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NBA PLAYOFFS ROUND ONE: TRAIL BLAZERS vs WARRIORS

April 16, 2017

Terry Stotts

Oakland, California: Game One

Trail Blazers - 109, Warriors - 121

Q. Coach, I know Lillard and McCollum had to do the heavy lifting a lot in this game. I know you don't expect them to do that. The rest of the team was 12 for 39 from the floor, which is not bad as far as shots, but I know you're looking for better offensive production for the rest of the group?
TERRY STOTTS: Yeah, I'm sorry I didn't understand. I mean, was there a question?

Q. Yeah, were you looking for other people to step up?
TERRY STOTTS: Yeah, it's going to take a team to beat them. Damian and CJ are talented scorers and they both had great offensive nights. I mean, CJ in the first half was outstanding. But we need everybody. Guys have to be ready to make shots. They're a good help defensive team, so when the ball is swung out, they've got to be able to take advantage of those opportunities. But, yeah, Damian and CJ, if they get 80 between them, we still need to score another 40 or 50 somewhere.

Q. Coach, where did it get away from you in the fourth quarter?
TERRY STOTTS: They were very aggressive. Obviously we didn't shoot the ball well. We had six turnovers in the fourth. Draymond had an impact on the game at the rim and in the paint. They got more aggressive on the ball with the trapping pick-and-rolls a little bit more. So, I mean in a quarter if you have six turnovers and shoot 30% in the quarter, it's going to be rough. It's a credit to their defense, and we've got to be able to handle that a little bit better.

Q. Damian and CJ were very good in the second half, but they weren't quite on fire like the first half. I'm wondering, did they just cool off a little bit or did the Warriors do some things defensively to start to take that away?
TERRY STOTTS: I don't know. I thought the Warriors were a little bit more aggressive in the fourth quarter, in particular. That would probably be the main thing. I'm not sure that other than that it seemed like they were trapping the pick-and-rolls. But they tried to trap them in the first half as well. First half you don't expect having 27 or whatever CJ had in the half. I mean, that's an outstanding half. But I thought they were a little more aggressive individually, and obviously Draymond had an impact in the paint.

Q. You mentioned Draymond, how much of it was just good offense and he just blew up the play at the end? He seemed to have a couple dunks and he just kind of tossed them away.
TERRY STOTTS: His strength as a defender is as a help defender, and we've talked about that. He has the ability to bother shots and block shots. He's quick reacting, and the thing with him is that if you beat somebody off the dribble, he's going to be there, and that's where whoever the penetrator is, Damian, CJ, whoever it is, has to recognize that and the other guys have to be ready to make shots if it's kicked out.

Q. How demoralizing is it that your back court could have so much production and still lose a game? Should I look at it the opposite way?
TERRY STOTTS: You should look at it the opposite way. I don't think it's demoralizing that we competed extremely well for three quarters. It takes four quarters to beat a great team. If anything, it showed that when we play at this level, that we can play them and we can beat them. I wouldn't call it demoralizing. Certainly it's disappointing to lose the game. You go into the fourth quarter tied, but it's a tough place to play, and I think that, if anything, it shows that the prospects are good. I think that we found ways to score. We just have to manage to score for four quarters. So, no, not demoralizing at all.

Q. Coach, what is the emotion like in the locker room after the game? Because is it more positive or like a little bit of frustration in there?
TERRY STOTTS: Probably both. I mean, certainly losing is disappointing, but the thing about a series, you learn from one game and move on to the next. So there is the disappointment of losing, but certainly we've got to take away from whatever we take away from this game, and be ready for Wednesday and be ready to play.

But in a series you can't get too high or too low. You've got to learn from that game, whatever, through a win or loss, and then move on. It's not one way or the other, it's just we've got to get better.

Q. Is there a chance that we see Nurkic this series?
TERRY STOTTS: Yes.

Q. Next game?
TERRY STOTTS: That's to be determined.

Q. You did face the Warriors last year too. Do you think this version is even more powerful with Durant? What do you think?
TERRY STOTTS: I don't know if more powerful is the right word. Certainly they may be a better team. Ultimately, for them their criteria is whether they win a championship or not. But I think their ability to score this year with Durant has taken a load off of some of the other guys. Last year was a different team.

They won 73 games and were up 3-1 in The Finals, so I don't want to discredit anything last year's team did. But this team will make its mark in the Playoffs, and certainly with Durant it's a different dimension than last year.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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