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NBA PLAYOFFS ROUND TWO: CLIPPERS v ROCKETSMay 8, 2015Austin RiversLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Game Three Clippers – 124 Q. You must have been really hard on yourself after that turnover in Game 2. Did Doc say anything to you after the game and what got your confidence so high up and kind of forget that and move on to this game? AUSTIN RIVERS: Just never be too high or too low. Blake came up to me, and he was just like, I made an error just like that, and he's like, when I made it, we were up two with, whatever game versus the Spurs. He's like‑‑ he just kept telling me, listen, at that point in the game, we were scrambling to get back. It was the right read, I just lost footing, and it just happens. It's part of the game, and that's why you just keep playing. Even now, great game, just want to keep going. It was fun, and you just learn from your stuff. Q. Austin, what were you seeing in the third quarter that you were able to get to the basket so much, and then the chants of your name, what it was like to hear that? AUSTIN RIVERS: Oh, it was fun, man. I had so much fun out there. It started with our defense. We kept getting stops, so we were just getting the rebound and going. In transition defense they were kind of getting lost a little bit, and I just kept seeing they were kind of just back pedaling, because it's hard to guard when someone is going at you full speed and can change direction, so I was just going at them. If they would have converged, I would have passed, but I just kept getting to the basket. And then just looked for my shots. Everybody was just aggressive during that little spurt. It started with our defense, though. Q. What is this moment like for you? I imagine it's got to be a crowning moment in your career. How are you feeling about it? AUSTIN RIVERS: Yeah, it was‑‑ I really don't know what to tell you. It's been a long journey. I've just continued to work through my rookie year, when I was hurt a lot, and up and down the last year, same thing, and I just got right this summer. I just really put a lot of work in, more than I ever have in my life, and I just came into this season with just a lot of confidence through my hard work. And then when I came here to LA, I can't give enough credit to the coaches and the players I play with. Working with Chris every day and guys like Jamal and J.J. and Blake, honestly, have been so beneficial for me. I've just learned a lot, and they've just taught me just to go play, and just whatever else happens will take care of itself. And it just feels like I just get better and better. I'm just going to continue to work and learn from them and work hard. Q. You talked to your dad before the trade was made. You knew this would be hard in a certain respect. What was the expectation when you came here and how have things played out? AUSTIN RIVERS: Man, it's been great. I think everybody knows that. It was just one of those things where we just looked at it as strictly basketball, nothing else. Obviously my mom didn't. She thinks like a mom. But me and him just looked at it straight basketball, and he wanted me to come over here, because he thought I could help, and I wanted to come here because I felt like I could help, and to be on a team with these caliber of players could only benefit me, make me better, and just to be here playing with these guys and learning from them, it just seems like I learn something new every week from one of these guys, Chris, J.J., Jamal, Blake, D.J. These guys have been here so many times, so just to play with them, you suddenly start to put yourself in their shoes and just start to feel comfortable and then you start to play like you've been here your whole life. That's what I'm doing now, and I'm just having fun. That's all. Q. Can you talk about when you were attacking against James Harden, was that part of the strategy, attack the attacker? AUSTIN RIVERS: I mean, it wasn't specifically him. It was really whoever was in front of me, just because we were getting stops. That's what led to all of that. We kept getting stops, so every time I would get the ball in transition, they were kind of scrambling because again, we were getting stops and we were just running the floor. When that happens, we're so hard to guard because we have so many guys that can score, and that's why you attack. If they come in and help, then you kick the ball out and somebody else attacks. That's just my focus through this Game 1 and Game 2 and Game 3 tonight, just every game be aggressive and just continue to do it on both ends. Q. You and Doc have both stressed from the beginning since you got here that this is about a coach and a player, not about a father and son, but do you think there's going to be a part of you at some point that will appreciate this because you did this, a game like tonight, playing for your dad as opposed to just any other coach? AUSTIN RIVERS: I mean, yeah, sure. Obviously it's a different aspect. I wish you guys could see it from where I'm sitting. Obviously you can't, but it's something where I don't know how to really describe it, but our relationship has just kind of always been that. It's always been coach‑player. That's the way it's always been. He grew up in Boston, I grew up in Orlando. Every time we talk it's always basketball. Now when I came here it's kind of been solidified, I'm the coach, I'm the player. He's hard on me. You ask him. You ask J.J., he's hard on me, but it's just because he wants the best out of me, and obviously looking forward in the future, we'll probably look back at this, but I feel like the bottle has been open. But it's just one game, and I'm just going to keep playing hard. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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