Bucks 142, Wizards 129
Q. What did you think occurred that enabled the Bucks to take over that game in the fourth?
KYLE KUZMA: We got some stops that they had some turnovers. We hit some shots. That's why it probably wasn't a blowout.
Q. What was the collective effort trying to defend Giannis like tonight?
KYLE KUZMA: Not good enough. Somebody almost had a 40-point triple-double. He's one of the great he's players of all time, but still wasn't good enough.
Q. What's the mood in the locker room after a stretch like this where there's been good effort and you guys were within striking distance of several games but then saw them slip away?
KYLE KUZMA: Yeah, there's some things that we can't control, but I think the group is fine. The group is good. We're holding it together. There's nobody down and out. We're rallying behind teammates, and it's a long season.
Q. What was working well for you tonight offensively? You set a career high with 13 assists.
KYLE KUZMA: You know, two things. How teams have been guarding me, they've really been putting bodies on me so that it's tougher to get looks, but I just kind of made an emphasis today on looking for my teammates and trying to make them feel good. I think we've been in a rough stretch, and I think our effort was a lot better because offensively we moved the ball. The ball moved. Just going out there, trying to show everybody if I'm moving the ball, everybody has to move the ball.
In that respect it was good. We scored 120 plus points. That's amazing. But still got room to grow defensively, and we need to, because we actually had a chance to win.
Q. What did you think of Bilal's defense tonight, especially picking up Dame 94 feet from the hoop, and what have you seen Bilal defensively so far over the course of the year?
KYLE KUZMA: He's been good defensively. I think he's still growing. He's still learning. You see that sometimes he'll pick up some just -- they're not like young or dumb fouls, it's just knowing your personnel. Sometimes Dame came off left and just came off his shot right away, Bilal got under him. Obviously that's what Dame does. Last game somebody got him on a pump fake, he jumped. Those little things he just has to learn.
But he's ahead of the curve, obviously, and he's learning every single day.
Q. You know what it's like to rocket up your own team's pecking order offensively. How has Jordan dealt with being the 1B on this team?
KYLE KUZMA: I mean, he struggled a little bit, obviously. It's no secret, obviously. I think everybody is behind him and knowing he'll get out of it. He's a worker. He loves basketball. He's very passionate and is tough.
When you're coming from being a third or fourth option, I can speak on this because I've done it, you're coming into a new situation where you're more of a focal point. It's tough sometimes because that's with a lot of responsibility. You have to obviously be able to produce at a high level but get your teammates involved, too.
I think sometimes he just overthinks himself a little bit and kind of messes him up a little bit. But I think today was a great step in the right direction for him. Obviously finding a little rhythm, getting some buckets, and I think regardless of what he shot tonight, I don't even know what he shot, but I think that's some good momentum for him for next game and to finish out the year strong.
Q. Just curious, what's your relationship like with Brook Lopez. Obviously you guys are very close.
KYLE KUZMA: Brook is my guy. He was my teammate my rookie year in LA, and he was a great vet, someone that really showed me about work ethic. He was a person -- this was his first year really shooting threes, my rookie year, and he would come in and play 30 minutes a night and be in the gym at 8:30 in the morning, and he would be putting up shots with Mark Madsen at the time and really showed me about how it is to be a professional in this league, and then also he's such a sweet guy.
Q. How do you communicate rotations with Wes? Would you have liked to get back into the game earlier in the fourth quarter?
KYLE KUZMA: I mean, I don't got no control over that. I'm not the type of player to tell the coach what to do or coach. That's why he's hired and that's why it's his job, and that's their job to figure out. I can only control what I can control, get in the game and spark and influence people and play my game. Yeah, I probably would have liked to get back in, but I'm not going to dwell on it because I can't control it.
Q. What's been the balance like, you have tough defensive matchups on various nights but also have to carry an offensive load. What's the balance there? How do you not get fatigued on one end or the other?
KYLE KUZMA: It's just part of my growth, part of my journey. I've played a lot of roles in this league, in this association in my seven years. This is just another one, and I'm learning through it just like everyone else. Obviously I kind of had some strides last year, but this is a totally different thing for me. Obviously guarding top players every night and trying to do that is very tough, but I'm built for it. I'm learning every single game, getting better, seeing defenses. I'm talking on defense, trying to inspire guys, trying to motivate. I'm happy with where I'm at.
I've got a long way to go still.
Q. You're seeing them again Friday night. What do you think needs to be done between now and then for a different outcome?
KYLE KUZMA: I think we just need to make a few adjustments, do a better job making Giannis's looks a little bit easier. I think in the first half he was like 10 for 11, and then figuring out what we want to do with that pick-and-roll a little bit. I think it hurt us just a little bit. Offensive rebounding and defensive rebounding we've got to do a better job. Then just closing out hard to their shooters because it's tough, you've got to guard a Giannis or Dame, you've got to be in the gaps, and obviously they're willing passers so spreading out -- it's a make or miss league. So closing out better and overall just more effort.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports