LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS MEDIA CONFERENCE

June 18, 2021

Mike Conley

Jazz Postgame Press Conference

Clippers - 131, Jazz - 119

Q. Can you take us through how you were feeling and how close to normal you were and kind of what your ability to play anywhere close to normal was as the game went along?

MIKE CONLEY: I did my best to kind of try to prepare. I was initially -- like I was told I wasn't even going to be able to play this series just last Friday. So for me to be out there, I didn't know if it was going to be the last game or not. So I kind of had to try and move as best I can. Obviously I could not move as good.

I think there's a lot of guys playing through stuff. But we definitely are playing through a lot of pain and we try to make it happen and give ourselves a chance. It was a tough night.

Q. Is this one a little bit harder to take than last year's loss?

MIKE CONLEY: It's definitely tough considering what we were able to accomplish all year, how we had been playing as a unit. And like I said, all the teams are going through injuries and different things. But the timing of them and the way that ours hit really changed a lot of things. And we had such high hopes going forward in a year that is wide open. Anybody can win it this year.

And just frustrating that we don't get that opportunity and to do it with these guys, worked so hard to get in this position.

Q. A lot happened defensively in that second half, allowing 81 points.

MIKE CONLEY: Well, looked like they started to try to drive us one-on-one, try to create help situations. I thought Terance Mann, once he started making corner 3s and getting to the rim, really changed the game for them. That was a guy that we were kind of stunting off early and trying to see how he was going to attack offensively once he got going. It was tough.

And then Reggie Jackson obviously getting to the rim and finishing making plays late was really tough for us. And we just needed, in those moments, to help each other. And we were just a step or two slow on every rotation and can't be like that on the road in a hostile environment against a team that's as good as the Clippers.

Q. With the season ending so weird with you basically not being on the floor and Donovan clearly being hurt, you guys not getting to see what your potential was and also the uncertainty of what the offseason holds for you, is it going to be difficult to look back and kind of understand what this season was or what it could have been?

MIKE CONLEY: Yeah, it will be tough. I think it won't all set in until a week or so or whatever. But like I used to tell the guys all season, cherish these moments as teammates, being around our coaches, the ride that we were on, you don't get to experience that every year.

And we may never be together as a unit ever again, that same team. So we tried to live by that, tried to stay in the moment throughout the year. And even now. So it's going to be tough. I'm sure we're all going to have to reflect on it when the time comes.

Q. Despite the loss, how would you describe your team's collective efforts throughout the season? I mean, we've seen you constantly stepping up and doing your best. Can you walk us through the journey?

MIKE CONLEY: I've been extremely proud of a lot of the guys on our team. We've had a lot of guys step up at different moments during the year, whether it was Miye Oni or Joe Ingalls, Jordan Clarkson. Just down the line, we've had guys that had different stretches that kept us afloat.

Obviously we had a few injuries here and there and we were able to stay afloat during that because of the hard work that all of these guys were putting in, the ones that don't get all the attention, the ones that are working every day tirelessly and not getting in the game, but when their time was called they were ready to go.

And those young guys were big for us this year. Obviously Donovan, Rudy, Royce. Royce was unbelievable. What he sacrificed for our team what he was able to do on the defensive end. It was a real pleasure to compete with those guys and share the floor with them.