76ers 139, Wizards 134 (OT)
Q. We talked before the game about the progress you guys as a young core made this season. Obviously you would have liked to have won this game tonight, but for Alex to play the way he did, for you to have another good performance, four games into the season, what does that say about where you guys could be in 40 games or 82 games this season?
KYSHAWN GEORGE: Yeah, I think it just shows our potential in general. It's up to us to be consistent with it, and it's up to us to show up everybody at the same time in the same moment, and I think if we do that, we could get scary.
Q. After a game like this when you lose in overtime, Coach was talking about making strides. How do you guys feel when you know you're getting close but I'm sure the loss still stings?
KYSHAWN GEORGE: I mean, to me it's about the loss is a loss. We could say, yeah, we played hard, just positive stuff and negative stuff in the game. At the end of the day, I think to win a game you need to do more positive stuff than negative stuff. We lost this game today, so there's steps to take, but yeah, we'll watch film and see what was good and what was bad and move on from there.
Q. Kyshawn, you have garnered a lot of attention on both ends of the floor but you've also garnered a lot of respect from opposing head coaches, specifically with your size and length on the defensive end. Knowing you're on the scouting report, not just on the offensive side but as well a huge focal for you defensively, getting that respect so early on, what does that say about the work you've put in to this point and how does a feeling like that make you feel?
KYSHAWN GEORGE: I personally don't really care about being on the scouting report or not on the scouting report. I'm just here to play basketball. I know I'm going to figure it out regardless, make plays for myself and my teammates, and then on the defensive end it's just about will. I want to guard the best players and I want to learn from that and get stops.
Yeah, it feels -- I'm going to be happy if I earn some respect or something like that, but at the end of the day I want to perform and win games.
Q. I know you've talked about the fouling, but your coaches have the trust in you to leave you out there when you do have a couple of fouls, but you also kind of notice the automatic reaction and adjustment from you and you're having those conversations with the officials. Where is the confidence coming from you to be able to be out there still in foul trouble but as well to have those conversations to make the adjustments in real time?
KYSHAWN GEORGE: I think it started last year with the adjustments I made throughout the season. I had a couple situations where I had early foul trouble and they left me out there and I was able to finish the game well. Just also talking to coaches in general, I think they understand that I know when I've fouled in general, and as long as I stay level-headed and smart with it, I'm able to choose when I foul, choose when I not foul, and just be smart with that.
Q. I'm sure you guys practice time and score, clutch situations all the time, but to get that experience in a game, in those tight game moments, how valuable is that?
KYSHAWN GEORGE: I mean, there's nothing better than playing a basketball game, a real basketball game to get better, and it's all good to run the plays in practice, but when the game is on the line it's a little bit different, and I think we have strides to do in that direction, and it was good to experience that during the game.
Q. Going back to the idea of the scouting report, now that you have had such a strong start to the season, have you noticed a difference in how teams are guarding you and what they're focusing on?
KYSHAWN GEORGE: A little bit. I would just say it's always been kind of the same thing. I'm a tall ball handler, getting into his legs, mess with his dribble a little bit. But that stuff I was already aware of. Now it's just about me keeping my head level and just helping my team to win games.
Q. After Bona's lay-up with about 1.7 seconds left, you drove in, some contact it looked like, no foul. What did you think of the play? Did you think it was a foul?
KYSHAWN GEORGE: I think we executed the play really well. The play was for me to go down to my right hand. Got a pretty good shot at the rim. The ref didn't think it was a foul, so it was not a foul. I need to make the lay-up.
Q. The crowd was pretty split between Wizards and 76ers fans. What did you think about the atmosphere in CapitalOne Arena tonight?
KYSHAWN GEORGE: It was fun to have that type of atmosphere at home. Even though there was Philly fans, we heard the Washington fans in there. We appreciate their support always. It's on us to do our job to bring more fans to the arena, and that's for sure that it's in the works.
Q. I know you and your teammates and coaches have to review the film and you will learn from that, but now just a few minutes after the game, what lessons do you take in how to keep a lead like that?
KYSHAWN GEORGE: I think it's about getting stops and being able to bounce back when the other team goes on a run. I can't remember the exact score, but I think we were up 16, 14 at some point in the middle of the run and we took a time-out, and they made another one after that time-out, and I think that's where we need to learn where we need to stop the bleeding and get together, cut it out at some point because if you keep letting them score -- even if we score back to back, they have the momentum. Just being able to figure out how we get a stop and how we stop those runs.
Q. You and your teammates and coaches talk about process over results, at least for now. What kind of discipline is required for you to keep that process-over-results focus?
KYSHAWN GEORGE: It's not always easy. I lost a little bit my temper in the game against Charlotte because I got kind of frustrated. I think stuff like that is going to happen. We already went a year of process over result, and yeah, it's just not always easy, but at the end of the day you have to look at the long run and take what's positive and just keep going.
Q. It feels like you, Tre, Alex, a whole bunch of guys on the team can go off scoring on a given night. What's it like to be part of a team where it feels like anybody could have a big scoring night like Alex did today?
KYSHAWN GEORGE: I think it's really fun because nobody is really selfish on the team, and to be able to just come into the game and just play your game and have fun and whoever goes off that night goes off that night I think is really a relief that you just step on the floor, and it's, okay, who's going to take it tonight. Yeah, it's fun.
Q. From last season to this season, we've seen the veteran leadership changing. Tell us the difference between what it was like from last season to this season with CJ and Khris?
KYSHAWN GEORGE: I think they're very poised as veterans. It seems that they've been through a lot in this league. Khris obviously came in with his resume. CJ has played in big games before, top-notch scorer, and you learn about the calmness that they have on the court. You just look at them, they have an even face all the way through, and I think it's just really like -- you look at them for confidence, and it helps you throughout the game.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports