Wizards 122, Nuggets 113
Q. How much is this a testament to the Go-Go getting guys ready like yourself so when it's time to come up here and play at a high level?
JUSTIN CHAMPAGNIE: Yeah, the Go-Go is a big part of what we do here. I go down there a lot just to get the reps in, kind of feel the game, see how I play up here, and then when it's time to go, they put the confidence in me to come up here, play my game, shoot my shots, do what I do and just go out there and have fun.
Q. Looking at obviously the situation the franchise is in, rebuild, you guys feel like you can just go out there and play your games, no pressure as far as players, just go out there and just play?
JUSTIN CHAMPAGNIE: Obviously we're still trying to win. We're hooping at the end of the day. We're not trying to go out there and just whatever.
But today was a big one for us. We went out there with the right mindset. We've been talking a lot about our mindset and how we approach games, how when we get in there in a tough position, how do we fight back out of it, and I feel like tonight we got in there, we didn't waver. We just stayed together and pulled out a dub.
Q. What do you think about the challenge that obviously you embraced and lived up to, just starting and going up against Jokic, knowing that rebounding is one of the best things you do?
JUSTIN CHAMPAGNIE: I believe in myself. I'm a super believer in myself. My people believe in me, my coaches, my teammates, so going into the game, really just telling me, go out there, have fun, play your game, shoot the right shots and just do you, and when I got out there, I hit my first one and I kind of felt like, all right, I belong.
Q. We know the backstory between you and Bub going back to Pitt and how long you've known --
JUSTIN CHAMPAGNIE: That's my boy right there.
Q. To be in the starting lineup with him tonight and pull off this win, how cool was that?
JUSTIN CHAMPAGNIE: It's a blessing, man. Me and Bub, I've been knowing him for about over a year or two now, and just seeing him grow, him embracing me, coming to the sideline today and being like, yeah, I see the reason you belong and just putting that confidence in me and vice versa. We go out there and just have fun together, just go out there, hoop, play the right way and try to win. We're trying to win. Not all the other stuff.
Q. Talk about not being scared of the moment. You had that basket to go up 118-111 with the and-1. Just talk about that point in the game.
JUSTIN CHAMPAGNIE: We came to a time-out before, and I forget who had told me this, but somebody was like, they're going to start to press JP a little bit more, so when you get it, if you see the lane, just take it. I think it was Johnny who told me that. He was like, just take the lane start, and sure enough, starter jumped it, and the lane opened up.
I got confidence in myself and in my game. I put in a lot of work. I've been in the league for about four years now, so just trying to come in here and just show, yeah, I can stick and I belong and I can make those plays for the team.
Q. You set your career high in scoring tonight?
JUSTIN CHAMPAGNIE: Yeah.
Q. You talked about that confidence you have in yourself. What does a night like tonight do to strengthen that?
JUSTIN CHAMPAGNIE: I'm always a big believer in myself, whether I play, don't play, 0 points, 20 points. For me it's a confidence booster to show that I can still impact winning and be good for the team, but the main thing was we won today. That was the biggest thing for me. It was fun to come in the locker room and share everybody's joy and everybody cheering. Just trying to keep that going and trying to impact winning is my main goal.
Q. BK has obviously had a very specific message for the team throughout the year: Prepare hard, work right, do the things that lead to winning and winning will come. How hard is it to do that when you're not seeing the results in games, and how nice is it and how much help can it be to get a result like tonight?
JUSTIN CHAMPAGNIE: It's tough coming day in, day out and not getting the result you want but putting in all the work in the gym. It's tough, but that's the mental part of it. We've got to be strong-minded people to come in here and just fight through whatever we're going through, and then we come in here tonight on a game against the Nuggets and go out there and just put the pedal to the metal and just play as hard as we can, keep the right mindset, play the right way, and it went our way tonight. It was definitely fun and cool to go out there and do that, for sure.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports