Avery Johnson
Avery Johnson
Avery Johnsonis an American basketball coach who is currently the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball team. Johnson spent 16 years in the National Basketball Association as a player, and subsequently served as the head coach of two NBA teams: the Dallas Mavericks and New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets. He led the Mavericks to their first NBA Finals appearance and to three consecutive 50+ win seasons. During his playing days, Johnson was known as the "Little General" for his...
ProfessionBasketball Player
Date of Birth25 March 1969
CityNew Orleans, LA
We fought. This was a playoff atmosphere. We wish we'd have been able to match their intensity down the stretch. But we didn't. We just did not execute. We were hesitant. We didn't get to the foul line. We didn't deserve to get there. We didn't make strong enough moves.
My guys are pretty smart. They know exactly where they are. I kind of like that we have something to play for, playing against playoff teams.
Obviously, this is a very disappointing loss. We felt we had a chance to win this game, but they executed better than we did down the stretch. We battled, we fought, this was a playoff atmosphere. We wish we would have been able to match their intensity down the stretch, but we didn't. They were in the bounce-back mode and they bounced back.
We battled, we fought - this was a playoff atmosphere. We wish we would have been able to match their intensity down the stretch, but we didn't.
I was concerned about this game. Byron Scott has done as good a job as anybody in the league, and they have that team in playoff contention.
Hopefully the next game. I'm hoping that if this were a playoff game, he'd be playing.
I love it. I wish we could play the last 20 games like this because I really want to try to go into the playoffs playing at a high level. But you can't play at a high level when you're playing against teams that don't really have anything to play for.
We just made a few shots and got going pretty well. I'm happy with our hustle, I'm happy with our play, but we're not world beaters.
We just wanted to make sure we were on the same page. We're still firm that they're not going to come back until they're ready. And they're not ready. We probably won't have them back in the next game or two.
We just had to make some points about it. We've got to play our best basketball to win Game 1.
We were lethargic physically and mentally. We didn't show up. We didn't have that juice that we normally have off the bench.
We won it with our defense, which gave me some ammunition. We didn't score much in the fourth quarter, but neither did they. To hold them to 18 points, that's the only way we could win.
We got so much going on around here, I don't look at that.
We are trying to win a championship. But we're in the first year of implementing a program.