Exclusive WESTERN FINALS, GAME 2: BLAZERS @ WARRIORS - 5/16/19 - Quote Book

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  1. SlyPokerDog

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    Steve Kerr

    Game 2: Warriors Postgame

    Golden State 114, Portland 111

    Q. Do you feel like you dodged a bullet there tonight?
    STEVE KERR: Oh, totally. We stole that game. I thought they outplayed us for much of the night, the majority of the night, but we brought enough competitive fire in the second half to overcome their great play.

    We've been here before. I think our experience helped us. We've done this a few times, and yeah, we stole it for sure. They outplayed us.

    Q. The third quarter was a turning point in this game. Two years ago you led the league in the third quarter differential and you outscored your opponents by almost five and a half points. Did it bring you back to that season, the 2016-17 year and how big was that third quarter in your mind?
    STEVE KERR: I was actually thinking of the 2013 year when that was happening -- no, I'm just kidding (laughter).

    I wasn't thinking about any other thing but tonight's game. This was -- you know, if you've been watching the NBA for a while, or part of it, Game 2's scare you. If Game 1 goes smoothly, Game 2 is terrifying because human nature sets in, and I thought that was the case tonight.

    And they have two days to stew on the first game and make their adjustments, and so that's -- you know, that's something we knew was coming, but human nature doesn't allow you to bring the same level of fear and appropriate fear and respect and the edge that you need, and we didn't find that until the third quarter.

    We were down I guess 16 at half or 15, but the NBA game is a long, long game. There's so many possessions, and with our team we always feel like we have a chance. We kept playing and our guys got it done. They were amazing in that third quarter and then down the stretch, as well.

    Q. You guys were down eight with I think four minutes left and Draymond [Green] got it going, and he got a few passes and a block. How would you describe his play down the stretch?
    STEVE KERR: Draymond? Tremendous. He was in some foul trouble tonight, and I thought our bench did a good job of keeping us in the game and allowing us to keep Draymond on the bench late third, early fourth, we bought him some time and I guess he came in around the eight-minute mark. His play, his defensive play down the stretch, and Andre's [Iguodala] play at the end there, just fantastic stuff. That's what it takes in the playoffs, you have to have guys playing at a really high level. Obviously Steph was brilliant and [Kevon] Looney was brilliant and we got the defensive effort that we needed down the stretch.

    Q. Obviously Steph and Klay [Thompson] have done this so many times before, but especially with Kevin [Durant] out what kind of leadership qualities did you see them showing throughout the game?
    STEVE KERR: They just, you know, they know who they are and they know our team. This team's been together a long time and they trust each other. When the ball starts moving, that's when we're tough to guard. I thought in the first half, we were taking some quick shots when we fell behind, and I thought in the third quarter, we finally started to settle down and Steph and Klay had a big part in that.

    Q. They had 18 made threes and you guys had nine. It's very uncommon in this league for the team that makes the most threes, especially by that margin, to not win. That happen to your team very often?
    STEVE KERR: It happened in the Houston series. There was a game where they made 17. It can happen. You know, it doesn't happen often in this league, but you know, that's one of the reasons I said I felt like we stole it. I mean, they shot the lights out. They did a great job spacing the floor and moving the ball against our traps. They got good shots. They got big performances from Seth Curry and Rodney Hood off bench, and so yeah, we dodged a bullet for sure.

    Q. Talking about how you stole this game, have you seen a walk-off steal like Iguodala had at the end?
    STEVE KERR: I think from André. He's done that before. During my five years here, I think I've seen him do that a couple of times. He's an incredible defender because he's got the whole package between the athleticism, the length, but most importantly, the brain. He just understands his opponent. He understands the spots where the opponent is trying to get to, and quick hands to get a steal like he did on that last play. It was an amazing play against one of the best players in the league.

    Q. There was a lot made of the coverages on Steph after Game 1. What are you seeing from him and can you talk about his game right now?
    STEVE KERR: What do I think about what?

    Q. How he's playing right now in general, reacting to the defense the way he has.
    STEVE KERR: He's been on a great run these last few games. He had a few games during the Houston series that weren't up to his standards. He would be the first to tell you that.

    But from Game 6 in Houston through these first two games, he's just been on a great roll but that's what you expect from great players. They might have a couple tough games but they don't stay down for long.

    Q. Draymond gets a lot of attention for his energy, but what does he bring on the offensive end with his play-making and the way he pushes the ball?
    STEVE KERR: Well, he's our leading assist guy. The way people play Steph allows Draymond to be the play maker frequently in our games because he catches the ball out of the traps and he's just a great passer and great decision-maker, throwing the lob, throwing the cross-court passes. He's a fantastic two-way player and a guy who has just been irreplaceable around here for a long time.

    Q. Jordan Bell had a career night, especially in the third quarter. What allowed him to get his game going?
    STEVE KERR: It's a good series for him. It's a good matchup. The way we're playing suits him. We need a lot of speed out there. I think the last three games, Game 6 in Houston and the first two games here, he's kind of settled down and he's been very comfortable. Very relaxed. He's not in a rush and he's playing good basketball, so he will continue to get minutes.

    Q. Steph has talked about what it's like to face his brother in a situation like this on this kind of stage. They know each other so well. They have such feelings for each other. When you watch them go at each other tonight and the way that Seth [Curry] knows and reads Steph, what's it like watching that dynamic, watching them game within the game, best each other?
    STEVE KERR: Well, I thought of their parents at one point. Can you imagine watching your two boys go head-to-head in a playoff game and both of them hitting huge shots? It must have been an amazing night for Dell [Curry] and Sonya [Curry] and Sydel [Curry]. It's an incredible story to have two boys in the NBA, but particularly in the Conference Finals, playing head-to-head and knocking down all these big shots. That must be fun.

    Q. We got the news on Kevin before the game started. From your point of view, first of all, what is your reaction that he'll be re-evaluated next week? And is there a mental adjustment or anything going from wondering if he might be back to maybe thinking he won't be back in this series?
    STEVE KERR: There's no mental adjustment. You just play. You go out there with what you have, and this is our third game, three and a half games, really without him, and so we're just trying to hold down the fort.

    Hopefully he continues to progress and he has made progress, but it's a little more serious than we thought at the very beginning. So we'll see where it all goes, but he's in there all day long getting treatment. He's done a great job of committing himself to that process. Rick [Celebrini] and his staff are in there all day, and hopefully he'll be back at some point, but we'll just -- you know, we'll just wait and see.

    Q. Game 2. You're up 2-0 now. Now you have to go up to Portland. Game every other day. What is your view going into Game 3?
    STEVE KERR: Well, we're fortunate to be in the position we're in. We know we're going into one of the toughest arenas to play in in the league. We've been in this situation many times, so we know how we have to play. We've got to play with great discipline and -- and some desperation like we did for only parts of the game tonight. We've got to play that way the whole game, and that's what it will take up in Portland.
     
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  2. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

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    Terry Stotts

    Game 2: Trail Blazers Postgame

    Golden State 114, Portland 111

    Q. Points off turnovers, totally flipped: You won it easily in the first half, and 21-0 in their favor in the second half.
    TERRY STOTTS: Third quarter, we had five turnovers. They were able to take advantage of them. First half, we had a really good offensive half. Didn't turn the ball over much. That being said, we only had one turnover in the fourth, but I don't think -- I've always said this, on the box score, when you look at points off of turnover, I think that's misleading because it doesn't necessarily always mean that the turnover led to points. It could be a three-second call. It could be whatever.

    So I think sometimes that's a little misleading. But our turnovers in the third quarter did hurt us.

    Q. What did you think about the last possession with Damian [Lillard] and were you looking for him to go iso there?
    TERRY STOTTS: On the very last one? Honestly we were out of timeouts. Just it wasn't -- we just got to get a shot up. You know, get him the ball. It's a tough situation to be in. We couldn't necessarily run something to run a play but I thought he did the best job he could as far as trying to get a three up.

    Q. You rolled with Seth [Curry] for 29 minutes and tonight he had four steals and made some huge shots, one with a minute left was huge. When you look at the way he battles and goes at his brother, what kind of things do you see in how much he wants this particular matchup?
    TERRY STOTTS: I'm sure that has something to do with it but I think he's a basketball player who competes, you know, and we're in the Western Conference Finals and he wants to do well. He had a terrific game at one point, you know, before they went on the run, his plus/minus was like a plus 24. So he had a very good game.

    I'm sure having his brother out there has something to do with it but I think it goes beyond that.

    Q. How much did Draymond [Green] on both ends hurt you down the stretch? And Steve [Kerr] was in here just a minute ago and said, "We stole this game." Do you sort of feel that same way?
    TERRY STOTTS: I don't know if they stole it. I thought they -- they played like a championship team would here at home. They made plays in the last three minutes and we didn't.

    Draymond is a good basketball player. He's aggressive and he's smart at both ends and they know how -- they have been at this a long time. They have played a lot of games together, and they -- there isn't anything they haven't seen. They did a good job of attacking us offensively, and we didn't take advantage of our opportunities on the offensive end.

    I think we had two or three points in the last three and a half minutes, and we got to be able to score in those situations.

    Q. They made that huge run in the third quarter and took the lead. You guys came back. Do you take solace from that, the competitive nature of this game going into Game 3?
    TERRY STOTTS: You know, it was a pretty good run. You know, they made threes. Forced turnovers. Got a aggressive defense. I liked that we didn't lose our composure and got back into the game and took a nice lead.

    You know, you hate to lose a game, but I think we showed that we can compete with them. You know, it was a much better game than we played in Game 1. Now we've got to go get two at home but it starts with Game 3. But yeah, we beat them in the regular season, and we did play a good game, much better game at both ends of the floor tonight.

    So we've got to take that into Game 3.

    Q. To play them so close here and to have a shot to beat them at the end, and to know that Durant is not in the lineup, [DeMarcus]Cousins is not in the lineup, does that feel to you like a missed opportunity?
    TERRY STOTTS: Regardless of those guys, that has nothing to do with it. It is a lot of opportunity, no question. We had a chance to get one here on the road. We played a good game and we led for a good part of the game.
     
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  3. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

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    TRAIL BLAZERS FORWARD MAURICE HARKLESS


    ON TERRY STOTTS’ POSTGAME MESSAGE TO THE TEAM:

    “We just got to take care at home. These next two games at home are important. We have to try to win both, come back here and try to get one.”


    ON TONIGHT’S LOSS:

    “It sucks. We had a 15-point lead at halftime. They came out and made a run third quarter, tied it up at the end of the third, and even then I think we were up six or eight with six minutes to go. I think we had to call timeout without about six minutes to go and we were up six, still in a good position, and unfortunately we weren’t able to close it out.”


    ON THE DIFFERENCE DOWN THE STRECTH:

    “We got to do a better job down the stretch. They got layups. Can’t give up layups down the stretch.”


    ON IF THE TEAM’S DEFENSE WAS BETTER TONIGHT:

    “Yeah, it was better tonight for sure.”
     
  4. SlyPokerDog

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    Damian Lillard

    C.J. McCollum

    Game 2: Trail Blazers Postgame

    Golden State 114, Portland 111

    Q. What was your mindset?
    DAMIAN LILLARD: Game 1 didn't go as planned but we had a chance going into the fourth quarter and made some adjustments tonight, I mean, 15-point lead at the half. They are a great third quarter team. We weathered that storm and went into the fourth quarter tied and I thought we played a really solid fourth quarter, as well, but they are a shot-making team and they moved the ball well.

    They are a championship club. You know, down the stretch, you know they are going to make those plays and they are going to give themselves a chance. I mean, it came down to the last possession.

    So I thought we gave ourselves a chance. We missed some shots. We had some turnovers. Lost the game, but you know, their job was to take care of their home floor, and we've got an opportunity to do the same thing.

    Q. Damian, you went down pretty hard in a scrum with [Kevon] Looney in the third quarter. Looked like you maybe injured your chest or wrist. How are you feeling and did that affect your game at all?
    DAMIAN LILLARD: No, it didn't affect my game. When you're out there, you out there. There ain't really no excuse. But I just dove on a loose ball and a big guy dove on top of me. So I mean, it was just impact and that was it.

    Q. Did it cross your mind that this could be the last time you play a game at Oracle [Arena] in your hometown?
    DAMIAN LILLARD: Yeah, this is the last season they're going to play in this building. I knew that coming in, this was going to be the last -- I mean, this time, I doubt this will be the last time. You know, we planning on being back here, so that's it.

    Q. Could you just lead us through the last possession, the last play, the steal?
    DAMIAN LILLARD: You know, I got the ball. I think they knew we needed a three. I think it was under 10 seconds by the time I got a catch, and a quick two. We didn't have no timeouts left. I don't think that would have done much for us. We knew we were going to go for the three, so I was just trying to get space to get a three up. I know it's a tough position for the referees to be in to make a call at that point in the game. Tried to get a little bit of space the first time. He grabbed my arm and I lost the ball a little bit. I regained it and I was going to shoot it again. He got his hand on the ball.

    For me as the offensive player, I felt like it was contact. There was a lot of contact. But obviously the ref is not going to decide the game or jump in at that point. You know, so they -- good defensive play.

    Q. Draymond had four points and three assists on the Warriors final 10 points that weren't free throws.
    DAMIAN LILLARD: Say what? I can't hear you.

    Q. Draymond had three points and four assists in the Warriors final 10 points that were not free throws. What makes him a dangerous facilitator when you're out there trying to defend him?
    DAMIAN LILLARD: He's a smart player and when you have guys like Steph [Curry] and Klay [Thompson] out there running around, we're going to give him a lot of attention and that's what we were doing and he was the guy they were outletting the ball to. He was finding the shooters and finding the lob guy.

    Tonight, he got to the rim a few times down the stretch and finished. You know, you don't want to give Steph and Klay open looks down the stretch, and that's the play that we want them to make and he took advantage of it.

    Q. You spent a lot of time in front of Steph tonight and also trying to find Seth [Curry]. What did you see in both of their performances, and do you think they have a little extra for each other in this series?
    DAMIAN LILLARD: I mean, they're brothers. You know, for me having my own older brother, I know what it's like to go against your brother and what it means. You know, they both know there's going to be conversations about this at some point when this series is over and they're going to play like it.

    Every time we played them this season, Seth has played great against them and I think it has something to do with playing against his brother. But Seth played really well for us, gave us a lot of scoring off the bench tonight. I thought he guarded Steph well when he guarded him, and Steph is just always on the move, you know, out there running around, coming off screen after screen after screen and just looking to shoot the ball. That's what he does. That's what he is known for. So both guys played well tonight.

    Q. As a team, you're only able to get one bucket in the last four minutes. What made things so difficult down the stretch for you offensively?
    C.J. McCOLLUM: I think it's just a make-or-miss league. We got some good looks. I personally had some good looks. I had an open three I missed, and I had a floater I missed late. I had a switch with Draymond; I missed a three-pointer. I think it's just a make-or-miss league. They played good defense, but I can live with the shots I miss every day of the week and I think, you know, offensively we had some pretty good possessions. We just didn't finish them.

    DAMIAN LILLARD: Same. I thought we -- you know, they were putting a lot of attention on the ball. I thought we got the ball where it needed to go and shots just didn't fall down the stretch. When ours didn't, they got out in transition and made shots. It went their way.

    Q. Last game, you guys dropped back in the protocols and Steph was hitting pull-up threes and this game you were up higher and Draymond got loose and was able to make plays, kind of in four-on-three. Just for both you guys, what's it like having to pick your poison in that pick-and-roll situation?
    DAMIAN LILLARD: I mean, it's what you see them do all the time. It's not different than anything they have always done. When they got Draymond with the ball in his hands and Steph and Klay moving around, coming off screens, you got to go to the ball because those guys shoot so well and once Draymond gets it, somebody has to step up and he's great about making the next play.

    You know, one guy is getting a lot of attention and you've got to find somebody who can get the ball and then make the next play because it's basically four-on-three. He's just really good at it. He's been playing with those guys for years now, and you know, the experience shows. He's really good in those situations, so we just got to I guess do a better job of making sure once he does get the ball, he goes where he want it to go. That's it?

    Q. Game 1, Rodney Hood had a nice showing. Tonight, Seth Curry and Meyers Leonard. How much do you need those guys to take pressure off both of you as scorers?
    C.J. McCOLLUM: I think it's very important for those guys to continue to be aggressive. They are going to have opportunities to score and make plays and I think tonight, they all did that, and I think our bench was great and a lot of guys stepped up and was ready to play. Seth hit some big shots for us. He defended well. Meyers came in and made some of the right plays in the middle, hit some shots for us. ET [Evan Turner] was great distributing the ball. Rodney was aggressive again, as always. Even though Zach [Collins] was in foul trouble, he brought great energy. We're going to need that throughout this next series and going forward into next season.

    Q. Steve Kerr came right out and said, "We stole one tonight. They played better than we did." I want to know if you agree with that assessment, and what you think could turn the series in your favor, given a tough loss?
    C.J. McCOLLUM: I mean, they stole it, but they earned it down the stretch. They made more plays than us in the last two minutes, last three minutes, but I like our chances going forward. I like the way we came out and competed.

    We got to bring that same energy at home. Understand that this is the first time in 19 years we've been in the Conference Final. I know they will be excited and I'm really looking forward to the opportunity playing at home and building on what we've done. Being down 0-2, it's not what you would like to see but it's our reality, so now we got to go get some at home.
     
  5. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

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    TRAIL BLAZERS GUARD SETH CURRY


    ON THE FRUSTRATION OF TONIGHT’S LOSS:

    “You win or you lose, it's as simple as that. We played a good first half and didn’t have enough in the second half to close it out and keep that lead. We lost it in the third quarter when we let them get back into it, five minutes into the game heading into the second half. With this team you can’t let that go to waste that quickly.”


    ON THE THIRD QUARTER:

    “I don't know what happened. It was a flurry early in that third quarter, I looked up and it was a tied game before anyone can get back into the game.”


    ON THE TEAM’S PLAY TONIGHT COMPARED TO GAME 1:

    “We made some adjustments offensively and defensively, and I think everybody just played better. We got our legs a little bit more coming off that Game 7 in Denver and for me personally I didn’t feel like my legs were 100 percent and so it felt a little better this game. We moved around a lot better offensively and defensively.”


    ON BUILDING THE LEAD IN THE FIRST HALF:

    “It wasn’t difficult, we played the right way, we made shots and got stops defensively and offensively. We knocked shots down and played good offense. The end of the game was the difficult part, just trying to find stops against that small lineup out there. We tried to get stops and they made some good plays individually to win the game.”


    ON PUTTING PRESSURE ON THE WARRIORS:

    “We wanted to put pressure on their bigs, and I was trying to work hard on the defensive end to create havoc. They felt a little comfortable in the first game. I don’t think they were threatened by us at all in Game 1 and we changed that in Game 2.”


    ON DEFENDING STEPHEN CURRY:

    “It felt good, it felt like I changed the game and put in more energy. I just made him work harder to get shots. I mean he is going to put numbers up, he is going to play well to try and change the momentum.”
     
  6. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

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    TRAIL BLAZERS GUARD/FORWARD RODNEY HOOD


    ON THE MOST FRUSTRATING PART OF TONIGHT’S GAME:

    “That we played so well and to come up short. We got them back pedaling and obviously in the third quarter they go on a run and it’s a tight game, and I think they fed off the energy of the crowd tonight. So flush this one and get ready for Saturday.”


    ON THE MINDSET OF THE LOCKER ROOM AFTER THE LOSS:

    “We got to flush it. I mean, I think we are very encouraged. We feel like we played better than we played last game, was in a position to win and it’s a series. There’s another game on Saturday. Take care of home and come back here Game 5. Every game is different. I know it feels bad, we had a chance to win this one but we’ll be ready come Saturday.”


    ON IF THE FRUSTRATION OF LOSING THE LEAD:

    “Yeah, but at the end of the day it’s one game. No matter how you lost it, if you got blown out, if you lost the lead or whatever the case may be. One loss is one loss. They took care of home, now it’s time to go back to Portland.”


    ON THE DIFFERENCE DOWN THE STRETCH:

    “They put you in a lot of tough positions. Obviously, there’s always things you’re going to be able to clean up. Just be very encouraged. I think we got good shots, we made some big shots. Give them credit, they really played well tonight.”


    ON HOW ENCOURAGED THE TEAM IS GOING BACK TO PORTLAND:

    “Very encouraged. Like I said, we were encouraged after Game 1 when we didn’t play as well and we are just as encouraged now. We feel like we’ve proven we can play with those guys and we can win. It’s about sustaining it, which is the toughest part.”
     
  7. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

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    Draymond Green

    Game 2: Warriors Postgame

    Golden State 114, Portland 111

    Q. When you got your fourth foul, it looked like you really didn't want to come out. I just wanted to see if that was the case, and then the other question is, I think you played the last seven and a half minutes with five. How do you play with intensity in that situation without picking up that No. 6?
    DRAYMOND GREEN: I mean, I don't think anyone ever wants to come out when you pick up a foul that may take you out of the game, especially in a situation like this, where you know, we're on our home court fighting, try to go to Portland with a 2-0 lead and I picked up my fifth. I mean, if I'm -- just play. If I'm going to be out there and play timid, then I may as well go sit on the bench, you know. When you're out there on the floor, you've got to give all that you got.

    I played aggressive on the defensive side of the ball, so I can't take that away because everyone on our team is used to me playing aggressive on that side. So if I stopped that, they don't know what to do because they are used to me playing a certain way, so I just got to play and just try not to reach. You know, if I just move my feet and don't reach, live with the results.

    Q. With Steph [Curry] and Klay [Thompson] doing this so often together, what sort of leadership qualities did you see them showing tonight, especially with KD [Kevin Durant] being out?
    DRAYMOND GREEN: I think their leadership was huge. Everything was going against us, and you know, like I said, I was in foul trouble, and they just kept going. They continued to fight. You know, I mean, it's when we needed them most. We were down 17 points there in the third quarter. We could have folded but those guys continued to will us on both sides of the ball and got us back in the game.

