Thunder Quotes After Blowout Of Rockets

Scott Brooks

On potential lineup shifts without Russell Westbrook:

"We have options. I like starting Reggie, I think we need some offense in that first group of guys. But you can tweak the minutes and the rotations as the games continue forward. But right now I'm happy with the decision we made with Reggie starting and Fish spearheading that second unit. We have flexible units that we can play well together. I've never personally as a player or a coach liked to separate the team by saying ‘this is the first unit or this is the second unit.' We're a team. We're the Thunder. And we have to figure out how we can, after 48 minutes, score one more point than the opponent."

On whether Reggie Jackson needs to change anything with an increasing workload:

No, I think that's why you have a good team. Guys have to step up. I think Reggie has to be aggressive, he has to guard and he has to make plays for his teammates. That's what makes that position very good for us – being able to score but also being able to help your teammates score and being able to stop the (opposing) point guard. As far as being aggressive, not aggressive, worrying about foul trouble or injury, we don't ever worry about that. If you have to make the right play and you have to foul on a 2-on-1 and it's a guy that can't shoot a free throw, you have to be able to do that. That's what you have teammates for."

On Defense leading to the win:

"Defensively, I felt like our guys really locked in. Set the tone of the game on the defensive end. Going into the game, we did not want to give up transition points or shots and I don't think they had many going into that fourth quarter."

On Jeremy Lamb:

Jeremy was really good tonight. He did a really good job of coming off screens hard and we did a good job of setting screens

On Perkins' defense against Dwight Howard:

Perk does a really good job of making Howard's shots tough and making his catches difficult. He did a good job of really using his strength, his body, his interior defense.

Thabo Seflosha

On the team win:

"We just want to come out and play hard, play for one another. We wanna start every night like that. Playing the right way, playing well, getting the energy up and that's what we were able to do tonight."

Kevin Durant

On the defense:

I think we set the tone defensively to start the game, we always want to play off our defense. You gotta give credit to Perk and Serge doing a great job in the interior and the point guards and wings doing a great job containing the ball.

Jeremy Lamb

Every game I play I wanna play well. I just play hard, I don't care what team it's against, I wanna play good. So any time I can do anything to help my teammates I'mma be happy."

On the fast start:

"It was huge. When you can take somebody's confidence, that's what you want. Starters played great defense early, took their heart away."

Kendrick Perkins

On facing Dwight Howard:

"Anytime there's a guy that's supposedly one of the best low-post scorers on the block I get excited; I wanna see what he's all about."

"I thought we came out with the right intensity. I thought we did what we were supposed to do and came and jumped out on ‘em early."

RELATED STORY: Lamb Outplays Harden As Thunder Crushes Rockets

Rockets coach Kevin McHale

Any fatigue with Rockets playing 4 games in 5 nights:

"We're not heaving boulders, we're shooting a basketball. I think that thing weighs an ounce or two, whatever the hell an ounce is. Anyone who says that is looking for excuses. Just go play."

On former Rocket Jeremy Lamb's development:

"Like a lot of young guys, I think he thought that coming in the NBA would be – everybody tells him ‘well, the NBA's easy,' til you get here. I just thought Jeremy was typical of a lot of young guys coming in here. Good kid, had to learn what the NBA game was about. The speed, the strength, the size of the players. But he's got great length, great stroke; he's just gonna get better."

On Westbrook injury:

"Not having Russell Westbrook is a huge loss for the Thunder. I feel bad for that kid. Such a competitor, such a good kid. Plays his tail off every night, plays hard. I really admire that in him. Not having him really hurts their team. Their speed, his ability to break down your defense. His competitiveness, he roams around on defense, takes chances, gets steals, turns ‘em into two points. Not having one of the top players in the league always hurts you."

James Harden

On the team's fatigue:

"It wasn't good at all, we just looked tired out there. This is four in five nights for us. We were looking kind of sluggish out there and we didn't have our mojo like we needed to."