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NBA FINALS: CAVALIERS v WARRIORS

June 3, 2016

Tristan Thompson

Oakland, California: Practice Day

TRISTAN THOMPSON: I think we had a few mental errors, mental mistakes. But how we played in the second and third quarter, we've got to play like that from the start. Be physical, and we've got to throw the first punch. We can't let the game settle in and then pick up physicality. It doesn't work that way.

We did a good job rebounding, but we had a couple of mental errors and mistakes in terms of transition, and two guys on one guy, someone that was open, like Ezeli getting the dunk. So we've got a couple adjustments we have to make.

Q. I know there's a big difference in manpower from last year from Game 1 to Game 2. Can you compare the feeling?
Q. Do you guys look at last year and what you were able to do in Game 2 to come right back after that Game 1 loss? Do you take any kind of experience from that and apply it to Sunday?
TRISTAN THOMPSON: No. At the same time, it's just Game 1. It's Game 1. They won. They came out, they stuck to their game plan and it worked out for them. So for us, Game 2, we know what to do. We've got to come out, set the tone early. That's our mindset. Game 2 last year, we know we won that, but that's last year, that's in the past.

Q. The Golden State Warriors seem to play with a faster pace. Can you talk about some potential adjustments from your point of view?
TRISTAN THOMPSON: We want to play faster. We want to push the tempo. We have the athletes and players and guys that can create in transition. So we want to push the tempo, secure makes and get the rebounds. And we've got to run. That's something that Coach Lue emphasized. So we're going to push the tempo. The other guys do it, and we're good when we play fast.

Q. Do you feel like there is a mental hurdle you have to the get past with this team? I think they've won six in a row or whatever?
TRISTAN THOMPSON: It's another game. There is no mental hurdle. You guys said that when Atlanta beat us four times last year. That's all in the past. They won Game 1. It is what it is. But we've got to come out Game 2 and play and put ourselves in a position to win.

Q. Were there good things that came out of the game last night?
TRISTAN THOMPSON: Yeah, we won the rebounding battle. We outrebounded them. We did good things. We've just got to cut down on turnovers and in transition and pick guys up. Holding Klay and Steph to 20 points, that's a positive. It's the other guys, Shaun Livingston, Iguodala, Harrison [Barnes], we've got to find ways to [slow them down].

Q. Looking at the tape and film, what are the problems with the cross-matches that you had in transition?
TRISTAN THOMPSON: Whenever you have two great shooters on the floor in terms of Klay and Steph, we want to make sure we can find them in transition, but at the same time we've got to communicate, talk, point out who has who. There were a couple threes where Ezeli got a dunk, and Livingston and Draymond and guys getting easy looks. We have to be sure to communicate and have each other's back.

Q. That's because you have to run out with those guys, and you can't just run down in rhythm.
TRISTAN THOMPSON: Yeah, that's for the bigs. As a big, you're always taught, run to the paint. Once you cross half court, you have to locate it and see who is open and see the cross-match. There are opportunities when Kevin or myself were on Steph, we've got to be ready for those cross-matches and be ready to go.

Q. Tristan, going back to The Finals last year, the adjustments that you make against Golden State, they seem to have a way of countering. What gives you the sense that whatever adjustments that you guys make from this point is going to work against this team?
TRISTAN THOMPSON: It's like chess, you know, you come back and change a couple things, make a couple tweaks. For them, I don't know what they're going to do, but they stuck to their game plan and it worked out. They won the game. So for us, we've got to look at what we can do better in half court sets or even transition. Transition and cutting down on turnovers. That's an area we want to get better at.

Q. Were you surprised you guys missed a lot of easy looks?
TRISTAN THOMPSON: Yeah, it happens some nights. We knew we were able to get to the rim, and we've just got to go out there and finish.

Q. What was the underlying message that Ty [Lue] was delivering in the meetings this morning?
TRISTAN THOMPSON: We've just got to stay with it. Come out right away and throw the first punch. I think that's key.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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