    You know, everybody who touched the floor, whether it was from the bench, starters, everybody was playing hard. Every continued to will us and we finally was able to gain some traction and turn the game around.

    Q. You have an opportunity to play for your fourth championship. What do you make of this great time in your career?
    DRAYMOND GREEN: I mean, it's special. You know, to be able to play for a fourth championship in five years, to be able to possibly three-peat, you know, it's a special time and one that, you know, you really try to relish. We know that, you know, these runs don't last forever, and obviously there are so many questions and things that could possibly happen with this team this summer. So want to try to take advantage of this opportunity and make the most of it, and deal with the things that come after whenever those things arrive, but right now, we're focused on the task at hand and try to do something that hasn't been done in a long time, or many times.

    Q. The possession, the pretty bounce pass through the paint for the dunk by Iggy [Andre Iguodala] and then the following one to hit [Kevon] Looney, how much were you seeing the defense and reading the floor?
    DRAYMOND GREEN: I almost threw the one to Dre too soon because I know with Steph flying off like that, both defenders was going to go with him and he was going to be wide open. As a passer, that's like heaven. You've got Steph coming from all the way from the other side of the floor, flying off and knowing Dre is going to slip to the room like nobody is there, I almost got ahead of myself.

    You know, just really reading and reacting. And then the one to Looney, the big step up, the lob is there. Just trying to take what the defense give me and really committing to Steph, which means we have a four-on three on the back side and they are keeping the guy on Klay's body, so at that point I was three-on-two on the back side and just try to take whatever's there and make the right read.

    Q. How aware are you of the dynamic and the back and forth of Steph and Seth Curry going at war in this series, especially the way it turned out tonight with Seth stealing a ball and hitting the big shot and what do you think that's like for his parents up there in the crowd wearing their jerseys backwards?
    DRAYMOND GREEN: I mean, as a parent, what more can you ask for, especially -- Sonya [Curry] is amazing and I love her, but Dell [Curry] as a father who has played in the NBA, like that's a completely different thing. And then obviously we all know a mother's love is like no other. You see the video on TV, Seth hitting the three and Dell standing there like this smiling and Sonya is going crazy. I can only imagine what that feels like.

    And them two, growing up in the backyard playing against each other their whole life, whether it's video games, in the backyard playing one-on-one, whatever it is -- I've got a big brother. You compete your entire life. And to be on this stage, it don't get much better than this.

    Me on the outside looking in, I really don't give a damn (laughter). I hope Seth miss every shot and get destroyed by Steph. Yeah, he had too good of a game tonight for my liking but he was definitely amazing.

    Q. We got the update on Kevin before the game. Obviously you guys are a better team with him. I know you'd love to have him back, but at this point, are you guys mentally preparing as if he's not going to be back in this series?
    DRAYMOND GREEN: I think you have to as a player. You know, we can't sit and look over our shoulder and say, "Hey, man, when is K going to be back." We just got to play with whatever we got. We got to play and give him an opportunity to get back, and I think that's what really falls on our shoulders. Obviously like you said, we're a much better team with him on the floor, and that's on both sides of the ball but right now we're a very confident group and you know we got everybody stepping up and giving great minutes and that's what it's all about.

    You know, so I mean, hopefully he's back sooner than later, but you know, as a guy who is in the war, in the battle every night, we can't sit and look over our shoulder and wonder when he or DeMarcus [Cousins] is coming back. We have to assume that -- this year, they are never coming -- I know something will be made of that (laughter) -- we have to assume they are not coming back and play with what we got.

    Obviously, we are hoping that they do. But while they are not out there, we just got to play.

    Q. You guys are down eight late in the game, and it almost feels like they are at that point, they are playing not to mess up, and you guys are out there playing freely and confident still, despite the situation. Is that just confidence that develops over time, being in these type of situations, year after year after year and being at the top?
    DRAYMOND GREEN: I don't know if they were necessarily playing not to mess up, but I mean, they missed a few shots that they normally make. You have CJ [McCollum] who had a couple great looks and they didn't fall. But you know, we've been here before. And when you are on a run like we are currently in, you've seen everything.

    And so we're down eight points with what, four minutes to go or whatever it was, just got to keep going, because we know we can erase eight points in a minute. So always understanding that, and having confidence in that is key, but at the same time, understanding what it takes and what needs to be done in order to do that is just as important, if not more important.

    So I think our experience really paid off tonight and just having a bunch of guys that's never going to quit.

    Q. When other coaches, opponents, are talking about your play-making ability, they talk about your intelligence and instincts. You talked about that with seeing the defense step up and knowing what to do. What about the intelligence part? Are you taking notes on how the defense is playing you?
    DRAYMOND GREEN: I think so. You know, one thing Coach [Steve Kerr] told me during the game, he said, "Draymond, they are taking the lob away. You may just be able to get all the way to the basket." And so I think once I started coming out with a mindset of attacking, and looking like I was going to attack, then at that point, you really force the defender to make a decision.

    Early on in the game, I was kind of coming out of the pick-and-roll and looking for the lob the entire time. I'm telegraphing it. You know, being a play maker is something I take pride in. It's something I love to do. You know, I love to make a play for someone else more than I even like shooting the ball and I've been that way my whole life. Just thankful that they guarded the way they did tonight and it was able to work for us.

    Q. Jordan [Bell] had another good game, I think it was his third straight good game in the playoffs. How have you seen him evolve over the season?
    DRAYMOND GREEN: I think he's evolved mostly mentally. Obviously he's shooting the ball better. He's more confident in his little 10 to 14-foot range. He's shooting his free throws better. You know, he's gotten more intelligent. I think all those things are great but more important than all of that, his mental. His professionalism. I think that's where he's grown the most and I think right now, that's paying off for him the most. It's not like he's out there taking seven mid-range jumpshots. He's just playing hard, and so it's the professionalism. It's the staying ready, being in the gym nonstop, even when you're not playing for 10 games straight, staying in the gym, being there early and getting the work in. That's what's paying off for him now. You know, as a vet on this team, you see those things and you know, this guy been in the gym, and when his number get called, he's either going to be ready or not. We have confidence in Jordan because we know how it's been going in the gym all year long.

    Q. Iguodala, the last play of the game, you guys were really hyped up, looked like you wanted to play immediately after that. What's your thoughts on him making that defensive play at the end of the game?
    DRAYMOND GREEN: Oh, it's not a surprise because he gets that strip quite a bit. I think the most important thing right there in that situation is Dre's intelligent. You see Dame break the three-point line and try to push off and step back. Dre wasn't going to let him go, so once he tried to push off, Dre was already bracing for the push-off because he was trying to take the three away, anyway.

    So you know, so many times, you know, as a player, naturally, when a guy get by you, you're going to try to recover. That's just a mindset, like a guy beats you, you're going to try to recover. That's what he's trying to go for right there. We've all seen a million times Dame drive left and he steps back and shoots a three.

    We've seen that story before. Dre was ready for it, and no matter how far he had got by him or was about to get by him, he didn't try to recover. He just stayed on his hip and he was ready to take a three-point shot away, and then I think at this point, now that's a patented move for him where he's going to strip the offensive player when they go to try to shoot the ball and he got a good one right there and closed the game out for us.
     
  8. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

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    WARRIORS GUARD/FORWARD ANDRE IGUODALA


    ON WHAT HE SAW ON THE LAST PLAY:

    “Well you look at the time and situation, up three so the one thing that you don’t want to do is give up a three. You actually can take risks outside the three-point lines and be extra aggressive. The key is not to give that up. If the guy drives by you, then you still have the lead. When you look at it that way, it wasn’t that good of a play. I just take odds on what you want to do and if the odds are in your favor then for something like that to happen outside of the three point line.”


    ON WHETHER HE CAN REMEMBER ANY OTHER WALK OFF STEAL THAT HE HAD:

    “There may have been others. I know that I got called on a foul on one, Hedo Turgolu, when I was in Philly and he played in Orlando. I got a clean strip and they called a foul and he went up and won the game. So I remember that one we lost. Those are the only two that I can remember.”


    ON THE PERFORMANCE OF THE BENCH:

    “Jordan (Bell) did a really good job for us tonight with his energy. We had Quinn (Cook) who played so well in the first game. A lot of attention was thrown at him. People don’t understand the dynamics of the game when you are a threat out there, it will open it up for another guy, where the other team might not give as much respect to offensively. With Quinn making shots and Jonas (Jerebko) made some shots last game, Shaun (Livingston) was a threat playing around the post area, you kind of pick and choose your poison. In our system the way the ball moves and the way that our shooters are a threat, we have guys that take advantage of those situations and opportunities that come their way. It is not easy that it comes their way, they have to come out and get it. Jordan Bell is one of those guys who has got that energy. He thrives off the spotlight. He enjoys being in those moments and people are watching him. He takes advantage of that.”
     
  9. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

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    Klay Thompson

    Game 2: Warriors Postgame

    Golden State 114, Portland 111

    Q. When you guys made that big run in the third quarter, I know that's a team effort, but how much of that impetus came from Draymond [Green] and the energy he was bringing and the way he was pushing the pace for you guys?
    KLAY THOMPSON: Draymond has been special all playoffs, his ability to get the rebound and push the ball and make the right decision is incredible. You've seen it. He's a point guard out there in a power forward's body and when he goes, we go. You know, he was tremendous tonight.

    Q. Third quarter again, what do you think got you going, especially with how you looked in the first quarter?
    KLAY THOMPSON: A couple easy looks from three and my -- I mean, 8-for-22 is not the best percentage but I'm happy with the looks I got all night. Easily could be 11-for-22. Missed a couple layups and a couple jumpers, but you can never lose confidence. That's the reason why is all is takes is one or two shots to get going. Luckily I made them in a timely fashion because we needed to hit a couple three-balls down to spread the court.

    Q. Do you feel this was a win that was a win out of experience? The Blazers have some good players, but you've been here throughout the years and been in situations like this.
    KLAY THOMPSON: You can definitely credit it to experience. I mean, when you play in 100-plus playoff games, I'm not going to say it feels normal but it feels like you -- like you've been there before, and even being down eight with six minutes left, we knew the game was far from out of reach. I mean, that lineup, you know, me, Andre [Iguodala], Steph [Curry] and Draymond logged a lot of minutes of basketball together and throw [Kevon] Looney in there who was special tonight, that's a mini-death lineup in itself.

    Q. Warriors announced before the game, they might have told you before, that Kevin [Durant] is going to be out for at least another week, re-evaluated in a week. That takes him pretty deep in the series, if not until the end of it. Does it change your approach or the way you think about the series and anything beyond it, knowing that he's in question?
    KLAY THOMPSON: Well, we miss him. I mean, that's obvious to say. Does not change my approach. Just got to go out there and play my style of basketball and just hope for a speedy recovery. It's unfortunate but part of the game and we desperately need him to three-peat and that's no secret about that.

    Q. You've seen Andre Iguodala 's hands and probably played against them in practice. What is it like to see him use those hands to steal a game for you guy at the end?
    KLAY THOMPSON: It's incredible. That's why he's a perennial All-Defensive player. He's actually a good boxer. He's a good golfer. His hands are great. I mean, he's been swiping at the ball since he got in this league. You know, I actually read "Mamba Mentality," the book and Kobe [Bryant] gives him a great shout out of how good of hands he has, and you saw tonight, he has some of the best hands in the world.

    Q. Having a front-row seat for the Curry battle, could you give us an insight on stuff you hear, like the trash talk, stuff that you hear that we don't?
    KLAY THOMPSON: I wouldn't say I had a front-row seat. I was kind of out there playing (laughter).

    But they were -- Seth [Curry] was incredible tonight. He almost won the game for them. We got to do a better job on him. Had 16 points. That's a huge impact, plus-13, so we got to try and eliminate his looks the next game, and what a special time to be in the Curry family because you never know when this will ever happen again. I'm enjoying it because I know how hard they work, so I'm definitely enjoying it.

    Q. You know, you know what this is like. You played with your brother in the state championship. You all won the state championship. When you do see things like that, I mean, generally, for the love, for the competition, that spark, that fire, does it make you a better person or a better player, playing against your sibling like that?
    KLAY THOMPSON: It does. I mean, growing up, you don't play against anyone harder than your brother. So it's probably just like being in the backyard for both of them, and like I said before, such a great time for the NBA and for them. I mean, the Gasol brothers never got to face off against each other in the Western Finals, but the Curry's are.

    There's been a lot of brothers in the history of the game and to see them going for the fist in the Western Finals, it's incredible and it will be a story forever told, especially in the Bay Area. I'm happy for both of them because I know how hard they work and you've got a great memory, because I really did enjoy playing with my brother, as well.
     
  10. SlyPokerDog

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    WARRIORS FORWARD JORDAN BELL


    ON WHAT HE HAS LEARNED FROM WATCHING KEVON LOONEY:

    “Kevon is a great player. The main thing I learned from him is his patience and his position on defense. Obviously I’m more athletic, but he does a great job of standing people up and just being in the right position and things like that, so I learned a lot from him.”


    ON WHAT TONIGHT’S PERFORMANCE CAN DO FOR HIS CONFIDENCE:

    “When you’re playing, that’s the most confidence right there. Just experience. I was lacking on that, so when the coach calls your name in Game 6 against Houston at their place, and a game where we can possibly end it there, it gives you a lot of confidence going into the (next) series.”


    ON THE WAY DRAYMOND GREEN PLAYED WITH FIVE FOULS:

    “Yeah, definitely. He’s an intelligent basketball player, so he understands how many fouls he has and he understands that we need him on the floor. I’m pretty sure he was more locked in after getting that fifth foul than ever the whole game. We have plenty of confidence in Draymond, we know what he does day in and day out.”
     
  11. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

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    Stephen Curry

    Game 2: Warriors Postgame

    Golden State 114, Portland 111

    Q. How much did Draymond [Green] fuel that last few minutes, and you guys have been here before, he said we can erase eight points in four minutes if we need to, that experience factor. How much did that come into?
    STEPH CURRY: Being down 15 at the half and like you said, starting the fourth quarter, I think it was tied and we were up eight at some point, never losing our composure. I understand we can get some stops, create some good open looks and get back into the game. Obviously we don't want to be in that position and every game is different and just got to find a way to win and that's what we did. Winning plays, everybody contributed. Like the last five that was out there, Klay [Thompson] playing great defense, [Kevon] Looney taking on the one-on-one challenge with CJ [McCollum], obviously Andre [Iguodala] at the end, Draymond, finding Looney for a lob and finishing at the rim. Everybody contributed. Very exciting way to win. We've got to play better in the first half for sure.

    Q. That third quarter was really the turning point of the game, brought you guys back into it. As a team, you're no strangers to third quarter explosions like that. What makes you as a team so lethal in that third frame?
    STEPH CURRY: I've never had a good answer for that, I don't know what it is. We obviously got challenged at halftime to play with more energy, more fight, more competitiveness and we obviously answered it, but I don't know what it is, finding that edge, you know, when our back's against the wall. Obviously you don't win every game but we competed and it was an exciting brand of basketball for that 12 minutes, and gave ourselves a chance to win down the stretch. You know, down 15, that's -- it was 13-0 run coming out at halftime, that's crazy. We done it before and we don't want to be in those situations.

    Q. Given you and Klay have produced so well as a tandem over the years, what are your leadership approaches without Kevin Durant versus normal circumstances?
    STEPH CURRY: It's pretty much the same. We don't change our personality or anything. It's just, again, when you're missing a guy like that that can produce 30 points, however many rebounds, and just creates so much attention, it changes the way you play a little bit but when we have those opportunities to be aggressive, do what we do, feed off the other guys that are out there, you know, moving without the ball, just taking shots that we know we can take and make, playing with that aggressiveness, that's normal for us. But it's leadership-wise in terms of what we are saying, how we are handling ourselves, and the energy that we play with, that never changes.

    Q. Take us inside Curry versus Curry, especially in to night's game when it was so close and you both had so much to do with how the outcome went, and he was kind of really going at you, took the ball away from you a couple times and took the shot. What's that like for you guys?
    STEPH CURRY: This was like the coolest experience I think I've ever had playing against him. We talked about the stage and he was -- he was amazing tonight. You know, every minute he was out there defensively, he was a pest. Made three big shots the fourth quarter that were very timely and for my parents, I know we talked about the whole series, and these last two games, it's probably nerve-wracking as heck for them, but it worked out perfectly tonight: He played well and we won (laughter).

