Everything Charles Lee had to say following the win over the Toronto Raptors

See what the Hornets head coach had to say following Wednesday's game vs. Toronto.

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The start of last night's game looked too easy for the Charlotte Hornets. Too easy to be true.

After getting out to a 23-point lead, the Toronto Raptors scrapped and clawed their way back and eventually took the lead for a brief moment. A strong ending to the third quarter and start of the fourth helped Charlotte regain control and hold on for the win.

Following the game, Hornets head coach Charles Lee met with the media to recap the action.

Bouncing back after blowing a 23-point lead

“Super impressed with the team. I’m proud of the team for staying together. I thought it was a
great opportunity. Like we’ve talked about, we’ve been in some close games, and you have to
learn from those, and then tonight, it was an opportunity for us to learn how to play with a lead
– a big lead, at that – and valuing possessions. In that second quarter, we got away from what
was helping us build such a big lead – togetherness, defensive intensity was really good coming
into that first quarter. We just took our foot off the gas. Give credit to Toronto. I thought they did
a great job of all of a sudden playing with a little bit more pace. They did some things in transition
that hurt us. They started dominating the paint in a way that we had taken away in the first
quarter. I’m very impressed with how we kind of regrouped and gathered ourselves in some
adverse times.”

How key the bench was in the win

“I thought their contribution was huge. We needed every one of those buckets and we needed
every one of those stops that I thought those guys helped us get. Really exciting to see Tidjane
(Salaun) get his first NBA regular season bucket and free-throw attempt. I thought Cody (Martin)
and Tre (Mann) and Grant (Williams) did a great job of helping us score, but I also thought that
group did a good job of stabilizing us defensively, too. ...Moussa (Diabate) was part of that group
and Moussa helped us get some stops. The individual pride went to a different level defensively
there, so I’m really proud of our bench. That’s why I have so much confidence in the depth of
this team.”

What the message was to the team during Toronto's run

“We’ve talked about it a ton in terms of the standards of excellence that we’re trying to set
around here every day. The consistency of habits and the habits that we work on in terms of
our competitiveness. Defensively, we have absolutes of being great in transition, protecting the
paint, finishing possessions and defending without fouling. These are just the things that we’ve
agreed upon that we’re going to do at a really high level every night consistently. Offensively,
we have the same type of absolute standards in terms of creating an advantage, trusting the
pass and being relentless offensive rebounders. Any time I feel like we’re straying away from
our identity or the standards that we all agreed upon and set out, then I just feel the need to
remind them. They’re great about holding each other accountable to those standards as well.”

Being one of the top teams in the NBA in getting open looks

“I think what contributes to it number one is our screening. Credit to Nick (Richards), Miles (Bridges), Grant (Williams), and Moussa (Diabate). Our bigs do a phenomenal job of helping our guards create an advantage and get downhill, get to the paint. And then some of those guys have the ability and versatility to pop sometimes which I think confuses coverages. The other thing I think that’s helped us is that Josh (Green) and Cody (Martin), these guys attacking the paint. Being able to get downhill, Tre (Mann) getting downhill...Melo (Ball). Once we get a piece of the paint, I think the guys are doing a good job of their rim reads and trusting the pass, and then everyone on the perimeter is just letting it fly with confidence.”

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