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The Jazz play New Orleans at 6 p.m. tonight in Salt Lake City. Here are some thoughts coach Tyrone Corbin and players had before hitting the road on Thursday.
Tyrone Corbin, on whether veterans like Mo Williams, Marvin Williams and Randy Foye help a team's chances to win on the road | "It helps us tremendously. We look forward to their leadership on the road. They are more experienced in this league and they understand what it takes to win on the road and how tough — how committed — you have to be on both ends of the floor. And how much you have to stay together and hold each other accountable."Mo Williams, on what he enjoys about playing on the road | "It's only you and your teammates and coaches — backs against the wall. ... I really like those moments."Williams, on the contributions by the players off the bench in Wednesday night's 113-94 win over Dallas | "I don't think we categorize ourselves as the starters and bench because we're all going to play minutes together in various situations. But as a whole, we performed well. ... We picked it up in the second half."
Williams, on whether the upcoming trip to New Orleans, San Antonio and Memphis will help the Jazz bond as a team | "When we're [home] we bond together. We're always at each others' house, playing cards or whatever — just hanging out. So we've already done that the [first] month and a half we've been together. ... Chemistry-wise and bonding, I think we're already there. So nothing is going to be new on the road. It'll be the same thing we do any other time."Corbin, on how a player can improve his chances for success on the road | "Rest, more than anything. For me, it was always about trying to get the right amount of rest. ... Your body needs the proper rest."Corbin, on New Orleans and its coach, Monty Williams | "They lost a tough game [Wednesday] night, but they are playing extremely well. They are an enthusiastic, athletic young team. Monty has always done a good job of getting his team to play and play hard. So we can't afford to relax against them because they are young. They are inexperienced in a lot of ways but they play hard."Corbin, on Hornets' rookie Anthony Davis, the No. 1 pick in last summer's NBA draft | "First of all, he's supposed to be a great guy — a great kid that's looking to get better in this league and works extremely hard. The experience, I think, with the USA Basketball team this summer was invaluable for him [making] the transition from the college game. He's excited to be in New Orleans and excited to have the opportunity to be the lead guy there. ... He's versatile. He's a big guy. He can go outside. He's got a nice touch and he can put the ball on the floor. And he's very active."— Steve Luhm