I thought our defense was superb on the last two possessions that Atlanta had. They couldn’t get a shot off. I thought we made them earn every possession.

It’s not going to do anything to them statistically for either one of them. They are who they are at this point. They have nothing to prove.

Everything in this basketball game was pretty much even, but they shot 33-of-39 (from the line). Everything else was pretty much even. It gets down to the free-throw line and making the free throws. The...

We are fortunate that this was a minor injury and caught early. Sean has a great work ethic and we know he will work extremely hard to be back to 100% when the regular season...

When you play here in the Garden, it always has that special quality to it. The ghosts are still here. We try to remind the young guys that this is a great stage to perform...

They’ve just got so many weapons that somehow, someone’s going to make a play.

Obviously it’s always very difficult. It has its benefits because we watch guys evolve and they get an opportunity. But where the difficulty comes in is all the things you’ve implemented you can’t do, especially...

That’s a pretty damn good basketball team that we played. They’re very efficient. Most (teams) have a go-to player. That basketball team has a go-to team. They’re very good, very efficient. When a guy’s open,...

Collectively, the group has been what we wanted them to be in terms of that commitment to effort.

The bottom line is whether we were prepared and ready to play when they threw the ball up. It didn’t appear that way to me, and I think that’s a responsibility that when people come...

You know what he did first tonight was get his teammates involved. I had a conversation with him before the game and I told him I wanted him to play with passion. You have to...

This year is getting ridiculous. I’ve never seen anything like this. I guess I won’t be able to say that again because we’re experiencing it now.

He’s going to the battleship? Well, I guess he’s getting mentally ready, huh?

When we come to a decision, we make that move regardless of when it is. Some team could pick Kareem up at a nominal cost and still have the right (to pick up the option...

I am sure it’s difficult for him. Out of loyalty to his teammates, I am sure he wants to be out there and be a part of the franchise that is being built around him.

The 11 guys in that room are giving it everything they’ve got and their decisions are good. And guys who have not had an opportunity before are stepping up and performing.

They’ve been struggling a little bit, if you can call 49 wins struggling, but they just have too many pieces. I’m proud of our guys. That was about the most competitive that we’ve been with...

I can’t divulge that. My credibility’s on the line. There’s a good possibility they made the right decision.

This is a great opportunity for him to play for a team that is vying for a championship. We didn’t want to stand in his way, and we appreciate the professionalism and commitment he gave...

He needed to make those plays in the end to make up for some of those things he didn’t get done early.

The problem was that the group that was getting the stops wasn’t very good offensively.

We have five (big men) out, they have Jermaine.

They (Detroit) just have so many weapons that somewhere somebody’s going to make a play. They just keep you coming from behind all game.

Chicago just got Christmas early.

This is where we’re weak and that’s on the boards in those situations.

He doesn’t want to take time off, I know. But I have to issue some kind of edict where he doesn’t show up.

We played about a quarter and a half tonight. But we played the fourth quarter with some fight to get back into it. The shot Brand made late in the game was a big-time shot...

What they did tonight was make shots. I think it’s significant that they would hang in there and not surrender because that was a concern of a lot of people.

It was on us to make critical plays and we didn’t do it.

That is the problem with us. It gets personal with us because we don’t get a call and we’re up 10 or 15 points, to heck with the call…I really think it’s a function of...

Obviously, if you’ve only got nine or 10 guys that play a lot of minutes over two nights, you’re not able to rotate the ball as well to your shooters. When it was winning time...

We finished this one. We made it hard though. I told the guys that they are kind of hard on their coaches.

Dirk has been great, but what Steve has done is just unbelievable. We tried to get the ball out of his hands, and he still picked us apart. He’s made everybody better.

It’ll come down to what he does on the floor, convincing us he has the will to really want it, … I’m not saying he doesn’t (have that will), but I’m really watching. I want...

That was ludicrous that he wasn’t in that game. If you see Raymond play, there’s no way he shouldn’t have been on that team.

We made it hard again. We’re sitting on top of the mountain again and we don’t recognize it. We allow little things to take us out of it. We have to be above those things.

You’ve got to have some vets, … They’re the ones who teach the young guys how to be professional. But you’ve got to have the right kind of vets, the guys who understand their roles....

You know what he’s good at? He can make shots, and boy he must have a strong chest.

What a resilient group. I don’t know where they got it (energy) from. The just reached down and dug it out. I’d say they surmounted a lot of odds.

The effort was much, much, much better.

At this point in time I don’t think it’s a possibility.

He has been very efficient. His shot selection has been much better and he’s finishing going to the basket.

Most teams have a go-to guy. Detroit has a go-to team.

He had to really work for it tonight. He didn’t get anything in bundles.

We had some good shots. We had some point-blank shots at that time. I think what happened was on the other end, they went to Hamilton and he made some big shots. Their execution down...

When we looked down during the national anthem and saw nine guys, we anticipated trouble. That’s what I was afraid of all day. They played like we’ve played when we’ve been down and just have...

This is getting ridiculous. I’ve never seen anything like this.

What a resilient group. They just reached down, dug it out and overcame a lot of odds. What a great game historically to remember how it was done.

The only question I have is whether I’d like more of a contrast … That’s nothing personal against Bernard. Bernard is a great athlete who plays defense. But we need a contrast, too.

I would be wrong if I said I hadn’t thought about it. There’s been some thought that this could be the last game. But it’s not that big an issue to me because it’s not...