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NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: THUNDER v WARRIORS

May 18, 2016

Billy Donovan

Oakland, California: Game Two

Golden State 118 - Oklahoma City 91

BILLY DONOVAN: Well, credit Golden State. I thought they played very well. They were certainly really, really lively on both ends of the floor. I thought we were in pretty good shape there going into the half and they kind of hit us with that flurry. We got down by eightand we did not get off to a great start in the third quarter.

I thought the difference in the first half for us was they really did a great job offensive rebounding. I think they had 10 offensive rebounds in the first half, and our turnovers were probably a few too many having nine. Then obviously we let Curry get loose a few times and we needed to do a better job in that area as well.

So we'll have to, like I said, I think before the game, continue to try to improve and get better playing against this team. I thought tonight they played very, very well.

Q. You mentioned the late second-quarter spurt by them. I know mathematically you want the two-for-one with Russell. But when he jacks up two threes like that, do you need better shots even if you only get the one?
BILLY DONOVAN: The last one he took was fine. The guy was guarding him kind of was a little bit further back. Would have liked to have gotten into a screening action there, but there probably wasn't enough time. I didn't think the last one, the two-for-one was a terrible shot. I thought it was okay.

Q. Kevin had 25 points in the first half, and in the second half he only had four. Only two shots in the third quarter. That third quarter in particular, did Kevin turn the ball over too much or were the Warriors doing something specific to limit him defensively?
BILLY DONOVAN: Well, again, I don't think it's anything -- we see Dallas or San Antonio, they're going to send some guys at him. Kevin I've always, always felt is very, very well-balanced of when to shoot and when to pass. You know, he obviously had some turnovers tonight. But I think a lot of it has to do with him being a willing passer. But he's got to do a better job and we've got to do a better job creating open avenues and gaps for him to either pass it or drive it when teams elect to kind of send somebody at him and provide a lot of help on him. We got him the ball I thought a lot in the middle of the floor where he was able to make some plays. But when he's up there playmaking and they're coming at him, those are the quick decisions that happen that obviously you've got to make those decisions very quickly.

So I think Kevin watching the film will have a chance to get better from it.

Q. Curry had a little flurry there in the first quarter and then he goes off with a big flurry in the third quarter. What's happening defensively when he has those flurries and what are you doing when he's not having those flurries?
BILLY DONOVAN: Well, for us, it all comes down on that end of the floor is the communication part of it. Things are happening pretty quickly. Listen, Curry's faced every possible defense there is. He's faced trapping. He's faced switching. He's faced denials. He's faced it all. So there are certain situations where you're going to get in a bind and you've got to communicate your way through those things. I thought in Game 1 we did a pretty good job of doing that, and I thought here tonight there were some times we let him get a little bit loose, and we've got to do a better job there staying attached and connected and trading him off when we need to trade him off.

Q. Warriors outrebounded you tonight by nine. Not something that happens to your team very often. What did you see out of them?
BILLY DONOVAN: That's what I said before, give them credit because I really thought their activity on both ends of the floor was really, really good tonight. It was better than our activity. I think to your point, we gave up ten offensive rebounds. I think in the first half, I think 50 percent of their missed shots they got back. To your point, we've always been this year a very, very good rebounding team. And that's an area we need to do a better job. We've rebounded the ball very, very well.

But I thought their activity on missed shots and in particular some long rebounds, they did a great job of tracking down and getting them back.

Q. How content are you to go back to Oklahoma City with a split? It was a little different than San Antonio because you were blown out in the first game and came back and won that second one. How do you feel?
BILLY DONOVAN: I think the important thing right now is you can get caught up in a lot of different emotional things that go on. The truth and reality right now is the series is 1-1. That's where it's at. Okay? Both teams have got a few days to get prepared for Game 3. There are things that we need to do better on offense, there are things that we're going to need to do better on defense. We'll have to make some adjustments to some things.

To your point, we had to respond after Game 1 the way we played against San Antonio, and in Game 2. Obviously, with the way that Golden State played tonight, we'll have to play better, and that was my point yesterday, and today is that we've got to continually work at playing better each game. We're playing against a terrific team that's very explosive and very, very good defensively. Steve does a great job.

So we've got to deal in the reality and the truth. The reality and the truth is okay, here are the things that went wrong. Here are the corrections we need to make. Here are the adjustments we need to make. Here's what we need to do and the series right now is 1-1. That's the truth right now coming out of it. So you leave here wishing we would have played better. But give them credit because they played exceptionally well.

Q. Warriors had seven players that scored in double digits. What happened to OKC's defense and offense?
BILLY DONOVAN: What happened? The ball went in the basket a lot (laughing). No, they did a good job. Again, I think their bench stepped up and made some plays and made some shots. I thought Ezeli gave them good physicality at the basket. Iguodala played well. I thought all their bench guys played well and did a nice job. Obviously, those guys got involved offensively.

Q. Coach Donovan, I know we keep coming back to the same topic about turnovers, and you did mention you had nine of them in the first half, five in the first quarter. I know you would like to see the Thunder get off on a better start with ball controlling at the beginning of these games.
BILLY DONOVAN: Yes.

Q. I know you've talked about the corrections, how would you --
BILLY DONOVAN: I really think that it's such a fine line because I really believe that our turnovers come from a good place. I don't think it's out-of-control, wild passing. I think it comes from a good place of trying to generate ball movement and trying to make the extra pass and trying to be unselfish. Sometimes we don't execute those plays as well as we need to and we at times can get careless with the ball. I think Steph Curry has got great vision and can really, really see the floor. But when you've got the ball in your hands as much as he and Kevin Durant do, sometimes the turnovers are going to be high. In Game 1, he had seven turnovers. Tonight, Kevin had his share of turnovers.

So when you're a great player like that and good offensive player and you have players running at you and you have to make split-second decisions all the time, sometimes they don't go well. But I think it's coming from a good place in terms of what we're trying to do. We need to execute it better.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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