Rockets 135, Wizards 119
Q. How do you assess that game?
BRIAN KEEFE: I thought we started well. I thought we showed good competitiveness in the first quarter. It got away from us a little bit in the second quarter. We never really got our defense in the game. The ball was getting in the paint way too easily. Then we got down pretty big at the half, but I liked our competitive response in the second half.
We made a good push. We had a shot where we cut it to eight in the fourth quarter, so good fight back, but again, the defense wasn't where it should have been in this game to make it even closer.
Q. With regard to the perimeter defense and their ability to get into the paint, how much of that is technique? How much of it is want-to?
BRIAN KEEFE: I think it's a little bit you have to do it as a group, and we got beat on -- two parts. We got beat off the dribble, and then we didn't have protection once we got beat, so there was two things we struggled with tonight. Our individual defense wasn't as good as it should have been, and our help defense wasn't there. We didn't make them kick the ball out enough. Too many points in the paint.
Q. Deni had a good game but obviously went back to the locker room after pulling up in the fourth. Do you know what's going on there?
BRIAN KEEFE: I don't have an update there, no.
Q. What did you like about his play tonight?
BRIAN KEEFE: Well, again, when Deni rebounds and he plays downhill and attacks, it's really good for our team. He was in there when we made that good run. But it always starts with Deni and his rebounding.
Q. How much of those miscues especially on individual defense were just a result of that small ball, you guys not being able to find as much?
BRIAN KEEFE: No, we've been able to defend when we're small. We just didn't get it done tonight.
Q. Do you feel like your team has taken a step back, and if so, how does it regain some of its defensive footing?
BRIAN KEEFE: Look, I don't think our team has taken a step back. I think we're in a learning process, a discovery process about our team. I liked our fight tonight. Again, we've showed good examples in the last five games that we can play five-level defense. Three of our last five games I think were top half of the league in defense. Tonight we didn't initiate physically to stop the ball and bring over the help, something we'll address and look at, but each game we've got to grow from.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports