LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS MEDIA CONFERENCE

June 14, 2021

Rudy Gobert

Jazz Postgame Press Conference

Clippers - 118, Jazz - 104

Q. What would you say, is there anything you can point to that would -- the main defensive problems in especially that first quarter, that first half?

RUDY GOBERT: I think it starts with offense. The same thing in Game 3. When we turn it over, we took tough shots. It's hard for us to be able to run back and set our defense. And they take advantage of that. We foul, and they get in the bonus.

We don't communicate enough. So we give up quite a bit of 3s or layups or dunks, and then they get going. And then when it's half court, we do a good job guarding them, but we get stops or they make some tough shots because they have that confidence and they're feeling good.

So I think it's kind of a cycle -- when we play the right way offensively we kind of break that cycle. It's harder for them to score on us and we set our defense.

Q. Quin was caught on camera saying to you guys early in the first half that you guys were in your own heads. Do you agree with that, and if so how do you kind of break that and get back to playing like you guys did in the second half, consistently?

RUDY GOBERT: They came out really aggressive. And they tried to force our guys to play one-on-one and make tough plays in the first quarter. And they did a great job forcing us into tough shots or turnovers.

When we started to settle down a little bit, move the ball from side to side, use our bigs, like, you know, it was a different game. And all of a sudden they were fouling. We're getting to the line. We have 3s, dunks. And it's the way we play, the way we've played in Game 1 and Game 2, and that's Jazz basketball. That's that the way we want to play.

We have to give them credit. But at the same time it's on us to be tough mentally and execute and get where we want to get. And where we want to get is the rim first and then it opens up everything for everybody else -- the 3s and the big -- or the joint fouls. And we've done that pretty well. We did that well in the second half.

Q. Quin talked about the problems with second-chance points. And that goes to rebounding, kind of the strength of your game. What can be done so you guys really control the backboards in Game 5?

RUDY GOBERT: It's the same thing, when they get an advantage, we get cross-matched and we are kind of scrambling and they're able to get a good shot. And the miss is usually the same for the rebound. We're scrambling on the rebound.

And it takes a team effort to really, keep playing, not stop, not ball watch. It starts with me and it starts with everybody else. We've got to make sure that we find somebody, box out -- and then they might get a few long ones. But if we were to do that then we'll get most of the rebounds, especially the 50/50 balls. We knew how important they are. And I think they got most of them tonight.