Wizards 110, Nets 104
Q. Deni, Wes said he kind of rolled with the hot hand with that lineup in the second half. What was it like being on the court throughout that run?
DENI AVDIJA: It was great. I think the atmosphere was great. Friday night, fans showed out. It felt like -- honestly I asked Corey in that locker room if it felt like a playoff game to him because it was like the intensity, close game, good crowd. It was really fun to play today.
I think we got going and certain units got going, but everybody participated tonight, which was big time for us.
Q. How about the contribution of Mike Muscala in particular?
DENI AVDIJA: I love Mike, man. He's such a hard worker, and he's always positive. He always brings the energy. I haven't seen somebody who's like keep working and like his mentality is so strong. I remember after a game, I don't remember what game it was, he was struggling a little bit, and I told him, hey, you did the right stuff today, but your shots weren't going in.
Today he made all the right plays and they were going in.
I didn't have a chance to talk to him, but he had a great game. He was big time for us. That's about it.
Q. Speaking about how fun it was to play tonight, the pull-up three you had at the halftime buzzer --
DENI AVDIJA: Yeah.
Q. We haven't seen you do the "my house" celebration --
DENI AVDIJA: It's part like "my house," part of like "count it" --
Q. The whole thing?
DENI AVDIJA: Yeah, yeah. But it was fun. I had it going, so I felt like it was going in, and you've got to show love to the fans a little bit, I guess.
Q. How much is this a win with the contributions that you got up and down the roster that you guys can really be proud of how everyone chipped in?
DENI AVDIJA: We just made the right plays. Everybody was locked in today, did the right stuff, did their task and what they needed to do. I feel like it clicked for us. We were sharing the ball. We were playing defense, getting boards. I can't say anything better than that, honestly.
Q. Speaking of the full roster, Daniel Gafford has said in previous postgames that he is trying to be more aggressive and be that leading aggressiveness for the team. Have you been able to talk to him postgame today or how is he feeling since he almost fouled out?
REPLACE NAME: Gaff is doing a great job this year of being the anchor in the paint and really helping us defend the paint.
There are some nights that you get foul calls on you. Bilal had it, too. I had it in the past. I know how it feels. It sucks. Honestly, it sucks. Sometimes it's just like it runs away and then you get a lot of fouls and then your rhythm is off, but Gaff is going to bounce out. He's good. He's good enough. He knows what he's worth to us. He knows we need him. He's going to be fine.
Q. I'm curious, you said you felt like the shot at the end of the first half was going in. I'm curious where you're at confidence-wise. Do you feel like this is the most confident you've been in your offensive game as a pro?
DENI AVDIJA: I felt like I was choosing my spots today. I was aggressive. I was just trying to make the right play. I felt the ball was a lot in my hands today. But honestly, I was just looking at the final goal is to win. Even coming into the second half, passing to the open guy, making sure everybody gets in, in rhythm, and the ball was moving today, and that's what's the most important. I tried to be aggressive when I could. Lost a little bit of rhythm in a second half but got it back when I needed to.
But other than that, it was probably one of my most confident games, and despite that, two games ago I had I think one of my worst games in my career.
I feel like the maturity to bounce back, it's something that I really like to see, that I never had it before. Hopefully I'll keep doing it.
Q. Where has that come from?
DENI AVDIJA: I feel like maturity, also like knowing what I'm worth. I know what I'm capable of. I know what I can bring to the team, and I never forget it. I work hard on my game, and there's some nights that the ball is not going to go in or I'm not going to be as good offensively, but I can impact the game in so many different ways and be there for my teammates on defense and rebound and that's what I'm about to do. Some games I'll be good, but I'm just trying to be consistent as much as I can.
Q. Tonight your three was falling and you were moving in transition and you were attacking the rim. Are those three things that you try to do every single game to have a well-rounded offensive approach?
DENI AVDIJA: I'm going to say some games I don't attempt as many threes. It's really what the game gives me. I don't force anything. Today I felt like I was rolling a little bit, so I was just attempting a little bit more threes.
But honestly, I'm a player that doesn't look like at a certain part of the game and be like, I've got to do that today. I feel like I'm just reading the game, and I just take what they give me. That's about it.
Q. You mentioned two games ago against Orlando being one of your worst games of your career, in your words. You scored as many points tonight as you did in your previous three games combined. Mentally does that feel like you got a load off, like you got a monkey off your back going forward?
DENI AVDIJA: It's tough. You know, it's tough because the NBA is so dynamic and at certain points you feel like, oh, maybe -- I mean, my shot, something happened, or I'm not scoring as much. I felt like I was dedicated. I felt like I was focused. I knew I needed to bounce back. My mental strength has been better.
I feel like honestly, keep going, keep working and I'm going to get out of it, so hopefully it's going to continue.
Q. You said your mental strength has been better. What's been the key to that for you?
DENI AVDIJA: First of all, the group of guys around me. The team believing in me. I don't know. Sometimes you've got to come back to your bread and butter and play simple for a game and then it gives you like a confidence boost.
I feel like sometimes I won't be perfect, nobody is perfect. There's players all around the league having tough performances, but the better ones are the ones that come back better and stronger. I feel like that's what I'm going to do.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports