Wizards 116, Grizzlies 112
Q. Alex, what's the biggest thing you've seen this team improve on the past seven games compared to the beginning of the season?
ALEX SARR: I think we really put an emphasis on our defense, like knowing that's what's going to help us, whether we have a great shooting night like last game or a night where we're not shooting great like tonight, making sure that's the thing that can get us over the hump.
Q. With you and Coulibaly in the lineup together, how does that change the game for this team?
ALEX SARR: I think just our length, our activity, like just watching film, me and him. Coach really told us we can be special defensively, and we've really just got to put our hat on that and really lock in on that end.
Q. Career high six blocks for you. You picked up three very early. How would you describe your defensive performance tonight?
ALEX SARR: I think it was pretty good. I think you clean up stuff, like coming after my teammates are walling up so I can just jump in and clean the ball up at the rim. It was pretty good.
Q. The shot blocking, is there a rhythm to it? Are there some games where you feel like you have the timing more than others?
ALEX SARR: I feel like really just the opportunities that you get to block the shots, I feel like some games there's less lay-ups, some games there's more lay-ups, so more chances to block shots.
Q. (Indiscernible) led to a few easy buckets in the first quarter. What's working about that?
ALEX SARR: Yeah, Tre has a lot of gravity. He has that meaty pull-up that teams respect, so they don't know really whether to commit to me or Tre, so that's been good for us, and I feel like we're just tapping that -- we haven't been doing a ton of that, but it's definitely going to be something for us in the future.
Q. With the amount of ball handlers that you've gotten to watch develop as shooters and passers in your year and a half with the Wizards, how has their development changed your role within the team's offense?
ALEX SARR: What do you mean?
Q. Getting more options between guys who can get you the ball and space the floor, how has your job become easier or different?
ALEX SARR: Yeah, I feel like we have a lot of guys that have gravity. You have CJ, so coming off of ball screens I've just really got to run and make myself available, and they'll find me or find the open man in the corner, so it really helps.
Q. How has the last year plus experience, getting stronger, watching tape, allowed you to grow defensively, especially without fouling defensively?
ALEX SARR: Yeah, I think it made me a lot better, just the fact that I was out there a lot in my rookie year, getting a lot of minutes, seeing a lot of different coverages and making mistakes and being able to play through them, and I still make mistakes, but just going back, watching film, having coaches, teammates that hold me accountable, and me knowing what I can do better. I think that just allows me to get better defensively.
Q. Are there moments where it feels more like a flow as opposed to this is our specific coverage in this specific instance, where you just kind of know what the other team is going to try to attack you with?
ALEX SARR: I feel like at first, first quarter, it's definitely like you already know kind of what's coming, but then when it's a lot of fast breaks it's more kind of flowing, you know the personnel. Like you might end up being matched up with someone that's like a point guard or something and you've got to know what to do, so it's really the flow of the game I would say.
Q. One of the big differences from year one to year two for you has been your efficiency inside the paint. What are the adjustments you've made out there?
ALEX SARR: I would say just going more -- I would say I feel like I'm shooting more volume from inside the paint than last year, and that allowed me to get better at it, like doing that more in practice, more in the games. So I know what to do in those situations, and I feel like I'm still growing it. I've got to learn a lot of stuff from today about how I want to attack my matchups, and I feel like just making mistakes, playing through it, that's what allowed me to get better really.
Q. Do you feel like your touch has improved from your rookie year?
ALEX SARR: I definitely feel like it did just with the amount of reps. It definitely did, yeah.
Q. The organization has been making a push for you to be an All-Star this season, so I'm going to give you a chance to say it. Why do you think you should be an All-Star? What's the case for Alex Sarr?
ALEX SARR: I don't really have a vote. All I know is that the first thing is winning, and that's something that we're all focused on, and that's going to be the first step in me or anyone for the team to get any accolades is us winning, and we're taking steps that way right now.
Q. This is the first time you and the team have won back-to-back games since March 15th of last season. How does it feel overall the vibes in the locker room right now?
ALEX SARR: It feels good. We're happy. I think we could have closed the game better, but we're just happy that we got the win. It's been quite a little bit of time, and we're just happy and trying to keep that momentum going for us and get it going for the next game tomorrow.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports