CJ McCollum's Postgame Interview - Pelicans at Rockets - Jan. 31.
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00:00 It seemed like the Pelicans came out ready for this one from the get-go.
00:04 What was the mindset and the mentality going in?
00:06 We're playing against a Western Conference opponent, a game we need to win.
00:10 We're just trying to come out aggressive, understand this is a very talented team.
00:13 A lot of good players in there, very capable of beating you.
00:16 Especially with Z out, how important was J.B. tonight?
00:19 He was huge. We tried to get him going early.
00:22 And as the game kind of progressed, he rebounded the ball without finishing on the basket.
00:26 Got to the free throw line, just did what he does.
00:28 We were thankful to be able to give him some touches and allow him to establish a rhythm and impose his will on the game.
00:35 What did you think about him in the fourth quarter specifically?
00:39 Yeah, he was great. The bench was great. Everybody was ready.
00:41 Jose, Dyson, stepped up. Najee was great. Controlled the tempo, controlled the pace.
00:47 Hawk, Larry, all those guys contributed and really changed the game.
00:51 And then obviously we fed J.B. a lot and they were able to extend the lead.
00:55 You guys got through the month of January. The 8-7 record January.
00:58 It's just a bunch of tough games. What are your thoughts on that?
01:02 The month is over?
01:04 Oh, sorry.
01:06 It was a long month. We had some close games that we probably should have won.
01:11 But all in all, whenever you can be over 500 playing games every other day, it's a sign that you're heading in the right direction.
01:17 A little off topic, but Dyson and Hawk both headed for the Rising Stars Challenge in Indy.
01:23 Your thoughts on their play? How important is it for young players to participate in things like that and be around the elite?
01:30 Yeah, it's a really cool experience for them to be a part of All-Star Weekend, to be able to display their talents.
01:34 I'm excited for Hawk. He's shown a lot of growth in work ethic and Dyson as well.
01:39 So it's nice to be able to play on the national stage.
01:42 Last question.
01:44 Talk about your Scholars Program. I hadn't had a chance to be with ASC about that.
01:49 You're doing tremendous work there with these young people.
01:53 Yeah, I'm extremely excited about the Scholars Program. We've got some amazing partners out of New Orleans.
01:59 We're really just trying to continue to impact lives and make life easier for kids and their families.
02:05 I'm really excited about the 10 kids that we're going to be providing unique opportunities for, obviously.
02:10 Financial support, mentorship, one-on-one stuff from their junior season onward through college and then working on internships and externships.
02:23 I'm really excited about the opportunity to continue to establish ways to impact the community, specifically in New Orleans.
02:30 Thank you.