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NBA PLAYOFFS ROUND TWO: TRAIL BLAZERS vs WARRIORSMay 1, 2016Andrew BogutKlay ThompsonOakland, California: Game One Trail Blazers - 106, Warriors - 118 Q. You got a couple blocks right off the bat. Every play is a statement but did you feel like those, maybe especially the one on Plumlee, was sending out some kind of signal that the lane is going to be a little closed in this game? ANDREW BOGUT: I don't think it's a signal. I think it's just our team defense was sensational in the first half, and my job as part that have is when guys cut behind or roll, is to make the finish tough inside, and I blocked some shots that way. But it definitely swung some momentum in our way the first quarter, and we just made them work as hard as possible for their baskets. So if we continue to do that, their guys do a great job of getting to the basket; if I'm there and contesting it and they make a couple, so be it. Q. Andrew, much has been made about you guys having a smaller margin of error without Steph; how does that play into your mind-set coming into a game? ANDREW BOGUT: It's huge. We made a point before the Houston series, when -- not before, during the Houston series when Steph went down, that we have to be very engaged offensively. We haven't have the slip ups we had in the regular season because we're missing 30 points a game. To replace that is very tough. We understood that if we commit defensively to the game plan Coach has put forward and have a lot of effort defensively, it takes pressure off our offense and gives us a chance to win ballgames. Q. How much of what we have seen in the last few games has been a team that is very conscious that it needs to step up, that it doesn't have the same margin of error as before, because of Steph not being there? ANDREW BOGUT: You know, we've spoken about it, but in saying that, we have proud guys in the locker room. We have guys that have been doubted throughout their career coming off the bench playing big minutes and we have guys being stars on the team and it's a beautiful thing to see. We still have a lot of work to do but at different points through last season and this season, Coach has rested guys; in key match-ups sometimes, he's rested guys without injuries. And we didn't have a head coach for a matter of months, and I think that all helps us to be tougher in a situation like this because we have been there and done that. Q. Klay, when Steph is out in a game like today, do you feel an extra responsibility on offense to come out and have a big game to sort of make up for what he's not been able to give you? KLAY THOMPSON: To be honest, I really don't. I just want to play as myself and to my strengths. Obviously I don't have the handle and creativity of Steph so I have to get it differently. I've got to use my teammates. These guys hit great screens to get me open and I was in a great rhythm to start the game; not just settle for good shots, but great shots. I really don't feel more pressure when Steph is out because we have so many great play makers and guys that handle the ball and shoot, just got to do it collectively because that's a lot of making up to do. Q. Coach praised you for chasing around Damian the whole time. How much do you get up for matches like that on defense? KLAY THOMPSON: Well, he's one of the best scorers in the league. He can score at all three levels. It's not just me. Our bigs did a phenomenal job today on the ball screen. It feels like he runs off about a hundred ball screens a game. So you got to trust your big guys back there, and they made it tough for him at the rim, at the three-point line. And that's what we've got to do all series. Same with McCollum, too; those guys are deadly with the ball in their hands. It's a collective effort. It's not just me or Andrew or Shaun. It's everybody. Got to give a ton of credit to my bigs. They are fantastic on the ball screen. Q. Andrew, Coach Kerr said that he thought Draymond was making better decisions and his turnovers are down from what they were, and I'm just wondering, have you seen that as a conscious thing with him, consciously working to cut down the turnovers? ANDREW BOGUT: A little bit, but I mean, Coach Kerr obviously wants us to play freely. Sometimes we probably, I'm even guilty of it, is we go for the home run play sometimes, get caught up in the excitement of trying to pinpoint that pass, to Klay back-cutting for instance, and trying to really get it through something that we can't fit the ball through. That's when we get in trouble, and I think we had some trouble with that in the regular season at times. But Draymond is huge for us. His play-making ability, his defensive ability, he's probably the best all-around player in the league at this point. I think it has not been a huge deal for us. It's just been kind of a minor tweak of, hey, let's not go for those home run plays. Let's go swing, swing, swing, the ball is going to find whoever is open again and they are going to get an open shot. Q. Since the one game in Houston when you were 0-for-7 from three, your 3-ball has been on fire. Anything you've done or a rhythm you've found? What's happened? KLAY THOMPSON: I mean, not really. I didn't get deflated -- I remember that night and that shot to go ahead from about 26, might have been a bad shot at the time, but that killed me all night. Never going to doubt myself. I mean, if I'm not out there hunting my shot and trying to get open looks, then I'm ineffective. So for me, got to be a good shooter in this league, got to be a continuous player and obviously whatever the result was of the play before, forget about it. Q. What was the first quarter like today? KLAY THOMPSON: I was in a great zone. I got a couple good looks. Came off some great pin downs, and anytime you get three balls in the corner, it's not a hard shot, even with the guy a few feet from you. So it was good to get off to a great start and just try and sustain it for 48 minutes. Obviously you're not going to shoot like that every game. It's the NBA playoffs, but you've just got to be aggressive. Q. What is it like when you're seeing Andrew and Draymond dominate in the middle like they were, and maybe Draymond might have been saying some things to some Portland players; does that kick it into gear for everybody? KLAY THOMPSON: Oh, yeah. The whole year, Steph, our backcourt, they got a lot of attention but people don't realize how good our front court is. It's the best defensive front court in the NBA and I've seen it for a long time. With those two out there, it makes it tough for teams to finish at the rim. Both are great communicators out there; make my job easy. It's fun to play with those guys. I mean, Bogs and Draymond do a great job of contesting everything at the rim and just calling coverages, and I expect that from them just because I've seen them do it for so long. We need it to win this series. Q. I noticed you recently in practice shooting from the logo. Is that something you've been doing all the time, or are you trying to expand your range recently? KLAY THOMPSON: I've seen Steph do it a lot (laughter). Just trying to be like him. But those are shots that I don't really want to take that much during the game but if you make five or six in a row and you feel your guy is off you, I don't mind hoisting up one a game. If it goes in, I'll live with it. But these guys see me take plenty of bad shots, so I can't be taking in I more. So I'll take maybe one or those a game, but why not practice it. If the defense can sag off me -- I think I made one of them tonight. So just got to keep working on them. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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