Update: Blazers’ Star man Talks First Career Double-Double

Portland Trail Blazers guard Dalano Banton notched his first career double-double as his team fell short to the Houston Rockets on Monday night.

Banton scored a game-high 28 points with 11 rebounds and five assists coming off the bench for the Blazers.

Here’s a look at the transcript from his postgame interview in Houston:

Dalano, this was your first career double-double. How how did you feel about your personal performance?

It was all right. I think we just had a good first half. In that third quarter early, throughout the whole third quarter I should say we got away from what got us that lead in the first half so I would say just try to stick together for 48 minutes. Doing the things that could help us win, playing with pace, get to the paint. So if we stick to those things, we weren’t turning the ball over much in the first half we started out second half turn it over that whole quarter so just got to stick to stick to what got us there and be able to play the whole game.

How impressed have you been with this starting lineup full of rookies but still competing every night?

Man, Coach Chauncey preaches to us “Let’s run, let’s play.” It’ll be hard for teams to keep up with us to be able to maintain and make decisions in the open floor but definitely being young man comes with mistakes. He definitely gives everybody the freedom to play through it, go down on defense get a stop and even if you made that turnover you get to try again so I feel like it goes a long way for all of us and it’s building confidence [for] all of our young guys.

What do you feel like you guys need to do to maybe get off this losing streak when you get to Atlanta in two days?

Like I said I feel like we want to lose on our terms. I feel like if we play the way we want to play, we’ll give a team a run for their money every night. Just trying to do it for 48 minutes so I feel like if we continue to do that I feel like we’re in good shape that first half. Second half if we fall, if we get complacent like that if we play like lacksadaisical, it’s going to be hard to win against any NBA team.

Especially here these guys are hot, they’re running, they’re going right now. They know how to win, they’re figuring out how to win night in night out and what that looks like. And I feel like that’s something that we’re going to have to look forward to know continue to build on. Like I said before, the losing – you lose the same ways: rebounding, transition points, giving up certain things, turnovers. And then if you win, it looks different every night offensively. So much talented guys it could be anybody’s night, but I’m just trying to stick to the things that’ll help us win.

Banton and the Blazers are back in action against the Atlanta Hawks tomorrow night. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. PT.