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NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: THUNDER v WARRIORS

May 17, 2016

Billy Donovan

Oakland, California: Practice Day

Q. Billy, going back to the last four games, including the San Antonio series, you're like (No microphone) how big is that game for you?
BILLY DONOVAN: I think because of our size and the way we try to play, hopefully we put ourselves in position to get to the free-throw line. Then I think the other part is on the defensive end of the floor we do have length and we can hopefully play in a way that we can defend without fouling and have some rim protection and length at the basket that I really believe in a lot of ways that can help alter shots.

We've done a good job, but, again, it's something we've got to keep a focus on and continue to concentrate on.

Q. Sounds crazy to say coming out here and beating these guys that you maybe didn't play your best game, but how satisfied were you overall and how much room for improvement?
BILLY DONOVAN: I think we can play better, and I'm certainly sure they feel the same way. It was the first game. Besides like the shooting percentage part maybe of a guy like Kevin [Durant] I thought had some good looks and so did Russell [Westbrook] and some other guys on our team. But that's going to happen.

I'm sure they could say the same thing about some of their shots as well. But I do think there are things we can do better. Our 10 turnovers in the first half, did a much, much better job in the second half with that. I thought there were some times in transition that we could have done a better job of getting back and maybe eliminating or taking away some of those easier baskets that they got. So I think there are things that we need to do better going forward in this series, and we need to continue to grow and evolve and get better.

Q. It seems you've had some turnover issues in the first half but not in this series. Any reason for that?
BILLY DONOVAN: I've always said this about these guys, I think as a coach, when you bring things to their attention of areas that we've got to get better at, concentrate and try to improve on, they really give a good, concentrated effort to do that. Whatever the reason was for our turnovers in the first half, you go into halftime and address it, talk about it, and you explain that we're missing out on opportunities to score points. It's also putting them on the fast break.

I feel like you go into the second half and they try to concentrate on doing a better job. I think that's a real compliment to this group as a whole, because they really try to work to improve the things they need to get better at.

Q. In the regular season against Golden State you had game flashes. Now in this game it seems you have more composure down the stretch. What's changed in terms of the team's composure?
BILLY DONOVAN: I've said this before, I think everybody looks at maybe things a little differently than I do. Whether it was a combination of Golden State missing shots, whether it was a combination of our defense, we've done a better job defending in fourth quarters. They scored 14 points. It wasn't like we shot lights out. We had 23. So it wasn't like we scored a lot of points in the fourth quarter.

I think one of the things they've been missing in our fourth quarter is our fourth-quarter defense has not been great leading up to that, and I think a lot of people have wanted to focus on the offense part of it. Yes, you've got to generate good shots, but you can generate good shots and still miss shots. The thing that always gives you a chance to win is if you defend and rebound without fouling. If you do that, you're going to give yourself a chance.

We're making a double-digit comeback there, but at the end of the day in that fourth quarter, you know, we give them 30 points and we score 30 points and it's a push, we probably don't win the game.

So we have to defend. I think we've done a better job of defending, and that's I think helped. Because, listen, I thought Kevin had some really, really good looks when we're up by five or six there that didn't go down. But he made a big one late that was a three-point game, put us up five. That's going to happen. Kevin got the basket. But I still think if you can defend and rebound at a high level without fouling, you give yourself a chance.

Q. Coach, where Russ called timeout mid court and the a(No Microphone)?
BILLY DONOVAN: They did a really good job the last time we played at our place where there were maybe like 14 seconds to go in the game and we inbound the ball quickly after a free throw and they got a trap on us right away and we turned the ball over. They're really good at understanding the clock. They've got a lot of quickness and speed and they go small. So once we got it inbounds coming off the make, I was just really trying to pay attention to see if they'd foul or trap.

I think as Russell crossed half court I was trying to get a timeout because I could see they were coming to try to trap right across half court. Obviously, there was a lot of confusion, tried to call a timeout. The officials are watching the play. There was a lot going on. But once Russell cleared half court, you could see, I don't know who the player was they were trying to come and trap, but maybe not go for it and just give a foul right away and we were forced to get the timeout.

Q. The numbers say Steven [Adams] has taken his game to a new level in the playoffs. Do you see that? What is he doing better over the course of the season that's taken him to this point?
BILLY DONOVAN: I just think experience and being young. Steven played one year of college and hasn't been in the league that long. He's evolving as a player and he's getting better. He's young right now, and I think he's starting to see a lot of the things that he's capable of doing. The best part about his game is he plays with great energy and plays with really good enthusiasm. Because of his talent level, when you do that, you put yourself in a position to be pretty successful in games.

I think he recognizes that's the key to him is just playing with a good motor and good energy. But it's been great this year to see where he started to where he is now and how he continues to get better.

Q. Last night Golden State lost their composure a little bit, you guys clearly kept yours even though they were going on little runs. What do you attribute that to?
BILLY DONOVAN: I don't want to comment for Steve [Kerr] or comment on his team. I felt like our guys played through the adversity or the challenges in the game. There were a lot of things, I think, that probably could have gotten our team sideways. Kevin I thought had good looks that didn't go down. He stayed with it and made a big shot late. They made a couple plays where they cut our lead from seven right down to one.

We just kept playing, and that's what you've got to do. You're a great team and they're capable of going on huge runs and you've got to be able to withstand that emotionally to be able to keep your composure and keep your focus and come back on whatever the next play is, offense or defense, with the same level of intensity and enthusiasm.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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