LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS MEDIA CONFERENCE

June 18, 2021

Rudy Gobert

Jazz Postgame Press Conference

Clippers - 131, Jazz - 119

Q. Obviously (indiscernible) noticed they (indiscernible) making, they shot 74 percent from 3. But they played in the second half with a force that you guys didn't match at the other end of the floor. What could you guys have done to (indiscernible) change that physicality, the way they were able to turn you guys over and get out in transition and getting buckets on the other end? And that was (indiscernible) going from 3-point --

RUDY GOBERT: I think you've got to give them credit. First of all, I think they were the tougher team over the course of the series and the more connected team. They stayed together. Even when down 22 they kept playing their style of basketball. They kept moving the ball and they kept finding the open man and trusting the open man.

They just stayed with it. So, first of all, you've got to give them credit. Gotta give credit to Mann, Reggie Jackson, all these guys for knocking down the shots. And they kept trusting it -- down 20, knocking down shots.

And for us, it's pretty much the story of the whole season. Obviously it was a great year. But I think in order to take another step in the playoff, there are a lot of things that are going to have to -- not going to have -- to just be better, learn from that experience and understand what we want to do when it's (indiscernible) time and how we want to play. And also as a team, try to just play our style of basketball and stay connected. Don't fall into something.

We get disconnected sometimes and it affects our offense and our defense. And those games usually end up in losses. Just going to watch film, see what we can do better.

Obviously it's painful. We felt like we had all the -- first of all, we had a great year, but we felt like we had all the weapons to try to take a shot at the title. So it's painful, but everything is a learning experience and hopefully we'll learn from that and we all come back better and ready to play, just try to play our style of basketball that's going to (indiscernible) the teams that want to play in certain ways.

Q. Can you kind of take us through those last few minutes when it was apparent that there wasn't going to be enough time left for you guys to pull it off? Can you take us through those last few minutes, what was going through your mind as it started to sink in that the game was out of reach?

RUDY GOBERT: I was just thinking about, obviously, I was trying to stay focused in case we had a chance to still win it. But at the end I was thinking about next year. Obviously the pain, it's been the last few years have ended in a frustrating way for us, for the team, for myself.

And I'm trying to ask myself obviously the right questions. And hopefully when I cool down I'll be able to have a clear mind and try to think about what can I do, what can we do to make sure that never happens again.

Q. Did you get hurt in the first quarter on that fall? And second of all, this was maybe the best offensive attack we saw against you this year. When they're getting into the paint like that and you're stuck having to guard the 3 as well, what do you need help with from your teammates and what do you need to do better?

RUDY GOBERT: From the fall, yeah, I just couldn't move. I fell on my hip and I just couldn't feel my right side. I couldn't move. It's unfortunate. When I looked at the video I'm glad that I didn't break my arm or didn't break anything. So it's unfortunate that happened early in the game and I couldn't move. But it's part of the game.

And I think we just, I think it takes team effort to -- obviously they have a lot of talented guys. Reggie Jackson has been playing great offensively, Paul George. And if -- they have role players that are doing a great job moving the ball and trying to find the best shot possible every time.

And it makes it harder for us to guard. And also for me, I'm just trying to do what I'm supposed to do, which is when someone is going to be on the perimeter, I have to have his back. And when we are about to fully rotate, we do but sometimes when the spacing doesn't allow it, I've got to make a decision of either staying with my guy and then giving up a layup or helping and giving up a potential 3.

So we decided that we would rather, like, giving up Mann or Pat Beverley or these guys' 3s instead of layups at the rim. And gotta give them credit. They made us pay for it.