    Q. You're up 2-0 like you were last series. Going to Portland, it's [19] years last time they played a Western Conference Final. What are you expecting in that environment, and where does the mental have to be as you approach Game 3?
    STEPH CURRY: If we can bottle up our performance in the second half tonight and carry that on the plane with us tomorrow and get off to a good start on Saturday, that obviously will be helpful. But they have an amazing atmosphere. It's loud. It's energetic. The fans really care. They are passionate. I know they are going to be excited. We got to do whatever we can to hopefully take them out of it early. Knowing Portland is going to feed off that energy, it's going to be tough to win up there, so we got to bring it.

    Q. You faced Iguodala in a playoff series and know how great his hands are when he's guarding you. What's it like going up against somebody with those hands because he came up with a big steal tonight?
    STEPH CURRY: He's been doing it for years. He's got a knack for it. He has strong hands and uses his wingspan really well and he's just smart, speaks so highly of a guy that can have a game like he had, where offensively, there weren't many opportunities, but he makes the biggest play of the game to help us win, and he's so excited about that part, his role for our team. We going to celebrate that. So he's unbelievable. Every time he does it, it's kind of -- I wouldn't say it's surprising but you're kind of in awe of it because not many guys can make plays like that consistently.

    Q. Are you guys talking out there, you and Seth [Curry]? Is there trash talk? You're three years older, so you probably did that growing up, too, but probably what you say as men is probably different than what you said as boys?
    STEPH CURRY: Yeah, it's not as much as you would think but there is some. The game is going so fast you don't really have that much time to go back and forth. Obviously, as much as I love him and we have history and all that, just playing basketball. He tried to distract me at the free throw line in the fourth quarter, and I knew how to kind of go back at him to stay focused on what I needed to do.

    Yeah, it's just fun. I have to catch myself a couple times because I do want to go and just have little small talk, whatever, but the game, got to stay locked in.

    Q. Teams like to post up Draymond and go at him on the perimeter. What are you thinking when you see teams like actively attack Draymond despite the low success rate?
    STEPH CURRY: I'm pretty confident that's going to work out in our favor as a team. He loves those challenges whether he's oversized or whatever the case they want to target him, doesn't happen that often, but when it does and you see that, the fire in his eyes light up gets us all going.

    His energy is contagious and when he's locked in and focused and playing like he did tonight, we're tough to beat.

    Q. Do you kind of like live in the moment, understanding that you guys are the leaders of a potential dynasty?
    STEPH CURRY: I don't think in those terms. It's just every opportunity we have to play, you know, these are big moments, big games, and the context of what this five-year run has been and all that stuff doesn't really dominate my mind when we're out there competing.

    We know what's at stake and what we're chasing this year, this series, this game, and that's the only way that you can really get your -- put your best foot forward in terms of trying to get back to the mountaintop. You know, we'll have plenty of time when we lace -- you know, hang the sneakers up to really go back and think about all the different experiences and highs and lows, but right now, you know, we're two games away from another Finals appearance. It's pretty special.

    Q. You guys certainly missed Kevin Durant and he may not be back for another week. Do you feel comfortable enough now that you have the cast of characters that you guys brought even Andrew [Bogut] back that you guys can get it done without KD?
    STEPH CURRY: We're confident we can win but we would much rather have him playing. So we're going to hold the fort down till he gets back and go win another championship with our full squad. You know, him and DeMarcus [Cousins], as well. We understand how great of players they are and how they raise our ceiling even higher.

    But to your point, yeah, we feel like we can still win games no matter who is out there on the floor and that's why we're in the position that we are and have won championships with all the injuries we had and all that type of stuff. We know what the mission is, and we're on it right now.
     
  12. SlyPokerDog

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    WARRIORS FORWARD KEVON LOONEY


    ON IF EXPERIENCE CONTRIBUTED TO BEING IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIM:

    “Yeah, got some crucial minutes last year in the playoffs, playing all season, been playing my role. This series and the last few series’, Draymond (Green) has been throwing me lobs, I’ve just been in the right spot at the right time. Those are drills we do every day in practice so I’m prepared for it.”


    ON CALCULATING LOB PLAYS:

    “Not an accident, it’s something that we work on every day. If I miss one of those I know Draymond is going to be on me. I know they have the ultimate confidence in me and trust in me so I know when he gets the ball in the paint he’s going to throw it up to me and make sure I go up there and finish it.”


    ON CONTRIBUTING AT THIS LEVEL AFTER A TOUGH JOURNEY:

    “Definitely, coming in my first couple years I was hurt a lot and had to watch from the sideline. I had dreamed about playing and getting in these games and being part of the team and making a contribution. The last few years I’ve been able to help and my roles getting bigger every year and I get a lot more confidence in myself and it felt good.”


    ON WARRIORS’ COACH STEVE KERR SAYING THE TEAM STOLE THE WIN TONIGHT:

    “Definitely. Game one we were clicking on all cylinders and we felt good about the game. Coming into next game we knew they were going to come out swinging, punches first. We didn’t react great first half, had us down by 15 points. Coming out of half time, we knew we had to pick up our energy and play more desperate and we did that. They took our run and they punched us back, but at the end we made plays down the stretch to win”


    ON THE BATTLE BETWEEN STEPHEN (CURRY) AND SETH (CURRY):

    “It was tough watching Seth drain a couple shots on me. He hit some big shots for them. Steph is going to be Steph. He’s going to take big shots and make shots. It was fun watching them guys play against each other. Next game, hopefully Seth isn’t hitting as many shots as this game.”
     
  13. TBpup

    TBpup Writing Team

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    "We couldn't necessarily run something to run a play..."

    Seriously? With 10 seconds left? Exactly how much time do you need to run a play? That is just plain embarrassing.
     
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