Maurice Cheeks
Maurice Cheeks
Maurice Edward "Mo" Cheeksis an American retired professional basketball player and currently an assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association. He was the head coach of the Detroit Pistons from June 10, 2013, to February 9, 2014 and has also served as head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers and Philadelphia 76ers...
ProfessionBasketball Player
Date of Birth8 September 1956
CityChicago, IL
believe defend ourselves turn
We just don't do enough. We must turn it immediately and believe in ourselves to be in the playoffs. We must defend much better.
eight game minutes plays points seven situations turn turned
We've been there, where we've been up 18 or 19 points. We've been there, where we've been up seven or eight points with two minutes to go in the game. So we've been in a lot of situations where we know the game could turn around. We had plays that turned the game around for us.
attitudes believe guys importance leave number somehow turn understand urgency
Somehow we've got to turn it. We've got to turn it immediately for us to get back in this thing. We're still there, but we've got to turn it immediately. We've got to turn attitudes and turn to believe in yourself as well as your team. We've got to turn it around and make guys understand the importance of it, number one, the urgency of it, number two, and leave it out on the floor.
continue good happen lose mental state time turn win
Any time you lose and you continue to lose, you take it. You have to have something good happen to you to turn your mental state over, and the only way you do that is to win a game. As you continue to lose, you feel it.
came defense floor game guys helped playing tried turned
They just controlling the game and our defense was not that good. Everyone that we had out on the floor was not playing defense. I tried to insert some guys that were going to give us a little energy, give us a little defense and they turned the game around. Those guys that I put in there helped us get back in the game. Everyone that came in the game had a part in the victory.
ball bit gets half open second sleep somebody teased turned
The second half they just lured us to sleep and made open shots. Once we turned the ball over, they were into the break, somebody gets a wide-open three, and somebody gets one to the basket. It was like they teased us a little bit and then they go up 16 or 17 points.
ball hands tried
We tried to put the ball in Chris' hands a lot more, especially down the stretch.
against boston brief feels game realize realizing tied win
We just had a very brief meeting, and we realize that we have to win (tonight) against Boston and it?s tied up again and realizing we?re going to Chicago. So ..I think everyone still feels like we?re there. We just have to win the game against Boston.
attention cleaning either jump offensive paying rebound shot standing
We were paying so much attention to Shaq. He ... was cleaning up after we doubled Shaq. He was the one standing there, either making a jump shot or cleaning an offensive rebound up.
advantage example guy guys michael opportunity prime sit steps taken whatever
When a guy has to sit for whatever reason, another guys steps in. Michael Bradley's a prime example. He's been impressive. He has pretty much taken advantage of an opportunity with guys being out.
easy missed shots
We missed easy shots and they got opportunities on the other end.
above consistent rise
We have to find a consistent ground, consistent way to rise above .500.
american-coach basketball certain chris factor fatigue playing point
When it got to a certain point I think the fatigue factor went out the window, because everyone was playing on adrenaline. I know that Chris was exhausted.
certainly defense dribble hurt quite shots zone
The zone hurt us quite a bit. We couldn't get any shots; we couldn't get any dribble penetration. We didn't make any shots and certainly our defense was not up to par.