LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS MEDIA CONFERENCE

June 2, 2021

Tyronn Lue

Press Conference

Q. Is it the same starting lineup tonight as Game 4?

TYRONN LUE: Yes, sir.

Q. My question is, it's game 5, you guys have now had four games against each other. It seems like each team pretty much knows what the other is going to do schematically. Does a game and a series like this just come down to whoever executes better and the consistent attitude of guys on the floor?

TYRONN LUE: The playoffs is always about execution, on both sides of the floor. One possession on either side of the floor can change a game. So we understand that Game 4 we did a better job of executing our defensive plan, understanding what we wanted to take away and we did a great job in our game plan mistakes. And then offensively, we want to keep attacking the paint and I thought we did that early in that first quarter, getting to the paint, getting to the free-throw line, and getting those guys in the bonus early.

Q. You guys did a real good job Games 4 -- 3 and 4 against Tim Hardaway Jr. after he hurt you pretty good in the first two. What have you guys been doing different or just what have you been doing better?

TYRONN LUE: I think paying more attention, understanding what we're trying to do. We definitely want to limit his three-point shots. Starting Kawhi on the last couple of games we thought has been great, bringing a physicality, a bigger defender. So we want to make sure we're running him off the three-point line as best as possible, making him play inside the three, and I thought we did a great job of that in Game 4.

Q. When you guys first signed Nick, I'm curious did you ever like think, all right, this is a lineup, where we're going to run our own version of the death lineup with Marcus at the 4, Batum at the 5, or interchangeable or whatever it is, did you ever think you were going to run a lineup like that out, especially in the playoffs?

TYRONN LUE: I knew we would, but I didn't know about starting. I didn't know about starting that way. But, like I said, playoffs is a game of adjustments and you got to do what's best for the team and the idea of Zu and Pat Bev a lot of credit like I have the last couple games of just being about the team and understanding matchups and different circumstances. So they have been great. They have been leading the cheer squad on the sideline, keeping guys engaged, helping guys be engaged. Playoffs is about sacrifice and we talked about that early on, and our guys, they're showing you that right now.

Q. Given that that lineup didn't play at all during the regular season, only a few minutes in the playoffs before you started it, did you have any concerns about it, major concerns about it that you can share?

TYRONN LUE: Yeah, I mean, offensively, just Nick not knowing all the plays at the 5 position, but the last couple days we have been able to introduce a couple other things that we can run so we don't get stagnant. But I think defensively it's been great. I think being able to switch everything with Luka, being able to shrink the floor, having great low man activity and activation and then being able to fly around because we're a lot faster. So defensively it definitely helped us. And then it's given us spacing on the floor as well. So just kind of seeing what they do, what adjustment they'd make. They're probably going to go big tonight, knowing Rick, but we'll see.

Q. Wondering about your relationship with Rajon Rondo and sort of how he's kind of, as a coach when you have a guy like that out on the court what he does for your team as an extension of the coaching staff.

TYRONN LUE: He's been great. Since 2009 when I first met him and having an opportunity to coach him, that was my first assignment, Doc put me with Rondo and we built that relationship. And when I left after four years we had a great relationship and throughout his career he always called and asked me for advice or different situations or how I would handle different situations.

So it's been like a big brother role and then having him on the team now has been great. It's been great for Kawhi and PG and Marcus and our older guys to just, a guy who comes in every day with the team, watches film together. Rondo is kind of constructing that. So he's been great for our team, his leadership, and then we know how he plays and what he does in the playoffs. So he's been great.

Q. Do you always, did you, like when you had LeBron on your team, did you watch film with him? Is that something you do with certain players?

TYRONN LUE: Yeah, I mean, certain, different situations, in the playoffs if a team runs this play well, just talk to the guy like how would you defend it, how do you like it, what would you do and just kind of get their vision on it as well because it's to see it from another person's perspective. It's not like my way or the highway. Like, we want to get it right. No matter who bringing the right suggestion, we want to make sure we get it right and that's how we run our ship around here. I didn't cuss. I said "ship."

Q. You can just blame it on the mask too.

TYRONN LUE: Yeah.

Q. You mentioned yesterday that you're trying to get your offense going or at least you feel like your offense is due, and Kawhi and PG have done such a great job getting to the basket, getting great shots, but the only other guy in double figures in this series has been Reggie. So in terms of guarding against any potential letdown from Kawhi or Paul, like, what do you need to do to make sure other guys are in a spot where they can chip in over the course of this game tonight?

TYRONN LUE: Just make shots. We talked about just -- I wasn't really saying our offense. I was saying like we're due to have great shooting night and we haven't had it in this series yet. So coming home for Game 5, fans are going to be electric and I think tonight we're going to have a great shooting night, shooting 19 for 30 or something like, 50 percent from three would be great for us. So we're overdue for that.

Q. Now that you look at the film from obviously Game 1 through 4, what have you noticed has been the difference between the guys playing here at home versus on the road?

TYRONN LUE: I think Game 1's are always tricky in the playoffs because you never know what a team's going to do, the rotations, how they're going to guard your best players. They caught us off guard with double teaming Kawhi in the first game and PG as well. So we have been able to adjust to that. In the second game I think we scored 121 points, but defensively we wasn't able to keep up with them and slow them down. But throughout the course of a series every game's going to be different, we understand that, but we understand like how we want to attack offensively now, like we know what we want to do, what we're looking for. And defensively I think those first two games we made so many game plan mistakes that it hurt us. So we had to simplify our defense and make it as simple as possible and just kind of go from there so our players are not playing in thought.

Q. You kind of just touched on this, but you guys had your counter by moving Reggie and Nico into the starting lineup. Have you and the coaching staff talked about how you anticipated they might counter your counter, like either schematically or a lineup change, what are you expecting from them?

TYRONN LUE: We talked about it. I'm expecting they'll probably to start Boban, but we'll see. I don't know.