« A defense problem »

After a huge loss in Utah, Tony emphasizes on the Spurs defense problem since the beginning of the season.

Tony, San Antonio had a huge loss in Utah…
It was a one –sided game. They played better. They were more aggressive, they scored. We couldn’t stop them in defense. That’s our problem since the beginning of the season. We do not play defense as we would like to. If we don’t improve it we’ll never make it.

Are your five days off one of the reason of this lack of rhythm?
Yes it’s true it’s difficult. At the beginning of the game we were not really in shape. But we mustn’t find ourselves excuses. It doesn’t explain everything. We made too many mistakes in defense. In such conditions, it’s impossible to beat a team like Utah.

And now, you’re heading to Portland right after the game. So you won’t make any arrangements before tonight.
It’ll be hard for sure. This back to back may be tough to play. AND Portland plays well at home. We’ll get there in the middle of the night. That’s the way NBA works, it’s part of the game. It’s not the first time it happens.

As for you, what can you say about your game?
I was slow in the 1^st quarter. In the 2^nd one, I became more aggressive. I shot a bunch of free-throws. As it was difficult to penetrate, I couldn’t find my teammates on the outside. That’s why I only had 3 assists.