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NBA FINALS: CAVALIERS v WARRIORSJune 16, 2015David BlattCLEVELAND, OHIO: Game Six Q. Your team has been outscored in the fourth quarter in each of the past four games in this series. What can you do to try to reverse that trend tonight? COACH BLATT: Well, certainly we want to execute better down the stretch, and I think defensively if we stay on top of things and rebound the ball and perhaps create a little bit of early offense before Golden State sets their very good half-court defense, that will help us. Q. You gave up 18 points on ten turnovers, that's a real high efficiency rate, and you gave up nine rebounds to Stephen Curry and Harrison Barnes. Are those correctible things that you guys can improve upon? COACH BLATT: Certainly. And I don't think we gave them anything. The other guy is playing too. Every possession is so important in this series, and all but one of the games in the last quarter of the game were very close. It's important to be locked in and to take care of the ball, to rebound the basketball, to value your possessions and maximize your opportunities at both ends. Q. Do you feel that the conversation about the big‑small lineups have been overblown by the media? And if so, what are things that can be done regardless of who is on the floor to help you guys win Game 6? COACH BLATT: Haven't really been privy to the conversations. In my mind certainly that's an element in this series and an important one, and there is a lot to talk about there. I just haven't spent a lot of time listening to that. We're trying to do what we need to do and to find the right combination that will be successful for us. Q. Speaking of that, finding the combination, as a coach, what changes, if anything, for you in an elimination game, in terms of do you have to react quicker, adjust lineups or abort lineups quicker? COACH BLATT: I thought we reacted pretty quickly in the last game, but I think what you really, really have to get and to hope for is the survival instinct. If we want to play another day and live to fight for the championship, we need to win today. So it's about survival right now, and that's what you're looking for. Q. Urban Meyer from Ohio State is here. I was just wondering if by any chance he might talk to the team? COACH BLATT: We actually had Coach in early in the season, and terrific coach, terrific guy. He won't be talking to the team before the game, but he did at one point during the season, and it was great. It's great having him here. Q. What are the types of things you, I guess, say to the team and impart to them going into basically potentially their last game of the season? COACH BLATT: Well, it's many things and it's a few things. We're going on our 103rd official game this season. You can talk and you can also talk too much. I think you have to be pointed and very, very specific, and you have to touch their minds and touch their hearts, and then you've got to let them play the game. Q. Is this game your biggest challenge as a coach in your whole career? COACH BLATT: I've been in a lot of big games. You know that. They're all big. They're all important, and I value all of them. Q. Going back to that first question about the way the fourth quarters have gone. I know you can't game plan for this, but do you feel like you need to be ahead going into the fourth or the last six minutes with the way they've kind of had the finishing kick? COACH BLATT: I've been watching the horse races recently. I haven't seen those for a long time. Seems like the guy that was running in front was winning, or maybe that's specific to who that horse was. But, listen, there are so many things that go into a basketball game and there are so many things that go into a series and so many things specific to this particular match‑up between the two teams that I can't honestly guarantee you one way or another. But the way it's been playing out, that certainly would be helpful. Q. On a less specific note, it's been about a year. You're about do for performance review. If Dan Gilbert said give us your own performance review, how would you review this year and what would you say is the biggest thing you improved? COACH BLATT: Myself? Q. Yes. COACH BLATT: I just don't think it's really appropriate right now to answer that question. Q. Coach, you've had great success in the paint. Getting there early, though, has been an issue across the games. How important is it tonight to attack the glass, get there early, make some noise in the paint and potentially get the Warriors in early foul trouble and get to the bonus earlier in quarters? COACH BLATT: Very. Again, it's a possession game, and to take advantage of some of our strengths, you know, we've really, really got to hit the glass and be super active. Even the ones you don't get, if you're touching them and if you're creating another opportunity for someone else to perhaps gain possession, that's just critical. It also speaks to the effort and to the fight that we've got to have to win a game like this one. Q. Coach, forgive me if you've answered this before, but I know previously you've said you don't like the hacking thing but it's part of the game. Iguodala's not shooting well on free throws. Is that something you would consider in spite of you not being a fan of that strategy? COACH BLATT: Everything's on the table right now, everything. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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