NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: HAWKS VS. BUCKS

July 3, 2021

Bogdan Bogdanovic

Atlanta Hawks

Game 6: Postgame

Milwaukee Bucks 118, Atlanta Hawks 107

Q. I know it's a tough note to end on, but just the way this team finished the season, starting 14-20 and battling in the Eastern Conference Finals, how much do you feel you guys can sustain this and have the building blocks to win at this level consistently moving forward?

BOGDAN BOGDANOVIC: We saw what it takes, you know, and we saw how getting further, the games are getting harder and tougher, and matchups is getting more physical every single game and every single round. It's a great experience for all of us with a lot of ups and downs we had this year. From now on, it's only going to be harder for us.

This is the first time, and the first time we do it, it's kind of easier a little bit because you don't know what to expect, and from now, it's going to be harder, and we're going to be ready for it.

Q. What's the season been like for you personally after signing here in the offseason?

BOGDAN BOGDANOVIC: The craziest year by far in my career, like so many thoughts, so many -- at the beginning especially, where I'm going to end up, what's going to happen with my career, then I get hurt, then the trade deadline, my name was dropping all over the place. I'm proud that coming back off the injury I had, fighting for a spot back in the team, and such a challenging year for me.

At the end of the year, I'm happy with what I did. Not satisfied, just a little bit happy with how the year ended up for me.

Q. I know everybody is pointing to some sort of injuries you suffered. How tough was it to watch Trae out there with what he had?

BOGDAN BOGDANOVIC: I understand. I know what it feels like to play with injuries. I've been playing with, since Game 4 against Philly, I tweaked my ankle, I twist my ankle, and then my knee started to hurt because of that compensation, and I couldn't go right at all, and that's my side. Yeah, it's completely -- every play you have to think about it.

I'm proud of him getting out there and competing. That means he cares about this team, he cares about -- he knows the value of these games at this stage, at this level, and he gave it everything. It was good to see him over there, even though he was hurt. It was hard for him, you could tell, but I'm happy that he played tonight.

Q. I'm just curious, what was the scene like in the locker room after the game?

BOGDAN BOGDANOVIC: It was kind of mixed emotions. It was sad and happy and like the season is finally over. This is -- the season was really hard for every team. You know, corona, so many games packed in after All-Star break especially, we couldn't rest so many injuries. We're just proud that we finished the way we finished.

But I could tell we were not like completely happy because, at the end of the day, we lost this game, we lost this round, but we learned, and we saw what it takes to get here.

Q. Nate talked about how he talked with you guys about how he felt you all shocked the NBA this year. Do you agree with that? And do you feel like you guys kind of sent a message about this franchise moving forward?

BOGDAN BOGDANOVIC: I agree. I agree with him. We definitely shocked the NBA. No one expected us to be -- before the All-Star break, they didn't expect us to be in the playoffs, as far as I remember. Even earlier in the season, the beginning of the year, I think we were ranked something around 9, 10, something like that, which is fine. It's challenging.

That's why I said, for next year, whatever you do less -- like next upcoming years, whatever you do less is going to be like a fail. So that's why I say it's only going to be harder from this point. What I'm happy about this team is what Nate said when he was even assistant coach, he was pretty quiet back then, but he said one thing. When Coach LP [Lloyd Pierce] needed him to say something, he called him out and he said, guys, one thing I know in NBA, this place in Atlanta was easy win. Whoever came here the last couple of years, it was like easy win. Let's make sure this year the teams need to be prepared for these games here. It's not going to be easy.

So I think we did that, and that's what makes me proud and my team proud about it.

Q. About Nate, how much do you credit him for the turnaround? I know it is a group effort, but how much do you credit him for the turnaround that you guys were able to undergo?

BOGDAN BOGDANOVIC: So much for real. Like he was a player, so he knows how to challenge the players, and he would challenge them all the time. Every single one of us. He sees all these little things. When someone is down, how to get him up, how to give him that confidence, how to get the players to listen to what he sees, what a player sees, so I like him. I like him, and I'm very proud of him.

Q. Playing 14 games in basically 28 days, just every other day a game. Were you guys just tired? You had good looks with the three, both teams struggling with the open shot. Is that what this schedule takes its toll on you guys?

BOGDAN BOGDANOVIC: At the end of the day, it's all mental, you know. When you come this far and you're tired, you have to do whatever to prepare for this game to not look tired at least. To go through it, we've all been in these situations. It's different in playoffs than in the regular season, but yeah, at the end of the day, the one shot, two shots that don't fall in, the other team takes the lead. That's what it's all about in the playoffs.

Q. What are the aspects that make you confident about next season for that group of guys?

BOGDAN BOGDANOVIC: We showed the way we want to play, and we showed the confidence, and we showed belief that we have, and we saw what it takes. When you know how to get there, you know how to win the games, how to win the crucial games, this is only a learning experience for all of us. It's a first playoff season for me too here, and it's different than in Europe, it's a different stage.

As I said, it's going to be tough, but it's going to be challenging, and I think this team is ready for this challenge.

Q. You talked about it, that this season was so unique from COVID, and then you had to deal with the coaching change and then injuries. What did you learn about yourself this season?

BOGDAN BOGDANOVIC: That's a long story. I don't know where to start really, but I feel like I prove it one more time that, when you feel like so bad and you feel miserable and you're so down, you're touching the earth and you're smelling the dirt and everything, and you're so low but you still find a way to get up and fight through it, I will never lose that in myself, like I will always have that confidence to get back, even after the worst, worst days and whatever, I'm going to fight through it, and I'm going to find a way.

Q. You talked about all of the adversity that this group has overcome and everything that you guys have been able to accomplish this season. What's made you the most proud to be a part of this group in particular?

BOGDAN BOGDANOVIC: How young they are and how competitive they are. There's a lot of young guys, they somehow -- I see in the NBA. It looks like they don't like to compete every single night. They're picking the games and all that. But this group here, they were fighting through injuries. They were ready to play every single night. They understand what it takes to win. They saw it, and they accepted, and everyone is willing to sacrifice.

It's hard to do it, and when you have this type of group that wants to sacrifice, it makes it easier to win games and to keep this organization going in the right direction. So that's what makes me proud of this group.