Timberwolves 118, Wizards 107
Q. Deni, two points shy of a career high. What got into you tonight?
DENI AVDIJA: I think it's the hat design for sure.
I just don't know. I was just playing aggressive. I'm getting to my spots. I'm feeling a lot more comfortable each and every game, and honestly, we as a team tonight had a good effort, too, so that got me going a little bit, too. Just trying to compete and win the game, honestly.
Q. You had that one play where you were guarded by KAT in the corner and you kind of gave him a shim my, you hit that step-back three. That play is kind of indicative of you finding a good balance of putting your head down and getting to the rim and using your skill to create space? Do you feel that?
DENI AVDIJA: Definitely. Something that it kind of bothered me because now when I go downhill, like people expect it sometimes, so me just being able to go both directions and change pace and create some space and be able to shoot the ball is going to be big for me. Hopefully I'm going to get better in that, and I'm obviously going to work on it this season, during the summers, and I'm going to get more comfortable.
But I'm just going to try and play as simple as possible and build from there, honestly.
Q. It seemed like they gave you a lot of physicality and contact, maybe as much as I've seen in a game that you've played. But you obviously countered it really well. What was it like kind of fighting through that and continuing to play well?
DENI AVDIJA: I think through -- you're talking about personally or like as a team?
Q. You individually.
DENI AVDIJA: Me individually. I feel like this season, even a little bit of last season, I'll be able to use my body more and be more comfortable of like really getting to people, and I understood how strong I can be, and I feel like it's building up, and when teams try to ramp up the physicality, I'm already used to people being physical with me and me being physical, too.
I feel like even when they ramp it up, I'm still ready, and I'm still creating contact. That's part of my game now. Know what I'm saying? Obviously when you create contact in the league, you get a lot of fouls, and just me embracing the contact, it's something that I became better, and I'm going to keep improving on it.
Q. How tough is it, and maybe the better question is atmosphere-wise and camaraderie-wise in that locker room, when things aren't going your way, wins and losses, but yet you're in a lot of games and you're just coming up short, what's the balance there?
DENI AVDIJA: I feel like the balance is we have a great chemistry in the team. I feel like everybody like wants each other to succeed. I feel like we're young, we're having fun coming to practice, we're having fun getting better.
Obviously losing is not fun, but we are talking to each other. We're trying to improve. We're trying to be better every game. Honestly, we're making progress.
If you think about it, we played some good teams, Denver and Minnesota. They're both good in the west, really good teams in the west. They didn't crush us like we got crushed in the beginning of the season. So it's a little bit of progress.
Yeah, obviously we need to be able to close games better, and we have a lot to improve more, but I feel like there's a lot of positive things you can look at. So I feel like we do that, and we build off of it, and the coach and the coaching staff are doing a great job of keeping us on a good -- man, words.
Q. Trajectory?
DENI AVDIJA: Good trajectory.
Q. How do you feel like you and the team as a whole did against Anthony Edwards tonight?
DENI AVDIJA: I feel like we were aggressive. We were switching a lot like like-sized guys, and we were trying to protect the rim. Gaff and Marv did a good job protecting the rim today. I feel like he got into foul trouble, got frustrated a little bit, and honestly, when we communicate and we're on top of things and we come focused and we know the game plan, we're a good defensive team.
I feel like we did a good job. I think in the end, we could have done a little bit better. But I told some guys in the locker room, if we guarded like that since the beginning of the season, we'd be in a whole different situation right now. It's a good thing to look at for the future.
Q. How did it feel to have an arena full of people that you designed?
DENI AVDIJA: Oh, it's amazing. I feel like I gave a lot of effort to my hat. I feel like I really wanted to create a hat that is going to be nice and people are going to rock it in the streets, so hopefully everybody that has the hat can please represent it nice, wear it outside, and make the team sell it in the team store.
Q. Is that going to put money in your pocket?
DENI AVDIJA: No, it's not going to me, but it's going to be good.
Q. They are going to sell it in the team store?
DENI AVDIJA: I hope. If people are going to have a high demand, then they've got to, right? Hopefully.
Q. Have you actually put on weight through your work in the weight room?
DENI AVDIJA: It's both ways. I think I did improve -- I didn't go crazy, like I didn't put crazy weight on. I feel like I did work on how I move in my movement and how I create force and just be able to use my body. I feel like I was always shy from contact. I was always trying to finish around people. I was always trying to go around people. But then I understood that like man, I'm 6'9"; it takes time to understand how physical you can be and to your advantage. I feel like it's both ways. But I appreciate him noticing it.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports