Derrick White x Marcus Smart React To Celtics Game 7 vs Heat | 2023 ECF

How do you guys kind of put this into words after losing your third home game in a seven-game series? I mean, it's disappointing, obviously. It's disappointing. We got to go out there and compete. And I mean, obviously, losing four games in the series means a lot more than that. Yeah, to repeat what D. White said, you know, words can't really explain it. You know what I'm saying? It's tough. But it's the playoffs. It happens, you know? And they did a good job. You got to tip your hat off to Miami. They did a good job. So it is tough, though. Derek, it looked like you left kind of grabbing at your leg. What was the issue there in where you are right now? I'm not sure. I'll find out more tomorrow. There are potential then for you getting MRI or something tomorrow, then? Yeah, I mean, I'll be fine. I'm not too worried about it. But I'll find out more tomorrow. And then for both of you guys, what was the issue? Obviously, you guys missed a bunch of shots. But it seemed like they were getting you guys out of rhythm, really, from the jump. What was the biggest thing that tripped you guys up offensively tonight, besides just the obvious missing shots? I think that's it. You know, missing shots. And then they coming down and they're hitting shots. So it puts a lot of pressure on our defense to get stops. And you know, they were hitting some shots. And they got going in a rhythm. And we weren't making ours. So you know, they did a good job at that. You know, they did a good job. I think they were, what, 14 for 28 from the three? So you know, they made a lot of shots tonight. We didn't. Marcus, how do you assess the consistency of this group, as well as the season you ended up having here? I mean, we had a lot of ups and downs this season. Starting the season off with, obviously, losing our coach and then getting a new one. And we just continue to fight. You know, things weren't always perfect for us. But we continue to compete. So you know, yeah, we were a little inconsistent this year. But I'm still proud of the way we fought. We just got to get better. We will. It happens. You know, like I said, you credit Miami for this one. They did a great job coming out and executing at the right time. And we didn't. And what are the next steps for you individually in this team? Like, what is it going to take to reach that next level? We all got to go back and look at the film. See where we need to improve. You know, and go out there and do it. You know, we've been doing this for a long time. A lot of us have. And that's the beauty of it. We get another chance. We're blessed. God has blessed us with an opportunity. We just came up short. We get another chance next year. And we get to go start. Obviously, not the way that we wanted. But we get to go start to figure out what we need to do next year. I don't know what individually for everybody else. You know, they got to figure it out on their own. But me, I got to continue to work on my outside shot. Continue to get these guys some avenues to pass to. And just continue to be me. Just continue to lead. Continue to be vocal and lead by an example. Marcus, you talked about the start of this year. Obviously, an unusual season in a lot of ways. What kind of will stick with you from this season? Obviously, it's like you know more than anyone. It's hard to get to this point. These opportunities aren't promised. What's going to kind of stick with you about how this all unfolded? Just how hard we fought. You know, we put ourselves in a hole down on three. And we fought our ass off. You know what I'm saying? You know, we just came up short. Obviously, we didn't reach our goal. But, you know, I'm proud of the way we came back. And we just didn't give up. You know, we kept fighting. And that's all you can ask for from this group. But you definitely tip your hat off to Miami. Marcus, the defense this year. I mean, obviously, a Defensive Player of the Year. The defense was on a string last year. What made it take steps back? How do you guys improve it? How do you guys become a defense-first team again? We just got to continue to put defense first. You know, we were so bad on offense last year that that was the main focus for us this year. And, you know, unfortunately, our defense took a hit from it. You know, we picked it back up. But, you know, it happens. You know, things happen. You know, guys inserted to the lineup, taken out, guys get hurt. It's part of the game. It is part of the game, so we'll be all right. It's something that, you know, like I said, we're just going to go watch the film. And we're all going to come back and, you know, talk to each other what we need to get better on, see it, and go out there and work on it. Malcolm was just saying how he felt like this team had more of an offensive identity this year after his defense for so long. So how do you think that needs to change? And what was, I guess, the issue of having that type of identity? We're just going to have to, you know, put our defense first. Not really worried about shots, make or miss. Defense is key, you know, because even though you miss shots, your defense can save you a lot of times. And a lot of times our defense have been our kryptonite when we're not making shots. So I think that's it. You know, we just got to understand that. Shots aren't always going to fall, but our effort on defense, we can always control that. And you can control the shots not falling or going in. You take the open ones, you take the right ones, and you continue to play defense. For both of you guys, it was pretty apparent that, you know, Jason looked like he got hurt in that first play of the game with the ankle. From your guys' perspective of just his effort tonight and how much do you feel like you guys were pressing more, just trying to pick it up for him, knowing that he wasn't able to handle his usual, you know, load on the offensive end? I mean, yeah, he took a fall early. You know, he hurt his ankle really, really bad early. And, you know, he could have came out the game. You know, he stayed in. He tried to fight. And obviously you can see he wasn't himself. He wasn't as explosive. And the ankle was really killing him. And he tried to fight. It just didn't go in his favor. It didn't go in any of our favors, but we continue just to fight and help him, you know, and try to get through. And then D. White goes out with a knee injury as well. And then obviously we know about Malcolm. So it's tough, you know, at the wrong time. But it's part of the game. It's, like I said, certain things you can't control. And getting hurt like that is nothing you can control. So it just happened at the wrong time. And Marcus and Derek, have you just kind of described the emotions of this moment? Because you mentioned it's been quite the journey for you guys to get to this point. And just kind of what are you feeling in this moment about the group that obviously everybody enjoyed being around each other so much? Yeah, I mean, I mean, like we said, I mean, it disappointed. It fell short of the goal that we set beginning of the year. But that doesn't change the fact that this is one of the best locker rooms I've been around. And I got a lot of love and care for everybody in that locker room. So those moments we had off the court, I'll always remember. And on the court, we were pretty good, but we fell a little short of our goal and we gotta find ways to get better. Like you said, we gotta find ways. You know, this team has been through a lot. I've been here the longest, obviously. And, you know, we continue to fight. I love these guys. I love going to work with these guys every day. The coaches, staff, the organization is great. We just gotta find a way. We fell short as part of it. You move on, you know. We continue to fight and that's all we can ask for. Thank you guys.