Bulls 119, Wizards 89
Q. Where do you think the game got away from you guys?
BRIAN KEEFE: A little bit in that second quarter. They were attacking us; we gave them some free throws. That created a little bit of a discrepancy.
Then the start of the third we didn't have that same pop. Offensively I thought we were okay to start the third, but our defense wasn't where it should be, and then we really never got back in the game after that.
Q. The defense, which had been a point of pride, especially in the second half of the season, has seemed to drop a little bit. What are you noticing? What are the areas --
BRIAN KEEFE: Just inconsistency. They still had good pockets of it, but just not as consistent as we are.
Q. What did you think of Alex's rim protection, especially against Vucevic?
BRIAN KEEFE: Just okay. But that was the whole team. We didn't have a lot of force to our game tonight. We weren't protecting, flying around as much as we have.
Need to be better.
Q. What have you made of Justin's version of his leadership this season with the way he's played consistently for you off the bench in the starting lineup?
BRIAN KEEFE: He brings winning characteristics to the game. Obviously seeing the rebounding here in the last three games, but it's the intangible things that he does: guarding the best players, cutting, offensive rebounding. And then simple offensive game. When he's open he shoots it. If not, he's going to make it -- pass.
But all those intangible things is good leadership style, and that's his right now. It's really good.
Q. Seems to not even focus on whatever the score is, good, bad, or indifferent; continues to play hard. What do you make was that for such a young player?
BRIAN KEEFE: He's a winning player. Wants to do winning things. Just keeps playing on the next possession. I thought even for us as the game went we ended up having -- I called a timeout there late, but our guys made a nice push at the end.
Even those moments you can learn stuff from, and I thought our guys did a good job finishing it out right.
Q. Mentioned the offense picking it back up in the third quarter. I asked (indiscernible) at halftime what needed to happen; he just said the ball movement seemed like it was sticking again. Did you feel the same way, and is that what shifted for you in the third?
BRIAN KEEFE: I thought we just didn't have enough force. We weren't getting to the rim. Even though we did have a decent amount of rim attempts, we just didn't seem to have that attack mentality that we had as much.
Sometimes the games goes that way.
Q. Justin strong game from three. He's been good there all season. What has allowed him to make that jump?
BRIAN KEEFE: Just the work. It's always the work. He puts a tremendous amount in and that's the reason he's been successful.
Q. (Indiscernible.)
BRIAN KEEFE: No, the consistency of it. The amount he putts in. That's always key.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports