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NBA FINALS: CAVALIERS v WARRIORSJune 7, 2015Matt DellavedovaOAKLAND, CALIFORNIA: Game Two Cavaliers – 95 Q. What was your key to stop the best shooter in the NBA tonight? MATTHEW DELLAVEDOVA: I think it's just a team defensive cover. Everybody has to be alert the whole game because if you lose him for a second, he's going to get a good look. Even if you play good defense, he's going to hit some tough shots, so you've just got to keep defending him and just make it as hard as possible. Q. Delly, as you continue to play well in these Finals in the playoff series, there are a lot of critics and skeptics out there who doubt your game. Is that a part of the motivation for you to prove them wrong? MATTHEW DELLAVEDOVA: I mean, I don't really pay attention to anything outside of the locker room because none of that stuff really matters. As for the motivation part, it's the NBA Finals, and if you need to be looking for extra motivation, you probably shouldn't be playing. Q. Can you take me through, first of all, you got the offensive rebound, big in traffic. Then you get two free throws and you nail them. Hostile environment, everything just rattling in the arena. Can you describe what that was like and if you've ever felt anything like that before at the line? MATTHEW DELLAVEDOVA: I mean, that is a classic thing you practice as a kid growing up: down one, you need to make both free throws. So I felt like I've been in that situation a million times before. As for the play, LeBron made a really good pass, and you're going to bet him to make that 99 times out of a hundred, and just crush the boards and it just fell to me. So I was pretty lucky. Q. LeBron said that his confidence and his teammates' confidence in you gives you so much confidence. What's it like to go against Steph Curry, the MVP, on the biggest stage of all and hold him without a basket, without a point, when you're his primary defender? MATTHEW DELLAVEDOVA: I mean, I think as a team we have a collective confidence that we can still win and still get the job done. I think we developed that at the end of the Chicago series, and then the Atlanta series. So I think we have good cohesiveness on offense and especially on the defensive end. Q. There were a couple plays that kind of had echoed from previous stuff that you went through this season. Of course the free throws, you missed the free throws in Philly earlier in the year, and then the loose ball you picked up on the floor, you went through that whole situation in Atlanta and there was a lot of speculation about the way you play the game. Do you feel like the experience that you've had this year have culminated to allow you to be performing the way you are now? MATTHEW DELLAVEDOVA: I think all of your experiences, this season, last season, at St. Mary's, at the Institute of Sport, growing up in Maryborough, everything, you want to learn from everything that you do and have gone through. So you just want to continually keep trying to get better. Q. Certainly your role changed from Game 1 to Game 2 with Kyrie Irving being injured. Did your preparation over the last two games change with the assertion of the starting role? MATTHEW DELLAVEDOVA: My preparation didn't really change that much, I just tried to make sure I was really hydrated. That was probably the main thing. Q. You mentioned J.J. being such a great shooter. You expect him to make that shot, and LeBron even said a lot of times with those kinds of shooters that you guys don't crash the boards because you almost expect it to go in. So why did you crash there? What told you‑‑ what instinct told you to crash? MATTHEW DELLAVEDOVA: Time and score, down 1 with‑‑ I'm not even sure how much was left. But we would have to foul if he didn't make it, so you don't want to leave anything to chance. Q. I know that Kyrie left a message on Instagram to encourage you. Was he able to talk to you in person maybe through a call before the game to talk about how to stay calm and stay positive in the game? MATTHEW DELLAVEDOVA: I spoke to Kyrie when Shum was Facetiming him after his surgery. Just said what's up to him and hope he has a speedy recovery. But we're looking forward to hopefully catching up with him when we're back in Cleveland. Q. LeBron said Curry's struggles had everything to do with you. Curry said you played hard and followed the game plan, but nothing particularly special, he just missed shots. How do you evaluate whether you actually stopped the guy or whether he just didn't have his normal night? MATTHEW DELLAVEDOVA: I mean, I don't think anyone can really stop Steph Curry. He can get his shot off pretty much whenever he wants and can get hot in a second. So we'll watch the tape and see what we need to do for Game 3. Q. In that, can you talk about that emotion when that shot that Steph Curry took at the end there fell short and you had that fist pump and that emotion going through you? MATTHEW DELLAVEDOVA: I mean, if they hit that, they're up one, and LeBron got the rebound and got to the line, so I was just pretty excited about getting the stop. Q. What sort of confidence does this give you now that you have homecourt advantage going into Game 3? MATTHEW DELLAVEDOVA: I mean, we know it's going to be a tough Game 3. Every game against this team is going to be tough. So while it's nice to be going back home, yeah, we're still going to have to do it out there on the court and, yeah, get ready to go. Q. The funny thing for us in Israel is LeBron just sat here and we haven't heard the name David Blatt mentioned even one time. And now after becoming the first coach in Cavaliers history to win a game in NBA Finals, how much credit do you think he deserves for this win? MATTHEW DELLAVEDOVA: Coach Blatt deserves a lot of credit. We've got a good game plan going into the game, and I'm sure the coaches will continue to make adjustments. But I think he's done a really good job all year. Yeah, I enjoy playing for him, and I've learned a lot so far. So, yeah, looking forward to continuing that. Q. It took you a while to break your Finals duck. It took you to last quarter. What gave you the confidence to keep shooting and you pulled up big in the last breaks? MATTHEW DELLAVEDOVA: I think I maybe rushed a couple early on, but I had good looks, they just didn't go down. But the team and the coaches still had confidence in me and were telling me to look for my shots. So it was nice to knock a couple down in the end. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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