Lawrence Frank

We want to win 50 (games), there are some that want a winning road record. But it's hard to simulate desperation.

We are extremely happy Vince Carter is a New Jersey Net. He is a very, very special player. Look what he has done these last five games and that is a direct correlation to how hard he works.

Guys like Kerry and Kenyon were such special, gifted defenders. But we still have enough talent to be an elite defensive team.

Vince doesn't look too good right now. So hopefully our doctors have that secret formula.

We're just playing at a much different level now, we're much more secure with who we are. We're in a much different state, where we don't exhale. We belong. We're a damn good team.

We feel good about ourselves. We're getting a lift from different guys on different nights and everyone's kind of doing their part.

When we win it is usually because Vince (Carter) does a really good job of attacking and keeping pressure on and we do a good job of keeping the ball moving.

We had six turnovers in the first six minutes. They score the first seven points. We shot 3-for-17 in the third quarter and just didn't really put ourselves in good position in that third quarter.

Guys have been very sharp in practice. They've been focused. We hope we continue to get better. What we've seen in three days of practice has been encouraging.

Jermaine was huge and played at a very high level and hurt us in a couple of different ways, especially getting on the free throw line and being effective in the post.

Never would I question the officials' judgment, but there didn't seem to be a great deal of contact on that play. There was no intentional foul. I guess there was a whole lot more contact on that play than the next play.

You never take great players for granted because all you have to do is not to be around them for a little bit. A lot of the things he does, you can't put a value on it. His leadership, showing the way and setting the tone, he's a special player.

I thought our guys showed great resiliency. This game was a really, really good team win.

Those momentum-changing shots are huge. Vince has done that time and time again for the whole year, and once again, he delivered.

That is the first time in a long time, probably since the All-Star break, that we got off to a start like that. The intent, you could see it right from the beginning, and it was good to be able to maintain it.

There's not a lot of practice time in between so these are good opportunities to get better and develop rhythm and conditioning and all that.

Too many things get blown out of proportion. We had never heard anyone question his work ethic. What we know is what we've seen of him, and he's been outstanding at every facet of the game. He works at his game, he's an unbelievable teammate, takes guys under his wing. He's been a star in this league a long time, but he's just such a quality person.

The last time we went up there, we obviously had our struggles. Watching them play a little against Miami, and how they raised their defensive intent, they're bringing their gauge up to a different level right now.

We've been a little bit up and down through the preseason, so it's good to end on a positive note. At the same time, you don't want to overlook the things you need to work on.

I think the break came at a great time. We've got some guys with some bumps and bruises, guys who have played heavy minutes.

It's a muscle strain in his back, so we've just got to let time go by.

You have to tip your hat to Chauncey Billups who makes unbelievable shots, but the thing that stood out was we defended for 48 minutes. We were happy to beat such a good team, but at the same time we realize it's just one game.

They got us a couple of different ways. They got 22 points on pick-and-rolls ... they got 22 points in transition, go to the line 30 times, every which way.

You can't take what Jason does for granted. It's unreal that he gets a triple-double so many times. You can never take great players for granted. We appreciate all the things he does for us. Some of the things he does you can't put a value on. His leadership, showing the way and setting the tone. He's just a special player.

Today was just one of those days that you have.