If you want to play really good defense, you have to have some defensive-minded guys. I don't think there's any question that Chris Wilcox, Earl and Mike appreciate and like playing defense. When you get guys like that, normally your defense will get better.

I really got after the players . . . and they responded really, really well.

We didn't play. None of us. As bad as we played, Denver should have beaten us by 50.

We didn't play. None of us. That's embarrassing. Our front-line guys didn't compete with their bench. There was no excuse for our performance. I gave the guys (Thursday) off because of the upcoming schedule and I shouldn't have. As bad as we played, Denver should have beaten us by 50 and they didn't.

I really got after the players ... and they responded really, really well. I changed a lot of stuff right away and they made my job easier because they cooperated so much. From that standpoint, I was proud of them.

I have to say that it was our fourth game in five nights. We had seven players available and Ray Allen was playing sick.

We didn't play. None of us. That was embarrassing. They played their bench because they play Phoenix (tonight). They rested their front-line guys. Our front-line guys couldn't compete with their bench.

I heard after the fact that Phoenix wanted him. The team that we really kept hearing was Golden State.

We didn't quit and fought back. We put ourselves into a position where, if we make a shot here or there, we have a chance to win.

We're not going to jeopardize the game, but he knows if he's open from 3, he can shoot it. I'm going to try to help him. He's going to try to get it, but it's not going to disrupt what we do as a team.