NBA quotes: What’s being said around the league

Welcome back?

San Antonio Coach Gregg Popovich, on returning Sunday to AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami, where his team lost Games 6 and 7 of the Finals last season: “Uh, it’ll be a horrible memory walking in that gym. If I said anything different, I’d be the biggest liar that ever lived. How could I say, ‘Yeah, no problem, well, it was a tough night.’ That’s … We all know that.”

The biggest loser

Hall of Fame point guard Gary Payton, addressing top draft pick Anthony Bennett, who is averaging 2.4 points and shooting 25.9% while barely playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers: “You came in overweight. You look fat. C’mon. Let’s do it!”

Still a bunch of Bull

Cleveland forward Luol Deng, on his struggles to change his NBA app from the Bulls to the Cavs: “It’s annoying when you get these [Joakim] Noah double-double updates.”

Divine performance

Portland guard Mo Williams, on Kevin Durant after the Oklahoma City Thunder star scored 46 points in a victory over the Trail Blazers, extending a streak in which he has now scored 30 or more points in nine consecutive games: “The way he was playing, he probably could have scored on Jesus.”

— Ben Bolch