"It comes down to what's best for him and the team. It's best for both to try to get as healthy as possible. I know it's frustrating for him that he can't play the way he normally plays, because he's being held back (by the injured ankle)."

"We've got to fight our way out of this, losing, injuries, all of it. When you hit losing streaks, generally speaking, the solution lies in just laying out your best effort and fighting your way out of it. That's where we are. There's really no other explanation to it."

"It's about winning games, and right now, we have to focus in on the guys we have and doing our best possible job at playing at a high level to give ourselves a chance to win."

"It's going to help a lot because Jamaal is our best creator with the ball, and he's one of the best creators in the game. A player like him really helps us."

"We know that we got lucky today. We know Vince Carter is not going to have another 1-for-8 3-point game or 12-for-33 game, because he's a great player and he's going to make his shots. We got very fortunate that he didn't have his best game."

"We had one of the best practices we've had in the 21/2 years I've been here. Guys really seemed committed to getting better. Little things like that are good signs. You hope it translates to the games, but you never know."

"Any time you're without your best player, it's going to present a challenge. There's no doubt Jermaine is our most important player, but collectively we're going to have to find a way to win games."

"That's an unbelievable streak. It shows how those guys work to take care of themselves and why they have the best record in the league."

"When we're playing well, there are very few teams that are as good as us. When things don't go well for us, that's when we have to look in the mirror as a group and figure out how to collect ourselves and continue on a path that's the best way for winning. We've got some soul searching to do."

"When I walked in at 5:30 p.m. and heard Jermaine was out, I wasn't sure what we were going to do or the best way to go. I just had a hunch Harrison was a guy we needed to get involved."