LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS MEDIA CONFERENCE

May 25, 2021

Maxi Kleber

Postgame Press Conference

Mavericks - 127, Clippers - 121

Mavericks

Q. In this game, in the first quarter, you came out extremely aggressive, 12 points, perfect 5-for-5 in the field. What was your mindset coming into this game after what happened in Game 1 to be able to come out as aggressive as you did?

MAXI KLEBER: I think everybody, we all had the same mindset coming out playing aggressive because we knew they were going to come at us, play more physical. The difference this time was Zubac was on me, and I had big opportunities, open 3s, and could attack the basket. And obviously I used that. But overall I think the mindset of the team in general was we want to attack. We want to be aggressors, even though we know they're going to come out and try to play aggressive.

Q. You obviously were on the receiving end of some trash talk last game. It seemed like you had a few things to say when Morris fouled out. What was going there and what was that dynamic?

MAXI KLEBER: I'm honestly not sure. I don't think I said much to him when he fouled out. But the whole game he's one of the guys who does a lot with his voice, that's part of his game. And you've just got to be ready for that as a player so you know what to expect.

I'm never really the guy to talk much. So obviously I'm trying to be quiet. Sometimes when it would get too much I would say something because you can't be stepped on obviously. But the most important thing in situations like that is just keep playing the game because we have a goal and we've got to focus on us and can't be distracted by that.

Q. What do you think the team still needs to do to improve in order to close the playoff series at home?

MAXI KLEBER: I think we gave them both games a lot of second-shot opportunities that we want to get rid of, do I abetter job of boxing out and just like the game plan discipline. I don't think -- right now it's a task about effort. But we can be smarter in certain situations and just adjust better and that's what we're going to do. We're going to fly back prepare for the next game because we have to expect them to do something different and just be ready for different stuff. And the most important stuff for us is to focus on us and playing within the system and just understanding the situations that could happen or what they could change and play in our system and play the right way.

Q. How easy has it been to be able to take advantage of the fact that they want to switch everything, and it seems like their switching has created a lot of space for you guys, not just in these games but really in all the games that you played against them this year because I don't think -- you've not shot below 49 percent in any game against them this year?

MAXI KLEBER: I think last year this year too we had some games where we got stagnant when teams switched. But I think we learned how to attack that. Obviously it helps a guy like Luka can create, they have to double team him. But then we have big time shooters which helps because they have to space out and it gives us opportunities to attack one-on-one. One of the biggest things for us is, when teams switch, we still play with flow, move the ball, not get stagnant, let them set. Because that way you create confusion and you get like open dunks by KP or shots by Tim and Dor and stuff like that. You just have to keep moving the ball even if they switch, not get stagnant.