Wizards 117, Bucks 113
Q. The Bucks were the No. 2 seed in the east going into today. What does this win mean for you guys?
DENI AVDIJA: I think it's definitely one of our best wins this season. We competed. I think we competed knowing that it doesn't matter what seed the Bucks are. It doesn't matter the players. I think everybody took the challenge today and competed, and you saw the defense. Like it was collective. Honestly just a brilliant game from start to finish, defensively, offensively. I've got no words to describe this win. It was amazing.
Q. What did you see from Tristan and his game he had so far?
DENI AVDIJA: I'm so happy for him. It's crazy how you get into the NBA, you play your first minutes, and he got adapted so fast, and I feel like he's getting more and more confident. He's very skilled for his size. I think he can really help us a lot. I'm happy that he's here and he found a new home, and hopefully he'll just keep going, stay humble, keep working hard, and be a part of this organization.
Q. Obviously this game didn't really mean anything for the standings, but you looked so happy after the win. What did it mean for you and your the team going forward?
DENI AVDIJA: It means that nobody believed that we were going to win this game tonight, but we did. I know and the team knows how much we're working and how much we suffered losses during the season, and when you see an improvement, when you see that fantastic win that we had, you see the people around coming to -- I feel like excelling in a lot of things on the court. I'm happy for the group. I'm happy for the group because we needed it. It's definitely a confidence booster and makes us believe that we can do good stuff even though we came in as an underdog.
Q. I asked you earlier in the season about the crowd participation and cheering for the opposite team. Now tonight we had the crowd in here where they were part of the game the entire game from beginning to end. How did that feel?
DENI AVDIJA: This is what it is all about. This is part of sports. It's the beauty of the crowd. I feel like we were happy to perform for people that come in and support us even when we're out of the Playoffs, but they're showing support.
Honestly, I'm thankful. I'm really thankful for them to keep coming and keep cheering us even though we're not really competitive yet, like yet this season. But honestly, I'm just calling for more fans to come out and support us. The team needs it. The players need it. We want to build something here, and it's a part of it.
Q. Because we're just getting to know Tristan, off the court, what is he like?
DENI AVDIJA: What is he like? He definitely reminds me some of -- he's a great dude. He's an amazing dude. I'm getting to know him, too. I had like two dinners with him. It was good. Get to know his story a little bit. Very smart player. Knows a lot of languages. I asked him to help me out with my Serbian a little bit. Hopefully that will go good, and that's it. He's a great person, great teammate.
Q. What kind of food did you guys eat?
DENI AVDIJA: Well, we went to my favorite restaurant, La Diplomat. I took him there. And we went -- I don't remember where we went. But that's probably it.
Q. Can you describe the mood in the locker room when you guys all got in there?
DENI AVDIJA: Amazing. There was music going on. We were really happy. There was parts of the season that it was such a collective win. We gave in such effort. Everybody worked so hard for those moments, and when everybody plays good and together and we get the win, it's like -- it feels like this is like what we waited for this season. We waited for those type of moments. When it comes, you've got to embrace it, and we're really blessed.
Also shout-out to Marvin. Obviously he got injured. Hopefully he returns fast, and hopefully it's nothing severe, and I sent out prayers, and that's it. Thank you.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports