LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS MEDIA CONFERENCE

August 14, 2020

Sam Cassell

Postgame Press Conference

Clippers 107, Thunder 103, OT

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Sam.

Q. What was it like out there for you in the head coaching spot, designing plays down the stretch, coming up with the victory?

SAM CASSELL: It was a good experience. I think Doc and Ty Lue has prepared me for the situation. Just went out and did the things that I learned through my mentors. I am older than Ty Lue, but he's my mentor. He has been to four straight NBA Finals, Doc been to a couple of them. Go out there and do what I know how to do, get the team prepared, let them have fun, play together as a unit. Most important thing, win the ballgame.

Q. Seen you with players laughing in practice. How do you feel as an assistant? What do you feel you add when you're building that camaraderie with those guys?

SAM CASSELL: Our organization, everything is about hard work and enjoying your hard work. We come to practice, I like to make sure the guys be just solid, relaxed. But we get a lot of things done.

We play hard, play for each other. That's what you saw tonight.

Q. With the Dallas series now two days away, what are your early thoughts on that matchup?

SAM CASSELL: Well, we going to enjoy this game right here tonight. We look at Dallas tomorrow. We have a great staff that going to prepare our guys to play Monday night. We'll be ready to play like I know the Dallas Mavericks are going be ready to play.

Q. In your career you were such a Playoff-tested guy. What do you think about a guy like Kawhi, his experience, knows what it's like to play in the Finals? What kind of role do you think he'll have on the group?

SAM CASSELL: Kawhi Leonard is our quiet leader. He's not a rah-rah guy. He's not a guy that's going to cheer every time he makes a big shot. He's a guy that's going to lead by example. We're glad to have him as part of Clipper Nation. Looking forward to playing these Playoffs.

Q. You're as close to the players as anybody. What have you seen from this team chemistry-wise in the bubble? How have they gotten closer? What kind of bonds have they developed?

SAM CASSELL: Before the pandemic hit, our team was coming together as a unit. We won 10 out of 11 games. Our guys was finding their rhythm right there.

We came down here to Orlando. We have one goal: try to get into these Finals, compete, compete, play for each other, play hard, try to bring a championship to the Clippers.

Q. Obviously the past few weeks in the bubble haven't been the easiest. What is your perception of how Doc has been as a leader through all this?

SAM CASSELL: This has made Doc Rivers one of the best coaches in NBA history because he know how to handle situations like this. He's a former player. He understand that it was kind of uncomfortable the first week or two down here.

But we have a goal. He made sure we kept to our goal. Now Playoffs start two or three days from now. We looking forward to it.

Q. How nice was it to see the young fellas, Terance and Amir, play so well tonight?

SAM CASSELL: We expect the same things from our young guys that we expect from our stars of our team. Want them to play hard, play together. I'm coaching them hard. Doc is up there the first half, he coached them hard. It's just in our system to win games.

Those guys did a great job doing the things we needed them to do for us to win a basketball game. We won the game tonight.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Sam.

SAM CASSELL: Thank.