LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS MEDIA CONFERENCE

June 6, 2021

Kristaps Porzingis

Postgame Press Conference

Clippers - 126, Mavericks - 111

Q. Obviously you guys did take the lead here in the third quarter. Why do you think it got away from you so quickly? And when you look back on this series, what do you think are going to be the biggest regrets?

KRISTAPS PORZINGIS: The third quarter run, it's a game of runs. We made our run. We started off hot from the 3. Doro hit a shot right away. Tim hit a shot in transition. Luka made a play. And it was eight points and it was a tie game. They called a timeout. We were able to be there for a little bit.

Then they made a little run, went up five and we called timeout. And it's a game of runs and those things are going to happen. And they shot the ball really well from 3 today.

We fought as hard as we could and sometimes shots go in, sometimes they don't. And tonight it was one of those nights we could have made more shots from the outside but we did play pretty good basketball, I felt like.

And my biggest regret, good question. I don't think I have the answer to it.

Q. As you assess what has happened obviously in a disappointing loss here, how would you assess how the team handled themselves throughout the season in terms of the adversity you guys went through to get to this point but still not getting to where you wanted to go at the end of the season?

KRISTAPS PORZINGIS: Looking back at the whole season and even last season all together just kind of feels like one super long year with the bubble, and especially for myself also because of the meniscus, I had to get that fixed. And then I started the season late without practices, all those things adding up.

It's been an up and down year. COVID, a lot of guys out. Didn't start the year off playing well or at least our record didn't show it. We had a tough schedule early on and then as the season went on we got into a better rhythm and got more wins together and ended up more or less where we expected ourselves to be.

But we could have even probably finished -- if we had a little more luck we could have finished even in a better spot, better seed. But that's how it goes. And it's been an interesting year.

Q. How do you feel about your fit with this franchise moving forward?

KRISTAPS PORZINGIS: How do I feel? I'm good. I tried to put in the work. I try to work hard. Do I my part. I listen to the coaches, what's I'm asked for to do. And that's it. I try to keep it simple for myself so I'm not overthinking things. And I try to focus on what I can control and that's being a better basketball player, going into the offseason hungry, wanting to get better physically on the basketball court. I'm going to put that work in to get better and the rest of the stuff will resolve itself. So I try to focus on what I can control.

Q. In the same way we talked a lot about how you adapted, how you were playing on the court for this series, because you felt it was the best way for the team to win. I assume that going forward the role, you played in the last few games isn't the role you would want to play with this team; is that true? And what do you see your role on the basketball court with this team going forward?

KRISTAPS PORZINGIS: Yeah, I don't know. I haven't really been thinking about that. I've been so in the moment, so locked in the series just doing my part just, working hard on the court offensively and defensively, doing what I'm asked to do. Of course there's a little bit of mental battle because that's not what I'm used to doing and where I'm most comfortable at. But I kind of went back a little bit to my mind, in my rookie year where just offensive rebound, play hard on defense, run the court, and do all the little things that how I can affect the game. And that's what I do in this series. And whatever I do it seems like it's always something. I just try to be as professional as I can.

Q. What do you feel like this roster needs in order to take that next step? What's the piece you feel like is missing for this team?

KRISTAPS PORZINGIS: I didn't mean that about the previous team, when I said that last sentence.

Q. Just saying what do you feel like this team needs in order to take that next step? What's the missing piece of the puzzle for this team to become more than a first-round exit?

KRISTAPS PORZINGIS: Good question. I don't know. I don't know. That's, again, something -- that's not really my job. I don't know -- people up here are really smart and they'll make the right decisions to put this franchise to move forward. And that's it. I'm here to play as good as I can and do my part and help my teammates and help this organization go forward.