Heat 119, Wizards 107
Q. What do you think made the difference for them, particularly in the second and third quarter when they were able to create some separation?
ANTHONY GILL: I think their consistency. When they can rely on guys to come out there every single game, every single play to do the same thing over and over, each guy on their team knows what to expect from each player, that kind of creates consistency, which allows them to be a little bit more comfortable in tough situations when the game is tight.
When they did pull away from us, they just relied on what they do, which is be tough, physical, rely on their best players, and then everybody else just kind of made plays when it was time for them to make plays.
Q. You tied a career high in points. What was your approach out there, and what do you think was working for you?
ANTHONY GILL: Oh, I mean, it was just -- this is a cliche answer, but my team just put me in the right position. I didn't do anything special. It was just me literally laying the ball up underneath the basket a lot of the times, and that's a lot because of JP's penetration or Deni's penetration or Jared Butler's penetration. All those kind of things kind of added up for me to get buckets.
Q. How do you go about being ready to play the moment you're called on nights that you don't expect to play? Tonight is not one of those nights, but you do that a ton.
ANTHONY GILL: Yeah, I just make sure I consistently work hard every single day in practice, even when I don't play. On game days when I know I don't play, I just make sure -- I know I'm not going to play, I make sure I get workouts in just so I'm ready for the opportunity when it comes.
Again, my team makes it so easy for me to just be ready. I look at those guys in the eyes every single day, and I know when I get that shot, I can't let them down, and I can't have a letdown on the court. That way they know I'm in their corner every time. When I'm out there, I'm fighting for those guys every single time down the court.
Q. Was there something -- you had a very efficient shooting night. Was there something you saw from the bench where if I make this cut or go around this way, that'll help us out a lot? What did you see when you were watching?
ANTHONY GILL: I just saw that they were switching a lot of the pick-and-roll, especially with Bam. If there's an opportunity for me to slip out -- I think I had one dribble keep, which is I am dribbling at my offensive player, and then I keep the ball as if I'm going to hand it off and I keep it and go lay it up. That was something I saw that it was an opportunity I could take advantage of, just knowing they were going to switch out and there was going to be a gap in between the two defenders, so I could just go right through there.
But again, just watching how we played, we were playing in the first half as a team, I knew what we were doing was going to be effective throughout this game, which is continuing to play team basketball. We kind of got away from it a little bit in the third once we stopped making shots, but fourth quarter we got back on it, and we won the quarter. That second and third quarter kind of threw us off a little bit.
Q. How was it guarding Jimmy Butler? What are you focused on most when you have an assignment that big?
ANTHONY GILL: Yeah, again, just not letting my team down. I want to be a competitor --
Q. Tactically what do you focus on most?
ANTHONY GILL: I think a lot of the times when you're guarding the best player, it's just kind of like, lose everything, and you're just kind of focused on hey, I've got to get a stop here. Just knowing his strategy, he likes to go right a lot of the time, he does a quick jab step hesitation right. I knew he was going to do that a lot. So just watching film, preparing for those moments -- I'm not going to guard him the entire game, but the little moments I do switch on him, just being ready for that.
Q. When we ask other guys about you they say you're always ready and you're a consummate professional and lifting up the younger guys. Is that part of what you bring or do you learn that over the course of being a pro?
ANTHONY GILL: I think it's just a lot to do with my upbringing. My parents did a good job of building confidence in me, which then I can do that to other people. I've had a lot of great mentors in my life that have kind of shaped me to who I am today, and then overall my wife is just someone who keeps me very grounded at home. That's easy for me to just easy to come here and be relaxed and be focused on these guys.
I think this is -- I am so proud of the way that our team has handled a lot of these situations this year. I know from an outsider's perspective, it just seems like wow, the Wizards are racking up losses, but there's a lot of internal wins we've had this year. A lot of people don't see that, but we're building a foundation.
People don't understand how hard it is to come every single day and just lose every day, and the reason I say I'm so proud of each and every one of those guys is because they're just fighting so hard. No matter what the result is, they're coming to practice every single day, battling every single day in practice and then coming to the court, doing the same. Those kind of foundation building things are going to lead to a great future.
Q. You kind of answered this, but are there any specific people on the team who you think had a lot of internal wins this season that the public might not know about?
ANTHONY GILL: I think all around we've had a lot of individual successes this year that most people don't really -- they wouldn't see because they're overshadowed by the losses. There's been a great leap from Corey on how he's played this year.
Same with Deni.
Bilal had an unbelievable rookie season.
Kuz has been a great leader in the locker room.
Tyus has also been a great leader, the most steady player that we've had all year, so it's easy to rely on that.
Jared Butler didn't play all season, and then to come in at the end of the season and play the way he has has been big for us.
Geno has had an up-and-down season as far as coming into the game and playing, quite like my minutes, but every time he's been there, he's responded.
Landry has also had a lot of injuries this year, but the way he's battled through them has just been amazing to see, and a lot of victories that we can kind of be proud of internally, just even the fact that he can just get back on the court and fight.
Jordan Poole, unbelievable season. A lot of people are looking at him like this is a down season for him, but there's been so many obstacles that he's had to jump over this year, and I couldn't be more proud of him and how he's handled it. He gets a bad reputation of people don't like him in the locker room or whatever it is, and that couldn't be the furthest thing from the truth because we all love him and we support him through everything he does.
I know I'm missing some guys on the team. I can keep going, but I feel like I'm rambling.
Q. Marvin was talking about the importance --
ANTHONY GILL: Oh, wait, Marvin Bagley. Marvin Bagley has came into this team and created an energy that we needed at the trade deadline that we needed a lot.
Same as Richaun Holmes, same thing. Unbelievable passion for the game. We love that. That's a little victory.
Isaiah Livers is not playing this year, but he comes every single day and brings joy to the locker room and to the facilities.
Jules Bernard has been a great -- he's been back and forth between the G-League and here.
All right, next question.
Q. Marvin was talking about the importance of veterans showing the way for young players and how he's been on some young teams that had veterans like that and some teams that didn't have veterans like that. What can you say about that element and how you fit into it in this particular locker room?
ANTHONY GILL: I don't know what other teams are doing. Personally I really don't care. I care individually about each guy on this team and on and off the court. If things are going well at home, I care more about that than what's going on on the court. As long as we're growing in the right direction off the court, I think the on-the-court battles will take care of themselves, and of course we can lean on each over throughout those kind of things. If we build a relationship off the court, I think on the court everything else will take care of itself.
Q. Just the idea of showing the way to a young player as a veteran, how to be a professional, what do you think about that?
ANTHONY GILL: I think it's definitely important. You need guys like that on the team. But I think we have a good group of guys who are here and a lot of people have good heads on their shoulders. It's not like they're going too far left or anything like that. If you have a couple good guys who can just show you how to work hard every single day, when times get tough how to keep you level-headed and those kind of things, I think you'll keep guys in the right direction.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports