Mosley slams missed urgency after a crushing loss. The team surrendered crucial transition baskets, allowing the opponent to dictate the game's tempo.
On the last play and what he was trying to get out of it:
"We were trying to get the ball in P's hands to get a quick attack. If he didn't have it, then he'd hand off to Desmond to get downhill. They blew it up. They had two on the ball going back and he did a great job of getting to the rim, attacking downhill, putting pressure on the rim. Obviously you don't get the call, but the aggression to get downhill is what we've continued to ask him to do and that's what he did."
On whether the team respected the opponent throughout the game:
"Not the entire game. I think that third quarter is what bit us. We talked about transition baskets. They had 16 in that first quarter, then they had two in the second quarter and you see the difference in the numbers. And then that third quarter, that's when they turned it up again. 44 points is way too many for a team to have, especially a team that we talked about being able to get out and run—and that's what they did."
On whether losing to a team that hasn't won since February 11th is demoralizing:
"Losing a game in general is not the right thing to do where we are and what we're trying to accomplish. Like I said before the game, the record was 15 and whatever. They have a Hall of Fame coach and they've been playing hard all year. So it's not the record, it's the way that these guys play. Half of those guys in that locker room have been in the Finals. So it's not just the record. It's a team that knows how to play basketball. It's a team that understands exactly the moment that they were in. So they were hungry to come out and get it and that's what they did."
On why the team wasn't ready in that moment:
"I think we let our foot off the gas one too many times. We talked about them being a running team. I think we were ready. I think there were moments that we just let our foot off the gas and that became the part of when we allowed them to get out in transition. We had 11 turnovers for 20 points. That's part of it. Can we take care of the basketball? The other part of it is that they just got out and ran after makes. So we had to have the sense of urgency especially in that third quarter to get out and get back on that point of urgency."
On what needs to change with the starting group's sense of urgency to set the tone for the game or half:
"Every time that ball goes through the hoop or you turn it over, it's got to be an all-out sprint to get back. It's an effort and energy piece right there. That's the big key for us in that situation. For them to come out and have 14 transition points to start the game, that says a lot. So that means that they were running on make or miss. We've got to have the energy and the effort to get all the way back to build a wall and make them have to play in the half court."
On how to duplicate the urgency shown when closing the gap and getting back into the game:
"You've got to walk into every game with the mentality that you're down 10 right away—to play with that sense of urgency and that sense of fire and that sense of focus. We got downhill and we attacked the basket. That's where I thought we did well there. Obviously they had 50 points in the paint, but we had 64. So our ability to get downhill, attack the basket, and then the other part about it is being able to knock down free throws in a tight close game."
On what the team still wants to accomplish this season and ensuring the right intensity:
"You start off games like you're down 10. You've got to be the more physical team. I think they were more physical to start the game, but it's also playing like a team that has lost 16 games straight. And I think that's the ability, what they've done. So we've got to have that mindset going in tomorrow to Cleveland because that's the beautiful part about the NBA—you get another opportunity to do it again."
On the no-call on the last play and any explanation from the refs:
"The no-call—obviously there's no explanation. The no-challenge is no explanation. And then they give Rick his challenge back, but they won't give me my challenge back because they said I couldn't challenge it. So there's some things there that we'll have to look at, have to talk about and try to understand more of why those things are occurring within the game. We'll just continue to talk about it and go from there."
On being proud of the team's resiliency in forcing comebacks and what needs to change so they don't have to rely on that as often:
"You got to start the game that way. You've got to start the game like you are down 10. Because you know how teams are coming in here seeing where we are and what we're trying to do. The teams that have that sense of urgency that are fighting for something—and the guys that are stepping in the game the moment they step off that bench—we've got to be ready to go from the get-go."
On Desmond Bane stepping up with playmaking while other creators were out:
"Desmond is working his tail off. You start the game off—I'm watching them grab, hold, not let him get to his spots and he's fighting just to try to get open from these guys. And I think he's doing a great job trying to create for his teammates to make plays happen down the stretch. Again, the physicality of how they're grabbing and holding him—we've got to make sure we do that same thing on the other end for us to make it difficult for other teams defensively."
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