On tonight’s turnovers:
“They are a good protection for a cause, and to beat this staff we now have to be actually sound in our execution and when weren’t and we’re moving into the paint and making an attempt to throw inside passes they’re actually good. They’re handsy, all of their guys that is what they do, they’ve carried out all of it season and it harm us. Every time we flip the ball over, they get out in transition, that they had 21 quick break factors, and some was their offense.”
On the message to the staff headed down 0-3 into Sport #4:
“It is not over. It is not over. Look, we’ve received one other sport right here at residence and we’re not going to repair all of our points tonight. Go residence, have a superb meal and we’ll come again tomorrow and apply and go over what we have to do and prepare for the following sport.”
On the Pelicans’ capturing struggles:
“I feel an issue with a number of the basketball neighborhood is that persons are so outcomes based mostly on their confidence and never simply based mostly on their work ethic. Like, I don’t care if I miss ten in a row. Like, I do know at the back of my head, I’ve had video games the place I missed loads, got here again, and hit 5 straight. Prefer it doesn’t actually matter for me. I do know for my teammates, we’ve simply received to proceed to shoot the ball. We have been the primary nook three-point capturing staff in all the league final 12 months—this 12 months. So, it’s not a fluke for a cause. We’ve simply received to shoot the ball.”
On the Thunder’s second quarter run:
“I’m certain us turning the ball over didn’t assist. After which they have been simply shifting the ball rather well and we had some defensive breakdowns. They have been making photographs and capitalizing off of our errors. I feel that’s simply what occurred.”
On the Thunder’s 14-0 within the second quarter run:
“Simply them pushing the tempo. They knocked a pair threes down. (Luguentz) Dort knocked a pair key three-pointers down. He’s been capturing the ball effectively from three. They simply proceed to push the tempo.”
On being the aggressor in right this moment’s sport:
“Yeah, they (New Orleans Pelicans) have been able to play, and I assumed we have been able to play. I assumed our physicality and our protection was centered on that finish of the ground. We made them earn every thing. I assumed that set the tone for us on the break and will make the offensive finish a bit simpler on some possessions, as a result of they’re clearly actually bodily as effectively.”
On sharing the ball:
“I imply with the best way we get performed we now have to unfold the ball to the perimeter and I assumed we did that on all our possessions, a few of these in transition, as effectively. They put (Larry) Nance on Josh (Giddey) a number of possessions. That gave him no matter he desires from three, however I assumed we had a extremely good tempo for probably the most half, getting the ball to the perimeter, need to proceed to take a look at methods to assault them.”
On increasing their lead all through the sport:
“Basketball is a sport of runs, we all know that. We’ve seen that each one 12 months. We at all times say it’s a 48-minute sport, and simply fear about stacking possessions. We did so. Due to it, we received the final 3 video games.”
On if the Play-In sport final season towards the Pelicans ready the staff for tonight’s sport in New Orleans:
“Completely. Each expertise you reside by way of, and also you study. That’s what we did by way of that have. In all 82 video games this season, we realized from each expertise. We attempt to get higher from it and prepare for this second.”
On the staff’s method to right this moment’s sport:
“We knew this staff was going to make changes. We did as effectively. We made changes, they did as effectively. They’re a superb staff, however hopefully we are able to shut this collection out.”
On setting the tone defensively:
“We hang around hats on that finish of the ground. Our coaches gave us an incredible sport plan. We’ve nice defenders on this staff that may execute. They’ve received good gamers, so we now have to defend at a high-level. [Holding a team to] 85 factors in a playoff sport is a really winnable rating.”
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