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NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: THUNDER v WARRIORS

May 30, 2016

Steve Kerr

Oakland, California: Game Seven

Q. Coach, at shootaround this morning, what was your sense of the players' emotions as they get ready for Game 7?
STEVE KERR: I think they're just excited. It's been a great series, and we're happy to be back home. Game 7s are special, but they're still the same game. You've got to just play and you've got execute and let it fly and see what happens.

Q. These last two particular games I know you like to see forced turnovers and rebounds so your team can get out and run. Is that what you've been communicating to them in these last two games? Specifically that fourth quarter, it looked like the tempo had picked up.
STEVE KERR: Well, we always want to play fast if we can. If we can force turnovers, that's great. We have a fast team that can get out in transition, get some easy baskets, which would be nice against this team, because they're tough to score on in the half court. But there wasn't any difference in the game plan. It was just we played a better game.

Q. Will you use the lineup that you used to start the third quarter last game to start this game?
STEVE KERR: I have made 11 alterations to the game plan, none of which I will share with you. Thanks for your question.

Q. You cut down the rotation in the second half the last game. Was that a plan at all? Was it just a reaction to what was going on? Do you look at this game as one where you might really have to cut down the rotation?
STEVE KERR: It always depends on how the game's going. Game 5, we went with the exact same rotation to start the second quarter, and I believe we went on an 8-0 run. Maybe that was to start the fourth. But it was the same group at the same time. Then last game we were on the bad end of a 6-0 run and we made a quick change.

So, you know me, I like to play a lot of people and trust all the guys on our team, but it's always a feel thing, how their game's going. Do guys look like they really want or need rest? We make our decisions on the fly.

Q. Can you explain after all your years in the game why home court is so important? A lot of people say the crowd affects the officials. Other people say no. To the players, you played, you're coaching, is it a comfort level that you feel good when you're there? The baskets, anything like that?
STEVE KERR: I guess it's just the noise and the support. You hear the crowd going crazy like that, it helps fuel you and helps fuel momentum. If you can play well and put it together with that crowd. There's no scientific explanation. It's just how it works. But we hope that works tonight.

Q. When you're talking to the players, are you talking about today, one game, tonight, or are you talking about the season, the best record, the big picture?
STEVE KERR: No, we're talking about one game within this series. Our keys have pretty much stayed the same through the seven games. But there's always tweaks in there, things we're doing a little differently, things they're doing a little differently. So today was about this game and what we need to do to win this game and put ourselves in position to do so.

We watched a little film from the last game and reminded them of the things we need to get done.

Q. Steph [Curry] talked this morning about how this has been a different journey, and certainly with his injury and coming down in the series, there's been a lot more adversity. Do you feel like your team's grown, regardless of what happens tonight, that your team's grown in this postseason run?
STEVE KERR: Oh, yeah, I think so. I think anytime you go through a long postseason, you grow. Now that we've been through this together for two years going deep in the playoffs, I guess we played 21, 22 playoff games last year and now we're at 16 maybe, 17, I haven't really kept track, but that's a lot of playoff games. That's a lot of pressure, lot of circumstances that come your way. And the experience is incredibly valuable.

Q. You always said you believe in the small lineup. Kind of went away with it for a couple games, but you finished the last game with it and it did very well. What did it do better other than just make shots in the last game than it had in previous games?
STEVE KERR: I think we rebounded pretty well. We forced some turnovers. We just had a good groove going. We had the momentum and we kept the momentum, and that was a good way to close the game. But, again, every game's a little different, and we'll have to get a feel for who is playing well and what's happening on the floor before we decide who is going to be out there.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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