Knicks 136, Wizards 132 (OT)
Q. What are your general thoughts about the game?
BRIAN KEEFE: I thought we played a really good game. Was really competitive, lead changes back and forth. Had a lead late. They executed a little bit better than us down the stretch, made some plays, but I was really proud of our guys how they managed the whole game, stayed with it. Slightly higher turnovers but one of our better passing nights, really shared the ball, 32 assists. I thought our guys battled.
Q. After that Champagnie three from the corner, what happened after that in regulation?
BRIAN KEEFE: Jaylen Brunson made some plays, got an and-1. I think they got a three after that and made some tough plays down the stretch, sent it into overtime. They hit some tough shots.
But I liked how we played. I liked our game. I thought we were doing the right things. Guys were sharing the ball. Defense was decent. We had some decent stretches. Credit to them; they closed it out at the end.
Q. I know Bilal didn't convert the play, but how valuable is it for him to be in that situation?
BRIAN KEEFE: It's great, great experience, and we wanted to see what the match-up with him was getting downhill. They did a good job taking some of it away. Credit to them. Good experience for him.
Q. What did you think from Jordan (indiscernible)?
BRIAN KEEFE: He did great. He's been having the ball a lot regardless with Jordan anyway, so this is just part of his evolution, being a lead play maker for us. I think we're seeing growth in that daily, so that's exciting.
Q. Justin Champagnie, his contribution to the game, how important was it?
BRIAN KEEFE: Oh, great. He's been great. Played really well. Obviously made a ton of shots tonight, but he's been put in a lot of tough match-ups. Put him on Towns, did some different things that we were looking at, and he did a good job on that, so been pleased with Justin.
Q. What was the reasoning behind wanting to put Justin on Towns?
BRIAN KEEFE: A little bit, yeah. Just kind of let him -- the talents -- I don't want to get into too much because we've got to play these guys again, but we're just trying some different things to see what works well for us.
Q. What part of tonight's performance do you think you can carry over to the next game against the Knicks on Monday?
BRIAN KEEFE: Every game is going to give you something different. This is all about us growing as a team. I thought our ball movement was good. Late game it always gets a little bit more slowed down for both teams. They executed a little bit better down the stretch, but our guys did a great job tonight sharing the ball, moving the ball. Really positive.
Q. What did you think of Bilal's execution on that last shot, that last possession in regulation?
BRIAN KEEFE: They kind of forced him in a direction probably that wouldn't happen, that he probably didn't want to have, so credit to them. Probably didn't get exactly the shot he wanted. But credit to them on the stop.
Q. You decided to give a lot of the closing minutes to the three rookies plus Bilal and Justin. What went behind that decision?
BRIAN KEEFE: We always go who's playing well, the guys who are contributing in the game, trying different lineups, but those guys were playing great.
Q. Kyshawn, you alluded to him playing great. How did you think he played tonight and what stood out?
BRIAN KEEFE: Obviously he made shots, but he's more of a connector. That's one of his strong suits. He just connects the game for his teammates, passing, moving, being a secondary facilitator, and then when he makes shots it's great, but he's got such a high basketball IQ.
Q. With them fouling Malcolm twice at the end of the game to deny the three, obviously that's a very popular strategy. How frustrating is that when you're on the other side and you want that chance to get that possession?
BRIAN KEEFE: That's part of the tactics of the game, so I have no problem with that. People are trying to win. People are competitive. We do the same type of stuff ourselves in situations, too. All part of it.
Q. With Brunson did you think it more shot making? Was the defense at times not what you wanted it to be? What happened?
BRIAN KEEFE: A little bit of both. He made some tough shots. We probably had some bad execution on our coverages at times, but he made us pay when we did.
Q. How much of the confidence building do you think for the three rookies that you left in the game will translate to the next game?
BRIAN KEEFE: I think all these things are learning periods regardless, so it might not transfer right away, but being these close games, understanding what you need to do offensively and defensively, it's a very veteran team we played against who can execute pretty well. Those are great experiences for our guys and for our whole team.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports