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NBA PLAYOFFS ROUND TWO: CLIPPERS v ROCKETSMay 8, 2015Blake GriffinJ.J. RedickLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Game Three Clippers – 124 Q. I remember over the regular season you had a really strong defensive performance against James Harden and we kind of joked that you were a Harden stopper. It was kind of a joke at the time, but he hasn't really dominated the series and you've handled your match‑up against him. Why is it you're able to play against him defensively individually? J.J. REDICK: Well, first of all, I think Lawrence has got a great game plan for him. We know we have to stop him and we have to limit his downhill attacks as much as possible, and I'm doing as best I can just to follow that game plan. Specifically I think I'm trying not to give him angles. When he is isoing me I'm trying just to play chest to chest, and then when he does get past me or get a little step on me, pull my hands back and keep him off the free‑throw line. Game 2 when he scored big, he got to the free‑throw line I think 15 times. When he had 34 in the regular season last time we played, we got to the free‑throw line 18 times, so the games when he scores big, it's because he's getting to the line in double digits, so that's primarily the focus is to stop him from doing that. Easier said than done, obviously. Q. J.J., can you talk about your offense a little bit? How is the team dynamic helping you shoot at such a high percentage right now? J.J. REDICK: Well, it was fun to get going early again. I felt like I hadn't had many of those games in the Playoffs, and that's something that I've done throughout my time as a Clipper. Just having Chris back out there early kind of orchestrating things, that group, that starting five has played so many minutes together the last two years, there's just such a familiarity with each other, and was able to get to my spots. D.J. set some great screens and knocked them down. Q. Blake, I know you recently said you guys needed more energy from the fans in the Playoffs. How satisfied are you with how the fans responded in the Playoffs? BLAKE GRIFFIN: I think they've been great. They've been really, really good. That first round was amazing, Game 7. They were amazing out there tonight. I couldn't really ask for more from the fans. They've done their part for sure. Q. J.J., you talked about getting off to a hot start and finding your spots. What's been different this series than against the Spurs that has allowed you to get off and find your spots and your shot early? J.J. REDICK: To me there's been no difference. Both teams have game planned pretty well for me, and there's been an emphasis. It's rare in a regular season game‑‑ I can't remember it happening ever, but it's rare that the ball could be on one side of the floor and I could be in the weak side corner and my man is just completely top blocking me. That just doesn't happen, so there's an emphasis there to just kind of stop me from getting off dribble handoffs and off our little catch‑and‑go action, same thing kind of the Spurs did. Again, they're going to make adjustments to what we did. They're going to make adjustments to what I did tonight. We'll just have to figure out a way to be effective next game. Q. Blake, being up 2‑1 and on top of that, showing us tonight the kind of dominating performance your team is capable of putting on that team, what's your overall feel of how the series is right now? BLAKE GRIFFIN: You know, we're very pleased with the win, pleased with how we played in certain stretches, but the thing we talked about in the locker room is not becoming complacent. We got down 2‑1 on San Antonio, and our mindset was to come out and get one. Their job is to come get one at our home. We haven't accomplished anything yet. We've done what we needed to do in two games, but Sunday is a huge game, and we need to respond the right way. Q. Blake, the game that Austin had, if you could kind of touch on that, but also, when he got dealt here, there was a lot of talk about how that would be accepted in the locker room. How has he adjusted to that, also? BLAKE GRIFFIN: First of all, the way he played tonight was unbelievable. Just not even so much‑‑ it wasn't that he just was feeling it, it was just that he was aggressive. He got himself into that. It wasn't like he saw a couple go in, he got himself going. He went downhill and he was aggressive. Especially in the Playoffs no one could really stay in front of him; his crossover and getting to the rim is tough, and when he lets that be his play making and he lets his aggressiveness, and when he's looking to score, a lot of good things happen because he forces people to help. He was great tonight, and like I said, from my eyes, strictly from an aggressive standpoint he got himself going. When he came here, I think that was kind of the question on everybody's mind, but you know, it hasn't even been like a thing. Their relationship, if you didn't know any better, when they're on the court or when we're on the court, if you didn't know any better you would think it was just like a regular coach and player relationship. He does get on him, like he said, but Doc has done that a lot with our backup point guards. He's just kind of kept the trend there. Q. What did you think about the way Chris looked? How did it feel with him back out there first time in the series? BLAKE GRIFFIN: I thought he looked good. I thought as long as he managed the floor well, managed play making, play calls, it was great to have him back out there, just from a leadership standpoint. He hit some big shots, made some great moves and looked like he wasn't really limited. You know, hopefully he feels good tomorrow and we keep progressing and keep adding to the minutes, but we'll see. Q. Even if you factor in the intentional fouls, you guys did a much better job of keeping the Rockets off the free‑throw line. What does that do for you guys to be able to keep them from scoring that way? BLAKE GRIFFIN: You know, like J.J. touched on, with James it's huge. Whenever he has big games he gets to the free‑throw line a lot. Just playing good defense on him, which he's done a great job, and guys shrinking in and helping and just forcing him to make shots over the top is big for us. But it just allows us to play a little bit more physical because when you're not in the bonus so early, not every foul they're going to the line, so I thought we did a much better job tonight. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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