out in a while, since you guys have had a fourth quarter where you struggled like this? What kind of lessons do you take from that?
Yeah, I think it was. It was good for our team, you know, to be in this position. And obviously, they're, you know, playoff team. And there's just a great time for us to continue to find ways to get better. And we always obviously want to win. But you know, I just think it's good. You know, like you said, we haven't been in one of these in a while and the fourth. And you know, I think for us, the key is going to be looking at this game tomorrow, seeing how we can improve and get better and move on.
Has this stretch of just blowing teams out? Is that kind of, I guess, cause you guys can't forget how to close games. I mean, you've been so competent for so long?
No, I wouldn't say that, um, you know, you give them credit. You know, they're, they're scrappy, they came, they fought, they, they jumped the game up at times, they're beta, but I feel confident in our guys in the things that we need to do. I just think that over this past month, you know, we've played a lot of really good teams and, and they've been different types of tests. And to your point, we have been able to kind of, you know, just dominate. And today's was just a different way. We didn't get it done. But But I was, you know, I was happy with with that for for more group.
How much did not having Rob kind of contribute to some of the fourth quarter problems, so used to having a lot threat, they're so used to having him back there and defend? No, you're trying to try to figure out how to make up for the loss. But have this been game one? How much did that impact things?
Yeah, I mean, it's definitely an adjustment, you know, not having, you know, Rob here, and our biggest thing is, you know, for him to, you know, to have a good recovery, and, and in the meantime, we have to find a way. So now, as a team, that we don't have those things, like you said, we have to find ways to be effective. And and we have to find other ways to score, we have to make different reads now, if those if those options are not there. And that's why I think it's important, and I think we'll do that tomorrow, we'll look at film and, and start working on those things, just making adjustments, I just think it's gonna make us better because no one's you know, we have a whole team again, it will be another dimension for our group.
They were really physical on both ends from the get go. And he may said that there was a lot of composure issues for the team on your end, especially with like complaining about calls not getting back in transition. So how do you feel like just a playoff physicality and intensity that's game kind of woke you guys up to how you need to execute? Not
that it was great. You know, I think it's a good thing. You know, our guys, we probably haven't faced anything like that in a while. And, um, you know, now we've seen it, you know, we know what it's like, and, you know, moving forward, we just can't get caught up in them. You know, usually we're the team that's enforcing and doing things like that. And I think we did at times, I just think that there was a lot of, you know, extra stuff that just kind of let go. And, you know, we'll make adjustments. I'm not worried about that.
I feel like first half of the season, we were kind of talking to guys like yo, Jason's the other guys about like balancing trying to work the reps to get the whistle in your favor versus just kind of forgetting, like, you're late on defense, then you collide to the guy and get pals that way. So yeah, I guess.
Yeah, no, no, to your point. It is true. I mean, I think at the end of the day, you know, for us, and we've done a good job of that this year, this year, and it's just being able to play through and just not worried about so much. And I think tonight, for whatever reason, we got caught up in it a little bit. And, you know, we learned from this and, you know, hopefully we we put that behind us that part of it
better feeling in the locker room that your guys did. That was was the mindset of where everybody was right. You think afterward to take this and use it the way you want to use it.
I think so. You know, we we we've known and that's the feel that I got, you know, we know what we've been doing. We know who we are. And, and this is this is good for our team. I mean, as we talked about Roberts, no, not playing there's some things that we have to adjust. There's things that we have to see and and I just think it's gonna make us better or tomorrow
and Friday really important to see just exactly what came from came out of this.
Yeah, no, no, I think I think it is important, you know, continuing I feel like we've continually gotten better As the season has gone on, that's that's just what it is. And, and, you know, this is a tough game against a tough team a good team. And, and, you know, we look make adjustments, and we have two home games coming up here that obviously focus on Friday, but we need to take care of
was it was the time off the personal time? Or maybe get everything situated on? Fine? I mean, how does that How tough is that to take time off in the middle of the season like thermos petrol?
Um, yeah, it's definitely difficult. But, you know, sometimes that's just kind of the way that things go. And, you know, and I'm just happy to, you know, to be here, and, and make sure that we finish out the season the right way. That's the biggest thing for our group, we have everyone obviously, minus Rob,
the difference? Are you guys gonna be without Wow, can you be as good, I mean, defensively can also be a different but equal team.
I think it's just going to be different. You know, it's just understanding the player in a different way. And I just feel like it's, it's gonna make us better, because whenever he comes back at whatever point it's another dimension, you know, to our group. So now it's up to us to figure out, you know, how to play on the offensive end doing certain things defensively. You know, we didn't switch as much tonight. So that's one thing that they will work on better, but we have to be able to move forward and and you know, hope that you know, the ROB gets well.
There's concern on the fan base about you guys playing seriously on the raptors in the vaccine mandate affecting things. Are you like clear on that? Or is that something that would affect you? And if if it is an issue, would you reconsider your stance if you guys end up facing the route?
Yeah, no, we're clear on it and home, you know, I'll be able to be ready to play wherever.
