Pelicans 142, Wizards 122
Q. What do you think was the turning point in the game, especially during the second quarter?
DENI AVDIJA: I think they went on a little bit of a run. I think we had this game, honestly. It's always like there's some games where we're so close, and we're missing something that it turns around and then when you look up, it's like the game is out of hand. I don't know exactly what it is, but I felt like they went on a little bit of a run, that frustrated us a little bit, and I think that's the reason that happened.
Q. You seem to be piecing together a lot of good consecutive performances. Is it hard for you to have personal success on the floor when the team might be struggling?
DENI AVDIJA: I think I'm doing my best, but I don't know if I can call it success. Maybe I can do more to help the team. Maybe there's things that I need to be better, whether it's defensively or offensively, be more aggressive and help the guys that are a little bit younger.
But other than that, honestly, for me, even though I have good performances, I came from a culture that it's all about winning, and for me to have this kind of same mantra and same results over and over again is kind of frustrating.
But we're built from good materials, and I feel like it's only going to get us better and stronger. It'll be all right.
Q. It seemed like you guys in the second half would get it to eight, get it to six, get it to ten, but you couldn't string together three stops in a row, four stops in a row. What has to change for you to be able to do that?
DENI AVDIJA: I think it's our defense. We stopped talking. Sometimes we run down the floor and we shoot bad shots, and they go on a run, and we get panicked a little bit. I feel like we've got to slow down a little bit sometimes.
As I said, we're talented. We had a lot of games in hand, but we're just going to need to know how to get over the hump.
Q. It feels like from the outside looking in, your half-court game is getting more and more comfortable as the days go forward. Can you walk me through that pass to Corey in the corner?
DENI AVDIJA: I don't really like to talk about myself, but I feel like I have a good court vision and understanding of where everybody stands at all times. I can really see the court well.
I feel like as soon as I took the cut, I knew that when I saw Corey's player committing and my player going to Corey, I automatically threw it behind my head. I knew he was there because I saw him with my vision. Sometimes it's just like sparks out of me; I don't know why.
But I think as I get more and more comfortable and get more and more aggressive and really be better with my game, I feel like it's going to be more often, hopefully.
Q. You mentioned the frustration. How tough is it to not let that frustration kind of get to you in a game like tonight where you get off to a good start, and in the second quarter how tough is it to not let the mindset of "here we go again" set in?
DENI AVDIJA: It's tough. You automatically think about it, and sometimes it's like wear you down. I'll be honest.
But at this point, it happens so many times, we only can learn from it and understand that we're good. We've just got to keep competing. Like if it was me, like I wouldn't look at the score, honestly. I feel like a lot of times they go on a run, and then I look, and a lot of players look up in the score, me included sometimes, look up at the score and be like, damn, this game is almost over. We don't really want to be thinking like that.
I feel like we're learning and we're getting better, and people are mentally doing better, too.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports