Wizards 132, Hawks 113
Q. You've had good games in the past. Does it feel differently to have a game like this and you guys are able to pull out the win?
ALEX SARR: Yeah, most definitely. That's the whole point. That's why you try to have good games, to win. This one feels very good, and we've got to learn from today and keep it going.
Q. Your touch around the rim looks much improved over your first year. What was the work over the off-season that helped you get to this point?
ALEX SARR: Just putting in reps, working out, little stuff, finishing around the rim, playing against coaches, playing against my teammates, just getting better at it.
Q. In a season where the wins have not been as plentiful as you would like, how do you weigh the joy of getting a win in a game like tonight with, all right, we've got to lock in and focus on Indiana for Friday?
ALEX SARR: I think you've got to do a little bit of both. You've got to be happy with the win, but at the same time, we've got another game coming up in two, three days. Like I said, we've just got to learn from today and take the good and the bad and try to see what we can do better.
Q. When you go up against bigs like Porzingis who is taller than you, does that adjust your approach as opposed to maybe someone you have an inch or two on?
ALEX SARR: Not really, no. Just maybe how to guard him because he shoots a lot of threes and stuff, but that's pretty much it.
Q. It's another game where you were really aggressive going at the rim, even when Porzingis was standing in your way. How would you describe your approach and your mindset in that regard this season?
ALEX SARR: Yeah, just taking what the defense gives me, just trying to be aggressive when I see that I've got space or I've got an open lane to drive, and just try to make the right play.
Q. How about when you don't have an open lane and you sort of force the issue against someone? How have you learned to use your physicality?
ALEX SARR: Yeah, just trying to get a couple bumps and trying to elevate near the rim for like a little floater, lay-up type of shot.
Q. Alex, it seems like you guys had an amazing offensive game without Kyshawn and Tre. How were you able to compensate for that and have your best night of the season?
ALEX SARR: Yeah, we definitely miss those guys out there. They're some big time shot makers and play makers for us. It's just next man up, just guys trying to make the right plays, and we were sharing the ball a lot I feel like, first half, second half too, and that worked for us.
Q. "MVP" chants for you tonight. What was that like hearing that for the first time in your career?
ALEX SARR: Yeah, it was just funny at first. It was a small group that started and then it got a little bigger. It was just great vibes. We was winning and stuff, so just great vibes.
Q. With the game that CJ had, how does that unlock what everybody else can do when somebody is forcing defenses with their gravity and shot making to lean towards them and get toward them early in sets?
ALEX SARR: It definitely helps, but I feel like even when CJ doesn't score 46, he still has gravity and teams will guard him some type of way in pick-and-rolls which will give us some type of advantage off the pick-and-roll. Tonight was just a night where he did what he's known to do, and it really helped us.
Q. Tonight you guarded Kristaps, and he can't shoot and he can't protect the rim. He is a former All-Star player and he's a former champion, so is he the ideal one for you to model your game for?
ALEX SARR: He's definitely a great player. I remember watching him when I was younger, tall guy who could put the ball on the floor, just being aggressive, and he's been great in the league for a long time. Whenever there is tall guys that can do a lot of things, it's always interesting playing against them. Yeah, just a great player.
Q. When you guys first got that 30-point lead in the first quarter, it got down to 13 after a few minutes and there was a time-out. What did Coach say to you during that time-out?
ALEX SARR: Just to tighten up on a couple mistakes we was doing, like defensive coverage. The ball was getting kind of stagnant, weren't sharing it as much, and just play free and play tight because that's what got us the lead.
Q. BK talked about how one of the most impressive things for you tonight and throughout the entire season was rim deterrence. What are the little things you try and do during a play to try and spook the ball handler from taking a shot at the rim, and what do you notice when you see, oh, I kind of scared him away from the rim there?
ALEX SARR: Yeah, just trying to be early in the spot, and like you said, sometimes they'll just not go up if I'm right behind them or something. Yeah, just trying to be early and time it. I'd say that's pretty much it.
Q. Is there a satisfaction like oh, they don't want to test me?
ALEX SARR: Yeah, most definitely. I wish it happened before. But yeah.
Q. So far you've been quite consistent since the beginning of the season. The game against the Nets you went out of the game quite frustrated. How have you seen the season going for you?
ALEX SARR: Yeah, every game is not going to go how I want it to go, but just think about having a next-play mentality. As soon as the game is over, think about the next game. Yeah, just got to keep doing that, focusing on one game at a time, and yeah, just keep doing what's working right now and being aggressive and playing off my teammates.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports