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NBA PLAYOFFS ROUND ONE: TRAIL BLAZERS vs CLIPPERS

April 27, 2016

Jamal Crawford

Los Angeles, California: Game Five

Trail Blazers - 108, Clippers - 98

Q. You guys were right there with them for three quarters, tie game, then they start hitting some shots there in the fourth. What do you think changed at that point that allowed them to pull away?
JAMAL CRAWFORD: I think we were doing a good job on Dame Lillard through the course of the game. The fourth quarter, he just made some tough shots. Guys on him played great defense, but I think he hit one backboard shot, one shot route that went in and when he gets going, it gives their whole team confidence.

Q. Doc said he thought you guys looked almost kind of fatigued when you came out in the second half, and it might have been an emotional fatigue from getting up so much in the first half of this game. Did you sense that?
JAMAL CRAWFORD: Yeah, a little bit. I think we were really excited to get out there. Obviously we've been through a lot the last 48 hours, and we have to do a little better job calming ourselves down and kind of just staying in the moment and not being too jacked up.

Q. Are you still hopeful you can win the series?
JAMAL CRAWFORD: For sure, no question about it. We're in the same situation last year. We had to go to San Antonio and win on their court a Game 6 to force a Game 7 in front of our home fans. We're a confident group. We feel really good about Game 6.

Q. The starting lineup, I think it played four minutes together this regular season total. How tough is it to kind of be thrust into that, and how did you feel that group played together?
JAMAL CRAWFORD: Obviously the full continuity isn't what it could be, but we all know each other at this point. We just have to kind of nail down -- that's us on the court to figure out what sets to run and things of that nature, but I have no doubt that we'll be ready Game 6.

Q. You guys were pretty much without a field goal for the first six minutes of the third quarter.
JAMAL CRAWFORD: Yeah.

Q. Was that just good defense or the shots just weren't falling for you guys?
JAMAL CRAWFORD: Honestly, I hope I get the exact same shots. Those are shots I've made all year. I guess one thing, if you miss bad shots, but if you get the same shots you normally make, they can go in or not. That was just me personally, but I think we went through a spell where we couldn't score and then they scored a little bit and Doc called a time-out and we regrouped. But yeah, if those are there, we'll knock them down.

Q. How difficult was it to not try to do more with both Chris and Blake out?
JAMAL CRAWFORD: Yeah, you find yourself doing that at times. But I think that's human nature, obviously. For us we just have to continue to trust, continue to trust, and then go from there.

Q. With your backs against the wall, what did you learn now going forward up to Portland?
JAMAL CRAWFORD: That we can win there. I mean, we didn't do it, but the first game up there we were up four with three and some change left, I believe. And all the games pretty much have been tight, the games we lost anyway, for most of the game. We have full confidence. We really do. We're very confident that we'll get it done and be back here Game 7.

Q. What did you think of DeAndre's performance tonight on both ends of the floor?
JAMAL CRAWFORD: He was great. I think he makes whoever we're playing against, he always makes them think twice about going in there because even if they get past our guards, he's lurking somewhere. He probably should get credit for adjusting shots as well, not even the ones he doesn't always get a chance to block.

Q. You played something like 16 minutes in a row at one point. Were you getting tired out there?
JAMAL CRAWFORD: I was a little winded, a little winded, but what can you do? At this point you have to man up and find a way. For me, I can't worry about shot misses or minutes. I just have to worry about trying to help us win, and as long as my heart is in the right place, trying to help us win, the rest will take care of itself.

Q. What would you say was the one most noticeable thing missing without your two stars that you really could have used them?
JAMAL CRAWFORD: Maybe just the continuity of certain sets, like Chris always has a great feel of what to call and who hasn't got a shot in a while and when he should attack and when he shouldn't. I think that continuity is probably what we miss most.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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