On the nine missed free throws:
“We don’t have any kind of margin for error that we can say at one stage we missed nine free throws. We can’t miss nine free throws. We’ve got to go to the line and hit those, and there were just a couple of plays here and there and our margin for error is not good enough that we can let those plays go by. I appreciate and liked the way we competed. I liked the way we played, but we had an opportunity to win a game, and at this stage there are no moral victories. We have to have something tangible we can lay our hats on. We had a game that was winnable for us and we didn’t quite get it done.”
On his players battling on the road the whole game:
“I thought we did a good job, they’re just such a real solid team. Tobias, I thought, did a great job. Every time they needed a basket, he went and got one for them. Embiid is Embiid, that’s just a load in there, but I thought we did a really good job on him, not letting him exploit that position and leave our guy on an island…We just missed some opportunities where we could have really put pressure on him, we just couldn’t quite get there. I love the fact that we competed at a real high level. I thought we played smart basketball, but free throws and open shots, we have to make.”
GUARD LONZO BALL
On how Brandon Ingram’s developed his game and if he’s surprised by his play:
“I mean, he’s just always in the gym, honestly. I know he’s focusing a lot on being efficient, but if you look at his numbers, he’s been getting better every year…I mean I’m not really impressed, to be honest. I’ve been with him the last three years, so I knew the type of talent he was and I see the work he puts in each day. Like I said, I’ve been with him, and I knew it was his time. His time has come.”
CENTER DERRICK FAVORS
On his return and having to play against Embiid:
“He’s a really good player, but I wasn’t really thinking about that. You know, with me it was more mental after what happened, having my mom pass. I was just like, “I need to get back, I need to get back to my routine.” I just wanted to come back and get back to my regular life and just move on.”
On if it felt good to be back playing basketball after his mother’s death:
“It was. You know, a couple of weeks ago basketball was probably the last thing on my mind. Obviously, going through that, I was like “I don’t know what to do right now.” Just being able to be around my family and friends and that support system, they just kept encouraging me and gave me strength and I was able to get my mind right, get focused, and get ready to play.”
