LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS MEDIA CONFERENCE

June 8, 2021

Tyronn Lue

Postgame Press Conference

Utah Jazz 112, Los Angeles Clippers 109.

Q. What went into the decision to close out with Rondo, especially considering he played six minutes; T-Mann played eight.

TYRONN LUE: Say that again?

Q. What went into the decision to play Rondo down the stretch after Reggie fouled out, as opposed to like a T-Mann?

TYRONN LUE: Because that's what I thought was best for our team.

Q. Say again?

TYRONN LUE: That's what I thought was right for our team.

Q. What did you see that fit that lineup?

TYRONN LUE: The pace in the first half, getting open shots, we had a push, push the tempo and having a point guard on the floor because without Reggie on the floor we needed a point guard on the floor, so that's what we did.

Q. What made it so difficult in the third and the fourth to score? What were the Jazz doing on defense that made it difficult for you guys to get into the stuff you wanted to get to?

TYRONN LUE: I'm going to take a look at it but I thought their physicality second half picked up, picking up full court, getting it to us and being physical and we didn't match that physicality on the offensive end, taking the ball out-of-bounds on the sideline or baseline out-of-bounds, they get into us and we had a couple turnovers that left ease-baskets for those guys. We have to own our space come back in Game 2, own our space, and being more physical on the offensive end.

Q. It seems like tonight it was kind of a pick-your-poison, either Donovan Mitchell or threes from the outside, and I wonder just defensively what typed of matchups or adjustments can you make to see how they are able to -- especially in the second half, hit you guys with a lot of everything?

TYRONN LUE: We'll watch the film and we'll see. Donovan Mitchell had it going tonight so late in the game try to blitz and try to it do a little fire. But he had it going, to hats or to him for having a good game. But we'll look at the film and we'll make some adjustments.

Q. Was fatigue a factor at all with some of the guys minutes being down?

TYRONN LUE: Yeah, I think so. But you know, like I said, if we want to play ten guys in the first half just to see where we're at and get our legs up under us, we didn't want it wear guys out early on in the game, and I thought our bench guys came in and did a great job in the second half, just let down, a lot left in the tank, but we made some mental mistakes as well. So we have to clean those things up and we'll be ready to go for Game 2.

Q. Any thought to calling a time-out before the last possession?

TYRONN LUE: No.

Q. You didn't want the defense to get set?

TYRONN LUE: I didn't want to take Gobert out of the game or have them switch the guys in or talk about as a team if they wanted to foul or not, but I just thought getting a stop and getting down on a break with Gobert on the floor was going to generate an open three, but he did a good job of closing out to the kosher. I have watch it but that's the best time to try to get a three especially when a team doesn't knee if they are going to foul or what they are going to do coming down in transition.

Q. Are there a couple things that you can take positively to Game 2?

TYRONN LUE: Our guys coming off the bench; the way they played and getting a chance to see who can play in series and who can't in Game 1 and I thought we did a great job in the first half. We came out in the third quarter a little sluggish not making the right play and not making the right shots and they got going offensively. Just cleaning that up, and like I said, we'll be better going into Game 2.

Q. What do you make of Zu's contribution in this game? Seeped like you wanted to stagger his minutes when Gobert was on the floor, how do you see his role shaping out in the series against Gobert?

TYRONN LUE: I think having a bigger role. I think Zu was great tonight, really protecting the paint. I thought he did a good job, blocked a couple shots, rebounded the basketball, just being a big body inside and being physical. Zu was great tonight, so it was good to see.