HEAT Head Coach Stan Van Gundy

On the Game:
“For 39 minutes it was a very good performance. I thought we executed well on the offensive end. After the very first part of the game, we defended extremely well. We got a lot of stops in this game, and we had a lot of opportunities to get out in transition. I thought that was good. We did a good job of getting the ball inside. We executed really well. I would, however like Shaq [Shaquille O’Neal] and Dwyane [Wade] to cut their turnovers. The turnovers need to come way down. I know that the ball is in their hands a lot, but the number of turnovers is too high. We are doing a better job of defending the paint. They are a perimeter team and they like to play in transition, just like we were last year. They are tough to defend when they play that game.”

“We need to master 48 minutes of the same consistent effort and the same quality play, no matter who is in the game. We, like most teams, struggle to do that. But the last nine minutes, we didn’t do a good job of defending anyone. Those are the easiest shots we have given up all year. I don’t want to see that. I have great confidence in all of these guys. I don’t care what the situation is in the game.”

On the play of Udonis Haslem and Dwyane Wade:
“They were great, particularly in the third quarter. I though Udonis was outstanding tonight. He had 18 points and 10 rebounds. Dwayne was phenomenal. They are both very intelligent guys. They are both second-year players, and have about as much basketball knowledge as anyone in the league. They are both smart guys at both ends of the floor.”

On the play of Keyon Dooling:
“He really got us going in the second quarter. There is no way that we would have been up double figures at the half without him. I thought he really gave us a great lift tonight.”

HEAT Forward Udonis Haslem

On the game:
“We defended and rebounded. Offense hasn’t really been a problem this year. I’m so much more confident then I was last year. The Big Fella (Shaquille O’Neal) just opens it up for us. We need to step up and make shots. Tonight I was fortunate enough to make them.”

On the difference between the style of play this year versus last year:
“The Big Fella (Shaquille O’Neal) creates angles. Once he gets his body on somebody and creates the angles, there is so much space to make the pass. It doesn’t have to be a perfect pass, he is going to go get it.”

On being a running team:
“People assumed we wouldn’t run because Shaq is here, but we haven’t changed our style. If we can’t get anything running we’ll slow it down and get it into the Big Fella (Shaquille O’Neal).”

HEAT Guard Eddie Jones

On the game:
“It’s a team effort. That’s when it’s great, when you have everybody contributing. We just need to learn how to close the game. I don’t think we have closed a game good yet.”

HEAT Guard Dwyane Wade

On the game:
“A lot of things have been coming together. It’s because everyone is playing together. You have guys that want to step up and be big, and tonight we had that with different guys.”

“Shaq [O’Neal] gives you confidence at both ends of the floor. We know defense wins ballgames, and we have a long way to go, still. But it is our defense that has helped win ballgames early.”

HEAT Center Shaquille O'Neal

On the game:
“This is a good start for us. We are playing good team ball. We want to rely 30 percent on offense, and 70 percent on defense. Last few games we have been iffy, and our offense has been carrying us. We have players who are very unselfish, and players who are shooting the ball well. But we need to take it one game at a time, and get better every game.”

“We have some teams coming up that are tough to play. They shoot the ball well, so we are really going to have to play good defense against those guys. When we do what we are supposed to do, though, I always love our chances against any other team.”

“When I get the ball, the other team is going to have to do one of two things. Either come double, or watch and see what I do.”

Wizards Head Coach Eddie Jordan

On the Game:
“We just didn’t play well. I thought we did a decent job defensively in the first half. We did a good job in the second quarter and all of the third quarter. We just didn’t get it going. We didn’t play well offensively. When we don’t play well offensively that helps their offense and hurts our defensive. We can’t play in spurts. We just have to play with a lot more discipline; we can’t turn the ball over. We had 20 turnovers. That is predicated on our guards. Our starting guards need to take care of the basketball. They need to run the show and get quality possessions. It was just bad offense. We couldn’t make a shot, we couldn’t make a play much less a shot. We couldn’t make the right pass or catch it much less make a play at the rim. They got it going. We again allowed 57 percent shooting and turned the ball over 20 times which is not the sign of a very good team right now.”

On defending Dwyane Wade:
“We focused on him. We double-teamed him and tried to contain him. We made it a point not to let him get drives right down the paint. We did a good job for 20 minutes in the first half. They got it going. They have a little draw and kick team. They got guys who can make shots. When you have four or five guys who can make shots that makes it very difficult on us.”

Wizards Center Brendan Haywood

On the game:
“Tough loss. We were getting killed, but we cut the lead, and made it respectable.”

“When you have Shaquille O’Neal on the other side, it makes things hard to stop. He gets them good shots. Sometimes, just his presence is enough to allow guys, like Dwyane Wade, to get easy lanes to drive.”

On the strategy used in playing the HEAT:
“When you have two dominant players like Shaquille O’Neal and Dwyane Wade, from time to time, your other guys are going to step up. Those are the guys who are going to be wide open.”

“Those guys are going to get off as many shots as they want this year, because teams can’t afford to let Shaquille O’Neal and Dwyane Wade play one-on-one.”