QUOTAGE

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE . . .

Phoenix’s Shawn Marion, above, to reporters after back-to-back losses to the 2-15 Timberwolves and 3-15 Heat:

“What are we, 16-6? The third-best record in the league? Y’all are blowing it out of proportion. I’m reading that ... in the paper, going, ‘Wow.’

“That game’s over with. We lost. Deal with it. Suck it up.”

AND ON THE DARK SIDE

Utah Coach Jerry Sloan, on his players’ defensive ability:

“Jeff Hornacek played here with one leg and didn’t have a lot of athleticism. But he could stay in front of people.”

WELCOME TO THE BIG LEAGUES

Portland Trail Blazers center Greg Oden to the Indianapolis Star on adjusting to his new home:

“The city is nice. The only thing is, they don’t have any Wal-Marts near my house. I go to Best Buy or Target, but those places are pretty expensive.”

HONEY, DON’T

Miami Coach Pat Riley before the Heat ended its five-game losing streak against the Clippers:

“My wife’s in town. So I went to the 19th floor of the Four Seasons Hotel at about 1:30 in the morning, I was out on the balcony looking down at Wilshire Boulevard and she said, ‘Honey, it’s not worth it. Don’t do it.’ [That’s] the value of a NBA wife.”

EVERYTHING’S RELATIVE

New York’s Jamal Crawford after the 6-11 Knicks lost consecutive games to the 5-13 76ers:

“We have a bad tendency sometimes to play down to our competition.”