THE NEXT GAME ON SUNDAY. TOM THIBODEAU'S POSTGAME
COMMENTS. REBECCA HAS NUMBER ONE.
I WAS LOOKING -- [ INAUDIBLE ] WHAT YOU WERE
HOPING FOR? A LOT OF, MULTIPLE OPTIONS ON
THAT PLAY. THEY ARE IN THE ZONE.
SO YOU HAVE TO CUT THE OPEN AREA.
YOU HAVE TO CATCH AND GET IT OFF QUICK.
BUT THE SECOND SHOT HURT US. OVERALL IN THIS ROOM, YOU
DON'T GET WIN. YOUR DEFENSE WAS MUCH BETTER.
YOU HELD THEM TO UNDER 19 POINTS.
HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE IT? WELL, AGAIN, IT WAS A SHAME
NOT TO COME OUT WITH A WIN BUT THE WAY WE STARTED REALLY HURT
US. WE HAD A FIGHT AND THEN WE
DOWNSIZED TO GET MORE SHOOTING ON TO THE FLOOR.
AND THEN THE REBOUNDING HURT US AT THE END.
OUR TURNOVERS HURT US IN THE FIRST QUARTER.
YOU MENTIONED THE DIFFERENCE. TEN IN THE FIRST HALF AND THEN
THREE IN THE SECOND. I THOUGHT WE PLAYED REALLY
WELL FOR THREE QUARTERS. THE SECOND, THIRD AND FOURTH
BENCH CAME IN AND GAVE US A BIG LIFT.
SECOND HALF, PLAYED WELL. MAKE OR MISS.
RJ MADE A GOOD PLAY. IT WAS A GREAT LOOK IN AND OUT.
WE LIVE WITH THAT. THE SECOND SHOT, THAT HURT US.
THAT HURT US. THE CAREER HIGH IN POINTS AND
REBOUNDS TONIGHT FOR OBI. ARE YOU SEEING A DIFFERENCE IN
HIS CONFIDENCE RECENTLY? HE'S WORKED HARD.
SO HE'S ALWAYS BEEN A CONFIDENT GUY.
THERE IS A LONG WAY TO GO BUT HIS PROGRESS HAS BEEN STEADY.
OVERALL, VERY PLEASED WITH HIM. WHAT WOULD YOU PICK OUT WHAT
YOU'RE PLEASED BY? JUST HIS WORK.
YOU KNOW, HE'S STILL, HE HAS TO WORK AT BEING AN ALL-AROUND
PLAYER. AND I SEE THAT WORK EVERY DAY.
I SEE HOW HE APPROACHES IT. AND HE'S A FREIGHT WORKER, A
GREAT SHOOTER. I'M NOT SURPRISED THAT HE'S
IMPROVING. WHAT ARE YOU SEEING FROM OBI?
THE WAY HE IMPACTED THE GAME TONIGHT.
IN YOUR EYES, IS HE MAKING A CASE FOR AN INCREASED ROLE OR A
MARK, CAN YOU REPEAT THAT? YOU FADED IN AND OUT ON THAT.
I SAID HOW TOUGH IS IT TO TAKE -- [ INAUDIBLE ] A COUPLE
OF THREES BUT STILL TOOK HIM TO THE BENCH.
YEAH. IT WAS BASICALLY, THEY WERE
PLAYING ZONE. SO WE THOUGHT WE GOT BEHIND A
LITTLE. WE WANTED TO ADD MORE SHOOTING
ON TO THE FLOOR. BUT OVERALL, I THOUGHT HE DID A
LOT OF GREAT THINGS. THAT'S HOW WE GOT GOING.
RUNNING THE FLOOR. HUSTLING, ALL AROUND PLAY.
I THOUGHT HE DID A GREAT JOB FOR US.
YOU MENTIONED THE TURNOVERS. WHAT ELSE DID YOU SEE, THE
20-POINT LEAD? YEAH.
A LET'S ARREST JIK START. NO CONTROL OF THE BALL.
THE TURNOVERS. YOU PUT THEM IN THE OPEN FLOOR.
THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE GREAT AT. SO YOU HAVE TO OWN YOUR SPACE,
TUCK THE BALL, BE FUNDAMENTALLY SOUND.
THEY'RE GOING TO PLAY PHYSICAL AND BE READY FOR THAT.
BRAD, SORRY. TOM, THE REBOUNDING ISSUES
YOU HAVE WITH THE SMALL LINEUP. IS THAT SOMETHING YOU JUST HAVE
TO CHALK UP TO REALITY? YOU'RE PLAYING SMALLER?
WELL, I THINK YOU NEED MORE GANG REBOUND AND YOU HAVE TO
FIND A BODY WHEN YOU'RE SMALL. YOU'RE GIVING UP SIDES AND
THEY'RE VERY QUICK TO THE BALL. IF YOU'RE NOT MAKING CONTACT,
YOU'RE LEAKING OUT. SOMETIMES WE HAVE A TEN DENICY
TO DO THAT. WE TRY TO GET TO THE OPEN FLOOR.
WE'RE VULNERABLE BECAUSE WE'RE SMALL.
SO THAT BEING SAID, WE OUTREBOUNDED THEM.
A CAREER NIGHT. HERE'S OBI'S POSTGAME COMMENTS.
A CAREER GAME FOR HIM. TONIGHT, YOU WERE KIND OF IN
A GROOVE. COULD YOU FEEL YOU WERE
APPROACHING NEW CAREER HIGHS IN POINTS AND REBOUNDS?
I MEAN, I APPROACH EVERY GAME THE SAME.
LIKE I KNOW WHAT I HAVE TO BRING TO EVERY GAME.
I HAVE TO BRING ENERGY. I HAVE TO BRING A SPIRIT TO THE
TEAM AND JUST GO OUT THERE AND HAVE FUN.
LIKE WE'VE ALL BEEN PLAYING BASKETBALL FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
SO WE KNOW WHAT WE HAVE TO DO WHEN WE'RE ON THAT COURT.
AND WE'RE GOING TO FIX IT. FOR YOU PERSONALLY, HOW MUCH
DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU DEVELOPED AS A PLAYER?
IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THERE ARE MOMENTS OF CONFIDENCE IN THE
GAME, YOU MISS A CORNER THREE BUT THEN YOU COME BACK.
YOU GET TO THE LINE. YOU'RE 6 FOR 6.
YOU'RE SHOWING CONFIDENCE OUT THERE.
DO YOU FEEL LIKE THERE IS A SHIFT?
I HAVE A LOT OF GREAT TEAMMATES AND COACHES AROUND ME
THAT PUSH ME EVERY DAY. THEY KEEP TELLING ME.
IF THEY DON'T AND GO NOBODY IS PERFECT, NOBODY WILL MAKE EVERY
SINGLE SHOT. WE WISH.
BUT WHEN I'M OUT THERE, I'M OPEN.
I HAVE TO SHOOT IT. I HAVE GREAT GUYS ON THE COURT
WITH ME EVERY SINGLE DAY WHO ARE PUSHING ME TO BE GREAT AND JUST