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00:00 (inaudible)
00:10 I was definitely helpful.
00:12 Appreciate him looking out for me down there,
00:14 getting me to my spot and make the game easier,
00:19 trying to save some of the energy, conserve it for the fourth quarter,
00:23 which I think we did a great job of doing.
00:25 But yeah, he gave me just opportunities to create for myself and my teammates,
00:29 so I'm appreciative of that.
00:32 (inaudible)
00:45 Yeah, well in competition you're going to get embarrassed sometimes
00:49 and I think that's part of this NBA level competition.
00:54 Some games you're not going to play up to the level that you want
00:59 and I think the big question after that is how do you respond
01:02 and I think we responded tonight.
01:04 And now again, like I said the other night, it was 48 hours ago.
01:07 Finding that consistency is just as important as locking into the game plan
01:11 and being able to create some opportunities throughout the game
01:17 where you're really focused on getting the best possession out of the game
01:21 and out of your teammates.
01:24 Man, it was a hard-fought game, so we used Tuesday as motivation for sure.
01:28 We had a great talk as a team.
01:30 We recalibrated and we knew what type of game it was going to be tonight
01:34 against the Knicks and it was going to take our hyper focus and our physicality
01:38 and the things that we didn't do against Memphis,
01:40 starting off well and giving the New York Knicks confidence.
01:44 We didn't want to do that.
01:46 I think that's our identity moving forward where we start off the game really physical
01:50 and we manage the game well after that.
01:52 Whether we're up in the first quarter or down,
01:54 our physicality is what separates us.
01:57 Obviously, Luka out tonight.
02:00 Did you put--
02:01 Yeah, we need him out there.
02:02 We do.
02:03 We need all our guys.
02:05 But you usually get one without him.
02:08 And you came out cooking.
02:10 When he's out, is it more intentional about trying to get off to a hot start
02:16 personally and kind of taking pressure off the guys?
02:20 When he's in the lineup too, I feel like that's great for our team
02:23 when I'm pushing the ball and getting us off to a great start
02:26 and getting to my spots early and really setting the tone for my defender
02:30 that's on me and then setting the tone for my teammates most importantly.
02:34 When they see me attacking like that, I think it motivates them.
02:37 I think it inspires them to pick their level of play up just like if Luka
02:40 was doing the same thing.
02:41 He's pushing.
02:42 As a teammate, you want to be right there with him.
02:44 We all need help out there as teammates.
02:47 When we don't have guys in the lineup, it's definitely a situation,
02:54 a circumstance that we don't want to be in, but we know that we are.
02:56 It's just a reality of the situation, so it's the next man up mentality.
03:00 But for us in that locker room, next man up just means coming in with that same
03:03 focus level as if somebody else was out there, if Luka was out there
03:07 or D-Live was out there and being able to fulfill that role and do it
03:10 at a high level, no excuses.
03:13 Me getting off to a good start, I don't have any excuses anymore with this team.
03:17 Whether Luka's in the lineup or not, I got to start off with an aggressive
03:20 mindset and aggressive mentality and lead the group in that way and then allow
03:24 the game management to tell you what we need to do for the rest of the game.
03:28 What was your view of the play at the end?
03:30 Three outfields were rebounding, they were trapping you,
03:32 they trapped you again.
03:33 You guys missed three shots.
03:35 Yeah.
03:36 Yeah, the basketball guys, they had our back.
03:38 They had our back.
03:40 We were playing extremely well throughout the majority of the game.
03:43 Then those final four or five minutes where they start hitting some corner
03:46 threes, they start making some big shots.
03:48 Julius gets a downhill.
03:50 OG gets into the scoring as well.
03:53 They're pushing the pace.
03:55 Our lead goes from 12 or 9 to 2.
03:58 Now the crowd's involved.
04:00 These are the games as a competitor you know you're being tested.
04:04 When you're going against a well-coached team like the Knicks,
04:07 you know kind of their schemes down the stretch.
04:09 They're going to throw something at you.
04:10 Tibbs is always creative with that.
04:12 I think we grew tonight as a team.
04:15 We're just fulfilling our roles right now.
04:18 We're playing the roles that we need to be playing now that we don't have
04:21 guys in the lineup.
04:22 I want to get us healthy, man.
04:24 I want to get us healthy.
04:25 Shout out to all the guys, man.
04:26 Harry, when you were with the Knicks, you took extra pleasure beating the Knicks
04:29 just because they were those rivals.
04:31 You've done really well against them.
04:34 Does that transfer over when you transfer teams?
04:38 We know systems well.
04:39 I think us as players, I know systems well.
04:42 I had an idea how they were going to guard me tonight,
04:44 but seeing an OG for the majority of the game,
04:47 it didn't force me into some tough decisions down the stretch.
04:51 It was definitely a different Knicks team than I've played against last year.
04:54 You've got to give them credit.
04:55 They've gotten better.
04:56 They came in on a streak.
04:58 I always say I love beating the Knicks, but it's just another team on our schedule.
05:02 When I was in Brooklyn, it was definitely high intensity.
05:05 They were right down the street.
05:07 You see all the Twitter ads, and you see all the fans getting into it,
05:12 and I think that's what makes New York City basketball great.
05:15 But here in Dallas, it was a homecoming for a few guys on New York Knicks,
05:19 and we just wanted to play well against them tonight.
05:21 So, just another game.
05:23 Jason mentioned that you guys haven't had a real practice since the 20th.
05:26 It's true.
05:27 How difficult is it in your position to essentially return to mentoring on the fly
05:33 in that respect?
05:36 No, it's not easy.
05:38 I won't ever say it's easy.
05:40 I like to revert back to my same quote.
05:43 It's just a lot of things that I do that will go unnoticed for the rest of my career
05:47 a lot of people don't see.
05:49 You know, the late nights lifting, the early risings, getting massages,
05:52 taking care of your body, and doing everything to mentally prepare.
05:57 It's the only job in the world that--or one of the few jobs in the world
06:00 where you've got to be ready at 8 a.m. as soon as you wake up.
06:03 You've got to be locked in until 7 p.m.
06:05 Then you've got to go out there and prepare and play at a high level
06:08 and use your IQ, your skill set to will yourself to play well for your teammates.
06:14 So, I think we're figuring that out as a team, though, how we prepare,
06:18 how we prepare when we're injured, and then also how to sustain the level of play
06:23 that we're on now.
06:25 These games every other day at home are very comfortable, so I'll give us that.
06:29 We get to lay down on our beds every night.
06:31 That makes a big difference with our families.
06:33 Getting into work should feel like a breeze when you've prepared the night before
06:36 and you can come in early and get your work in
06:38 and really set the tone for not only yourself but for your teammates.
06:41 So, I feel like--
06:43 [indiscernible]
06:50 Yeah, it's a full-on team game.
06:52 This full-on team game, I'm glad that other guys got going in the lineup,
06:57 and they made my job a lot easier.
06:59 I give a lot of credit to them.
07:01 They were guarding their asses off--excuse my language--tonight,
07:03 and we really showed our will down the stretch.
07:06 We didn't panic.
07:07 They went on their run, and we were able to weather that storm
07:11 and really get a solid win tonight
07:13 but couldn't have done it without the effort of the other guys
07:16 and our coaching staff putting together a great game plan.
07:18 We really locked into tonight.
07:21 [indiscernible]
07:25 You know how crazy that is, by the way?
07:27 Like to not practice, like, almost dang near.
07:30 You know what I'm saying?
07:31 It's the crazy concept, but that's the reality in our league, man.
07:34 It's a lot of games, but go ahead.
07:35 I didn't mean to cut you off.
07:36 It's just--yeah.
07:38 As a person who's personally seen you, part of your process in being in the lab,
07:44 how important is it to create your own shots
07:47 and just work on things every single day for games like today?
07:52 Yeah, man, it's straight Mamba mentality, man.
07:55 You got to get your work in.
07:57 Make sure you take care of your family, of course,
07:59 but the work is everything, and the energy you pour into yourself
08:04 and your work ethic, it'll reward you ten times, tenfold.
08:07 I genuinely believe that.
08:08 It may not be the next day, but if you put in consistent days,
08:12 then the work will show for itself,
08:14 and I feel like that's what's happening with our team.
08:16 With me getting back from injury, I needed those days to not only recalibrate
08:20 but get my body in a better place.
08:22 Again, I started off the season.
08:24 My body was--you know, I want to say it was like--
08:28 it was hard to get over that hump, as they say,
08:31 being in shape and then being in great shape
08:34 where you can impact the game for 40 minutes, 46 minutes,
08:37 and whatever your team needs you to be.
08:40 I think that's helped a lot.
08:42 It's just our preparation and my preparation.
08:44 What message do you have for the fans?
08:46 The message I have for the fans, man, please keep selling out AAC
08:49 and giving us that great energy, and I'm truly appreciative of them
08:55 coming to the games and supporting.
08:56 I know a lot of people are at home supporting, too.
08:58 We have a lot of MFFLs around the world, so shout out to them.
09:02 This season has been up and down, but looking forward to continuing
09:08 to be on these winning side of playing against the best teams in the league.
09:13 [inaudible]
09:21 Nothing short of proud of him.
09:23 Man, what an idea--or excuse me, I don't want to say idea--
09:25 what a beautiful situation that him and his dad have in New York City.
09:30 As a peer of his, as a brother of his, I definitely look at that and say,
09:35 "Man, I wish my dad was on the bench coaching me, and I could look down at him
09:39 and be like, 'What do you think about that play?'"
09:41 It's healthy.
09:43 It's a legacy league, and to see them working together,
09:47 but to see Jalen take that torch that his father left for him
09:53 as he was teaching him the game of basketball, and then Jalen's going on
09:55 to have an incredible college career.
09:57 I've been watching for a long time.
09:59 He's a winner.
10:01 He's incredibly resilient.
10:04 He does little things for his team to win, and it's good to see him
10:06 getting his respect amongst the peers and the media, too.
10:12 He's just wanting to continue to do his thing, man, and stay healthy.
10:15 Thanks, guys.
10:15 Yep.