This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Official postgame quotes following the Jazz's 109-97 victory against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday at Staples Center.
Coach Jerry Sloan Re: Increased offensive efficiency "We just had to give the ball to someone who was open. You don't have to shoot it every time you get it. You pass the ball and you have a better chance of getting a high percentage shot." Re: Defensive adjustments "We were able to zone them a little bit. They were killing us with their offense, getting the kind of shots they wanted. Then we slowed them down a little bit and they missed some shots. Against a zone you have to make shots and fortunately for us they missed some." Andrei Kirilenko Re: Halftime adjustments "In the first half we were very sloppy, probably because of the early game, we didn't have as much energy right away. In the second half, we warmed up good and we talked about being focused. We came out and played a good game in the second half." Deron Williams Re: Second half adjustments "We woke up a little bit in the second half. We executed better, played a better ballgame. They shot 60% before halftime and we held them below 50% in the second half. At halftime, we just talked about getting stops."
Coach Vinny Del NegroRe: Playing the Jazz "It's never easy. Give Utah credit, they execute so well. We knew what they were going to do, they are a veteran team. Deron Williams gets them in their sets and they push the tempo when he controls the game. You knew they were going to make a run no matter what. Once they got control of the game we were trying to fight back and fight back." Re: Clippers play in the third quater"You just keep on trying to figure the puzzle out. We missed a few shots in the 3rd quarter but really they just controlled the tempo with their execution and our turnovers. Once they got us back on our heels we still did a good job on the glass and attacking them in other areas but we just weren't sharp enough offensively." Clippers Guard Eric GordonRe: The teams play in the third quarter "There were three or four opportunities where we could have made the easy layup. They had a couple of blocks from behind. If we could have converted on those plays we knew we would have been there with some momentum. We knew they were going to fight back, we just need to convert those easy plays."Clippers Forward Blake GriffinRe: What the Clippers need to work on. "We were up eight at the half. I like that we play hard and all that but we need to figure out a way to do that for 48 minutes instead of 32, 36 or 40. It is frustrating but I like the way this team plays hard. We just need to keep working until we find something that works."— Brian T. Smith
Twitter: tribjazz