Intro:

Reaction after the Philadelphia 76ers avoided equalling the worst start to an NBA season, halting their 0-17 slump with an 85-77 triumph over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday (3 December).

Script:

SOUNDBITE (English) Nerlens Noel, Philadelphia 76ers:
"It feels great. We've been working hard all year and to come out and play as hard as did for the city of Philadelphia. It felt great to come out here and get the win."

Reporter: "Listen, Nerlens, this is your first win as a professional in the NBA. Is it everything you expected?"

"You know it is. It's in a different situation, but we're getting better, we're improving every day, we're working hard, so you know, there's a silver lining in everything so we are going to continue to progress."

Reporter: "Guys said that they didn't care about this milestone, but at the end of the day are you pretty glad you did not make history tonight?"
"I mean, yeah, obviously like anybody else would. We've worked extremely hard throughout practises and building up to this. This is a different situation to be in. But I think our guys stayed close throughout this whole process and I think we executed this whole game to get the 'W' (win)."
Reporter: "How are you going to celebrate?"
"We're going to get right back to work. We've got a lot more work to do. It's a first win of many. We're working towards perfection."

SOUNDBITE (English) KJ McDaniels, Philadelphia 76ers:
"I felt like I should have mixed it up more, but Mikey led the way. The coaches.... They just issued us with confidence. So, that's all I could do."

SOUNDBITE (English) KJ McDaniels, Philadelphia 76ers:
"Oh I knew I missed, but I kept shooting with confidence and I kept.... I was hoping and so I shot the ball with confidence and my team believed in me and I believed in them."

SOUNDBITE (English) KJ McDaniels, Philadelphia 76ers:
"I was happy because we all thought we were missing a few players and we were all like, you know, coming together, learning each other's game and we're locking up of defence. I feel like our defence is helping us out a lot and the guards rebound as well as everybody coming in, rebounding as a group. The coach preaches that and we have to keep building on top of that."