his scoring? Is this kind of what you envisioned when you guys got him? But we’ve been saying it, you know, since we got got here, like what he provides to this team, he provides winner. And those are the little small things like you just said, diving on the floor for a loose ball. Um picking his teammates up, we know when a mistake is made, continuously bringing guys in on the huddles. Uh it’s not always just about the playmaking in the pick and roll or making shots. It’s all of those small little things that contribute to winning and that’s what he provides to this group, especially with his voice. And then he backs it up with action. come against this team too that you guys lost in the playoffs last year. How much could how much did you not have something like this last season? I just think that you know what he provides is you know that that experience. I think those are pieces of you know what not necessarily missing but you know he provides that for us this year. The experiences he’s been through it. He’s seen it. He’s done it. And these guys trust and rely on what he’s capable of doing. Thank you coach. Thank you all. Appreciate it. Dez, you got contributions up and down from guys uh in the rotation down the stretch, yourself included. What did you like about your group’s collective uh fourth quarter performance tonight? Uh I mean, I think that’s the that’s the recipe, you know? I mean, we we got a lot of talented guys on this team and uh it’ll be different guys every night and um you know, just share it, play the right way and and and trust in everybody. Anthony, mind the over here. Mind the simple question, but just how much fun was tonight for you guys out there in front of your home court and shooting the ball the way you did? Very fun. Very fun. What was the energy like? How did you guys use that? Yeah, I mean, uh, it was great, you know, playing back at home. Uh, you know, I think we were feeling good. U, obviously it was a big game. It was a Cub game, so uh we were locked in coming in. But I think we did a good job of just playing free, uh making the right play, playing for each other, and I think that just led to good energy, uh good runs, uh good job weathering their run when they came back in the third quarter. So I think our energy was good all day and uh yeah, we just we played really hard and we was able to get the win. Desmond, you uh came out missed a few open looks there in the second half. What did you change with your mentality to where you could still contribute to try and come out with the win tonight? H I mean just just stay aggressive. Um you know I mean my teammates been telling me, coaches been telling me um you know stay aggressive and uh you know try to make the right play. Desmond, a few tough games for you before this one. How good was it to kind of get back on track in front of the home crowd and doing what this team, you know, went out and sought, you know, from you from Memphis to go ahead and do? Yeah. No, it was good for sure, but um you know, it’s basketball. thought there’s going to be moments when it’s when it’s really good and moments when it’s tough. You know, that’s that’s how the season go. I’ve been in it long enough to know, you know, that I’ll shake back. So, it was it was definitely good to to play well and get a win. AB, how’s the back feel after the hard fall, but the power slam there? Well, been walking around with that heat pack on, man. It’s not even my back. It’s my both my wrist, both my elbows. my head, my face, and that’s a common foul. Like, that was crazy. You took my boy out the air. I’m I’m good, though. That’s good. Was the game slowing down for you tonight? Four steals. Did it feel like it was slow-mo? A little bit. You know, I feel like Yeah, definitely slowed down defensively. Feel like I did a good job reading uh what they were going to do. uh coaches did a good job putting together good plans. So I felt felt locked in and felt confident in uh my reads on the plays. So uh yeah, it’s just uh that’s what happened for us. Dez, how do you balance that challenge of trying to be aggressive, look for your own shot while also processing giving up a good shot for a better shot as you know, we saw a lot tonight from like you and you and Jaylen Suggs passing up good shots for better shots over and over. Yeah. No, I think that’s that’s got to be our uh who we who we become. You know what I’m saying? Just uh passing up the good ones for for even better ones regardless um who who it is. You know, that’s the the mentality and uh and the way we want to play. Desmond, how difficult is to adapt um to your new role in this team and especially um being aggressive in the clutch? We we saw you today more aggressive trying to look for that shot, you know, um to make big plays. How difficult has been all this process? Def definitely uh definitely a process, you know, trying to trying to fill it out. Um you know, when to get other guys involved and and let them do their thing and when to to be aggressive, but that’s that’s any, you know what I’m saying, new job. Like if you was to go work somewhere else, it’s going to be, you know, some adjusting at first and um until it feel normal and routine. So, it’s uh it’s getting better day by day uh for both players. You know, it’s you want to win every game, of course, but going out there with the NBA Cup game, does the energy change within the team? I know it’s still pretty new in the league, but Yeah, for sure. He was on that this morning for sure. Let them know, man. No, I’ll say it definitely changed. Uh, you know, we feel like the last two years uh we was in good position to to win and uh we tricked our way games both times. So, um it’s definitely we’re definitely in position to win now. Obviously, uh we didn’t lose. Uh, boy trying to go to Vegas. Long story short, long story short, trying to go out west, man. Out west. Need that 500. Straight up. Do something with that. No, for real. Anthony, uh, Desmond wasn’t obviously part of this team and and that series last year against Boston. But what was it like seeing him dive on the floor for loose ball and get get that to you, chasing balls out of bounds, he’s speeding them up, he’s doing all these other things outside of also scoring. what what kind of impact does it have on guys like you when he’s doing that especially against this team? Uh I think it has huge impact. Um you know that’s uh just for example like you say diving on the floor chasing after loose balls. Um this is a player who easily could say like I don’t got to do that. One of the best players on the team but uh we appreciate that and he do a good job setting the tone for us every day in practice uh in the game. You know he’s super physical. Uh he like a junkyard dog. Um, junkyard. I thought you supposed to say. I like it. I’ll take it. Junkyard dog with a bag. There you go. Uh, but yeah, just it sets the tone. Um, obviously when your best players are doing that, it’s good for the team. It sets a good example. And, uh, it just makes it easy to to play hard. You know, when the guy next to you is playing hard, you trust that all five dudes out there, uh, are giving it everything they got. Um, I think it’s good for the team and uh, it’s just Yeah, it’s just good for the team. It’s part of our identity. All right. Thank you guys. Thank you everyone. We will see

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