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NBA FINALS: CAVALIERS v WARRIORS

June 16, 2016

Klay Thompson

Cleveland, Ohio: Game Six

Cleveland 115, Golden State 101

Q. Klay, first quarter, what happened there? It seemed like you guys weren't ready to play, as they blitzed you again and that's happened before. How do you explain that?
KLAY THOMPSON: It's not explainable. Inexcusable. I loved our fight though throughout the rest of the game. Made it a game there for a minute. But once again, they won the game in the first quarter. Come Sunday, we've got to blitz them. We can't be on our heels and them be the aggressor. We've got so many good players on this team that if they're trying to take out me, Steph, or whoever, someone's going to step up.

So I've got faith in this team. Obviously, this hurts. We've had two great opportunities, but not time to hang our heads. One more game to get where we want to go and on our home court. We were the best team at home, obviously, besides THE Spurs. So we're feeling good.

Q. Back-to-back 41-point games for LeBron. You've had to guard him, other guys have as well. Why has he been so efficient and so effective the last two games?
KLAY THOMPSON: I mean, he's making his three ball, shooting 50% from three the last two games, maybe above. His jumper's going in. We've got to do a better job of contesting at the rim with him. But give him credit, he's making shots. Hopefully he's off Sunday. But at the same time, we can let LeBron go for 40, but we can't have Tristan Thompson going 6-for-6 from the field, and J.R. Smith hitting four threes. That killed us. It's about limiting what their other guys do as well.

Q. You guys are used to Steph being the calm one. You're calm, too. But what was it like to see -- did you feel the same frustration he did? What was it like to see him so obviously kind of lose it there?
KLAY THOMPSON: We all did. I mean, Steph plays with great emotion. You don't see it on his face or in his expression, but he's so good because he really has a passion for the game.

It's frustrating. We let down our fans and our organization. But we all realize if you told us at the beginning of the season it would be one game to win the championship in Oakland, we'll take that any day of the week. We've just got to come Sunday with the mindset of leave it all out there, every man on this team. No hero ball, just do it as a team like we've been doing it all year.

Q. Do you think you need to be angry going into Game 7? Do you want to channel whatever it was you guys were feeling on the court out there?
KLAY THOMPSON: Absolutely. Play angry, but don't play with so much emotion it takes you out of your focus. But 100% play angry. We feel like we could have closed it out a long time ago, but here we are. It's tied up 3-3, and we're going to be going back to home. So we're going to play angry because we know if we play with that emotion and we channel it the right way, we're a really, really good team.

Q. You kind of just answered it, but how do you channel that emotion Sunday when the emotions could be running even higher, obviously, it's Game 7? How do you avoid losing your cool the way it appeared you guys did today a little bit?
KLAY THOMPSON: Just knowing what's at stake, obviously, another NBA Championship. We need our crowd to be there on Sunday, and I expect them to show up, being loud early, play off them. And just play with aggression. I mean, we're going to miss shots, we're going to have defensive lapses, hopefully not very many. But if we play with great effort and exceed theirs at home, which there's no excuse, we should do, we'll be in a great position to win.

Q. Early in the game it looked like Tristan maybe gave Steph a little elbow after a foul. Later LeBron kind of woofed at him and with the officiating as well. Is Steph getting disrespected a little in this series or is that just something to expect in the Playoffs?
KLAY THOMPSON: I mean, he might be, but that's fine. He's going to come and give us his best game on Sunday. So am I, so is everybody on their roster. If it's disrespect or if he feels disrespected, we've got to do something about it, and I'm really excited. I mean, I can't wait for Sunday. I wish it was tomorrow, but it's going to be a great moment in all of our careers. We just can't wait to get there?

Q. After winning 73 games and being up 3-1 in this series, will it be a failed season if you do not win Game 7?
KLAY THOMPSON: 100%. I thought that was a trick question at first. We expected to win the NBA Championship coming into the season. It's either win the whole thing or bust for us. I mean, it's no fun getting second place. So it would be a great season, but at the same time to us, the players, we're so competitive, we'd feel like we failed. So that's all right. A lot at stake, but that's when we're going to rise up and be at our best.

Q. However begrudgingly, what would you credit Cleveland with the most? If you said, "I have to give them credit for this," what would it be?
KLAY THOMPSON: Just their energy. They're great at home. I mean, they outrebounded us. Made us uncomfortable in those first eight minutes, but just got to give them credit how they play at home and play with great energy. But we'll make the right corrections and we'll come back on Sunday even better. I know we will. I've got faith in everybody on this team.

So it's no time to panic. I mean, one game, winner takes all in Oakland. I like our position we're in. But can't discredit what Cleveland does. They're here for a reason, man. They're a really good team. They've got an all-time great, and they've got an incredible player in Kyrie Irving and everybody knows their role. So we've just got to make them uncomfortable Sunday. Have appropriate fear. Respect them, but never fear them, man. We've beaten this team before, and we've just got to realize that we're a deeper team, and when we play at our best with great effort we're almost dang near impossible to beat.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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