This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Postgame quotes, notes following the Jazz's 95-83 home loss to Phoenix on Friday.
Notes: This was Tyrone Corbin's first game and first loss as head coach of the Utah Jazz (Corbin also played for Phoenix from 1987-89) ... This is the Jazz's fourth loss in a row against Phoenix ... It is the fourth consecutive home loss for the Jazz ... Utah won the first quarter 31-19, and are now 10-5 when doing so ... The Jazz are now 10-21 when trailing after the third quarter (they started the fourth quarter tonight behind 69-71) ... Utah tied the team's season low for points scored in a fourth quarter with 14 (previously vs. Houston on 2/2 and vs. San Antonio on 11/19).
Tyrone Corbin – Head Coach (0-1 this season) On what went wrong in the second half"We ran out of gas. I mean, I don't know if it was emotions in the first half, when we showed up for the game, but the second half, we just got away from everything we were doing. We were playing with energy. We were getting the ball inside and playing inside out. We were helping each other on defense. We were talking; we were doing a good job, and second half we just got none of that."
On how much Andrei Kirilenko leaving the game affected the team"Well, he was playing well, and he was being very active. He was handling the ball; he was making passes and making some shots, so it affected us a little bit. As I told them at halftime, we found out he wasn't playing, you know. We can't make any excuses. We had the guys that were going to play, and nine guys were dressed, and nine guys got to play."
Gordon Hayward – Forward (14 points, 4 rebounds) On his performance"I feel like I played better but still it's a loss, so that's what gets at me. What you score or how many points, as long as your team loses its always tough. Wish we got the win."
On team moral"I mean we came out excited. [Jerry Sloan] was a great coach, we were lucky to play under him. But at the same time we also know that Ty [Corbin] is very capable. So we're ready to move forward."
C.J. Miles – Forward (19 points, 6 rebounds) On the game"We just ran out of gas a little bit. We missed a lot of open shots, especially shots we made in the first half. We didn't really get into the same things that we did in the first half. We just shot ourselves out of it."
On the second half"In the second half we weren't talking as much defensively like we did in the first half that allowed us to get those stops to get out and run. We missed a lot of open shots. We did a good job of passing the ball in the first half, getting guys open shots and we made them. And the open shots we got in the second half, I know myself, I missed a lot of open ones in the beginning, especially."Paul Millsap – Forward (16 points, 3 rebounds) On the game"I mean they're not really a great defensive team. You know I think we beat ourselves. We ran out of gas at the end of the game and just couldn't finish it out."
On why they ran out of gas"Emotions. Very emotional to start the game off. I think we fed off that a lot, but you know emotions run out and we ran out."
On the last 48 hours"It's been tough. See something like that happen, it's tough. And it wears on you a little bit but eventually you got to move on."
Deron Williams – Guard (19 points, 14 assists, 8 rebounds) On the game"It's a tough loss. I thought we had a great first quarter. A pretty good first half, a solid first half and then in the second half we just kind of came apart. We didn't do the same things in the second half that we did in the first half."
On why they ran out of gas"Emotions and we were missing a few people, but it's no excuse. We just didn't have it in the second half. It was one of those games where the ball wouldn't go in the hole and Phoenix made the plays down the stretch."
On difference of having Ty Corbin on the bench as opposed to Jerry Sloan"Ty is going to be similar to Coach Sloan. We're not changing the offense. We're not changing the system. Our system has worked for years, it's not like it needs to be changed. We just have to do a better job of executing it and getting stops."Notes: The Suns are 6-1 in their last seven games ... Phoenix is now 2-0 against the Jazz this season ... In the first quarter, the Suns shot 25 percent from the field while allowing the Jazz to shoot 65 percent from the field ... This was the first time all season that the Suns have won a game on the road when shooting a lower field goal percentage than their opponent (1-10) ... This is just the fourth time this year that the Suns have won a game in which they have scored under 100 points (4-15) ... Steve Nash recorded his 30th double-double of the season (18 points/10 assists) ... The Suns started the game down 13-2, but started the second half on a 14-2 run to tie up the game ... The last time the Suns faced a Jazz team, when Jerry Sloan was not the head coach, occurred on Nov. 19, 1988 when current Jazz head coach Tyrone Corbin came off the bench for the Suns to score 11 points.
Alvin Gentry – Head Coach (26-25 this season) On the game"We just got off to a horrendous start. Couldn't make a shot, gave up too many transition baskets to them early in the game. We knew that there would be a reaction, an emotional reaction to the whole Jerry (Sloan) thing. And we told our guys we were just going to have to weather that and then lock in and the last 36 minutes of the game is going to be played like the game is going to be played."
On Hakim Warrick's energy plays"I think the key word you said there was energy. I think he gave us (energy). We were struggling a little bit, getting out hustled on some plays and I thought that he just stepped up and really gave us the energy that we needed."
On the team's defense"Then I thought we did a great job defensively. Mickael Pietrus came in and I thought he did a great job on Deron (Williams) and made him work for his shots. And we did a good job of rebounding the basketball and then I thought we executed great down the stretch."
Hakim Warrick – Forward (16 points, 6 rebounds)On turning the game around"I think just staying together. And knowing that basketball is a game of runs. We played so bad in that first half and to be down 12, I think that gave us a lot of confidence to come out there and make a run for the third quarter."
On the defensive turn around"Just playing better team defense and guys doing an outstanding job. You got G going in there night in night out guarding the best player and doing a good job. And just really making them work for everything. Just being there and knowing each other knowing if you get beat someone's gonna have your back."Robin Lopez – Center (14 points, 6 rebounds) On whether they came out soft tonight"I'd agree with that statement. They were trying to get any shot they wanted, and offensively they were knocking them down. Some of our shots weren't falling ... I don't know if we gave them the best looks."
On the key to the team's excellent defensive stretch"I don't know that technically or mechanically we're the best defensive team. But when we play aggressive, when we play hard, when we play with passion, I think, you know, we can do a good enough job down there. And that will fuel our offense, if we get the stops defensively."
Steve Nash – Guard (18 points, 10 assists) On the turn-around"In the first half, they shot the ball extremely well, we were missing a lot of open shots and lay-ups, and then our defense picked up. I thought we held them down. We went into the half only down 12, which was, you know, important, because we weren't playing well. And then we had a good run in the second half and held them down."
On whether they just needed to get out of their own way"A little bit. We just missed a lot of shots, I think. We were lucky that we weren't down 20 at the half, and that we had a good start at the third."
— Brian T. Smith
Twitter: tribjazz