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00:00 >> Seth, start with you.
00:02 I mean, no secret you had some struggles the last few games,
00:04 but all of a sudden you get a couple of it.
00:07 Confidence wise, what's that do to you when that goes in?
00:10 >> Naturally, when you see the ball go through the net, your confidence goes up.
00:14 All week, coach has been stressing, keep that, keep your confidence.
00:19 These guys have been stressing, we're confident in you.
00:22 So for tonight to be one of those nights where I could actually hit and
00:26 make the game easier for them, it meant a lot to me.
00:30 >> And Seth, second half for the team as a whole,
00:34 you guys sort of stayed close first half, but second half, you guys got a run going.
00:41 What was the difference there for both you guys, both answer that.
00:44 >> I think it was energy.
00:45 We just kept positive energy.
00:47 We kept playing hard for one another, playing for one another, and
00:52 just trying to make the right basketball plays.
00:54 >> Yeah, we came out with great energy in the second half.
00:58 Cook made some electric plays.
00:59 And yeah, the team just had a lot better roll to them, played a lot looser,
01:05 played a lot faster, and we just played good basketball.
01:08 And I think we just felt that as a group, it carried us.
01:11 >> That's when you've had trouble, so second half all year.
01:15 >> Yeah, exactly.
01:17 >> So I mean, where did you find that energy?
01:19 >> Yeah, it was kind of a flow like we got into.
01:26 Like I said, there was some energy plays that really helped to get that going.
01:31 And yeah, I mean, coach, he let us know that we haven't been performing in
01:38 the second half the way we wanted to be performing so far.
01:41 So he reminded us of that right before we went on the court,
01:47 so we kind of had it fresh in the back of our minds too, yeah.
01:49 >> Jesse, Cook gets, I think he had Ted Bench last I looked.
01:54 So that's minutes that you guys are having to absorb before.
01:57 How much does that help you,
01:59 help the team as a whole that he can now provide some depth?
02:03 >> I mean, it helps big time on the minutes and on top of that,
02:08 he's a really good player.
02:10 So you have another great player on the court.
02:11 And even if it starts with ten minutes,
02:14 it's gonna help the team as a whole if we have him out there.
02:18 So yeah, both ways it helps us for sure, for sure.
02:23 >> For both you guys and one more on the Cook here.
02:26 I'm sure you guys have seen him shoot threes in practice,
02:29 maybe seen some of his clips on YouTube or something.
02:31 But seeing it live in a game, right in front of you, different feeling?
02:36 >> Yeah.
02:37 He's special, man.
02:40 He's one of those guys that are special.
02:41 So to be able to witness and see that live and be a part of it, it's huge.
02:47 You know what I mean?
02:48 We really appreciate him.
02:49 His presence was definitely missed.
02:51 >> Big time.
02:53 >> Yeah, I mean, we have seen him shoot in practice a lot.
02:58 So yeah, for us, we know he can do that.
03:01 And to see it in a game, it's that great feeling of him finally
03:06 being able to show everybody what he can do, a little bit.
03:10 It's just a start, it's just a really start for him, I think.
03:13 >> Either of you guys know the meaning of the name that he had on his back today?
03:18 >> I don't know.
03:21 >> A.Cooke or- >> Yeah, no.
03:24 I don't know the whole story.
03:25 >> I didn't even notice.
03:26 >> No, he has a different name on his back.
03:28 Yeah, I don't know.
03:30 I mean, that's something you gotta ask him, yeah.
03:32 >> So you get A.Cooke back the last couple games, but
03:37 now next one, Kerr's gonna be available.
03:39 So how much does that help too?
03:41 Cuz now it feels like you got a whole basketball team available.
03:44 So I'll start with you cuz, Gord, how much is that gonna help with backcourt?
03:47 >> That's huge, you know what I mean?
03:50 Besides the obvious thing is saving legs, you know what I mean?
03:54 He's, I don't know if you guys have heard before, he's a magician.
03:56 So having that presence back of a guy that's gonna get guys shots,
04:00 can make shots, you know what I mean?
04:01 And just his presence on the floor, it's gonna be huge for us.
04:04 >> Yeah, and yeah, it really just steps on the momentum.
04:12 Like, a lot of these really, normally you don't have guys that are out and
04:17 that can bring an extra boost during the season.
04:22 It's not really a normal thing, but in this position we have that.
04:24 So we have A.Cooke coming back and we have Kerr coming back.
04:29 And outside of the fact that we're getting a lot better as a team,
04:33 it's gonna help us a lot.
04:35 Because they're not just normal players, they're really good players.
04:38 So it's definitely big for them to come back, yeah.
04:43 >> Between getting some improvement, playing better, and
04:46 then also getting some of these legs back in there, you're also getting a week off.
04:49 Does it feel like you guys are kind of hitting the refresh button a little bit?
04:53 >> Yeah, in some ways for sure, in some ways.
04:55 Yeah, we're just, it's good to get a little rest, get off our legs a little bit.
05:01 And yeah, you have a new guy back on the court.
05:04 And it's definitely a little bit of a refresh.
05:10 But we're just gonna try to keep the momentum going, like I said.
05:13 So we're not gonna try to stray away too much from what we've been doing.
05:17 >> Josh, the other day at his press conference was talking about kind of how
05:23 the big story of the season was getting outscored in the second half,
05:26 kind of like what was asked earlier.
05:28 Having Kerr back now, the Cooks kind of getting back in.
05:34 Is it possible to kind of turn that story around now that
05:40 there's more cards in the deck now, so to speak?
05:44 >> Definitely, naturally,
05:47 those guys, their presence offensively is definitely gonna be felt.
05:51 So going forward, I think everybody's gonna benefit, is one of those things.
05:55 Everybody will benefit, everybody's gonna be better off, and
05:57 we are gonna turn that around.
05:58 >> One more on the Cook, if you guys don't mind.
06:01 The one you've mentioned, as a defender, it seems like he does a whole lot that
06:05 helps you all out, three-pointers and then shot blocking, I guess.
06:07 But he floated around and seemed like he covered anybody that was thrown at him,
06:10 too.
06:11 I guess how much of that help and
06:13 what a relief that is out there is just very personal.
06:16 >> Yeah, yeah, obviously he plays kind of a similar position to me,
06:22 but he's a little bit more on the forward, too.
06:25 But he's really good, really good at just timing the way he defends.
06:31 He's up in the air to make the shot very hard for whatever it is,
06:36 whether it's shot a fadeaway or jump shot, whatever it is, for his own man.
06:40 But he does do a great job of helping off his man, too.
06:43 So he's really good at just putting the pressure on the guys,
06:46 like you just said.
06:47 And yeah, what that brings is just, it makes it a lot harder for
06:53 the opposition to get a good shot off.
06:54 And that makes it better for us to get a run going or
06:58 really play a lot of pressure defense in the half court.
07:03 That's what we wanna do, so yeah.
07:05 >> Jesse, obviously, first seven games, you had to be really careful of fouls.
07:10 And the one you had, foul trouble, was a problem.
07:13 So now that he's available, and I don't wanna say you're gonna go out there and
07:18 hack away, but can you be a little bit more free and
07:21 don't have to worry about it quite so much in terms of foul trouble?
07:24 >> Yeah, yeah, short answer is yeah, cuz you have a little bit more rotation.
07:29 So you can play with it a little bit more.
07:32 Like I said, not trying to be too overaggressive right away or at any point.
07:36 But it gives a little bit more freedom, yeah, for sure.
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