	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: WARRIORS VS SPURS

May 15, 2017

Patty Mills

Oakland, California - Practice Day

Q. Patty, Pop was very angry about what happened with Kawhi Leonard. Did you see the play, and do you feel the same way?
PATTY MILLS: No, I didn't see the play. I saw a replay. That's about it. I'm going to leave it there.

Q. You mentioned a run-in you had with Zaza in the past. Do you think he's a dirty player?
PATTY MILLS: Look, to be honest, you know, this is all over, I'm assuming, one play last night. So on behalf of our players and teammates, we're going to let Pop handle that and say what he needs to say.

All we can control, to be honest, is going out, Game 2, and playing hard and playing smart to get back on track. But we have a great opportunity. Like I said last night, depending on how Kawhi's feeling with his ankle, you know, he's obviously a big loss either way.

But I think the belief still within the group is that no matter who is on the floor or not, we've still got a great opportunity here, and we all believe that no matter who is on the court, we can go and get this done. We've grown closer as a group as the season has gone on, and that belief and trust in one another is so important, and we have that.

So, you know, whether or not injuries affect us or not, we still have that belief that we can go out there and get it done.

Q. Is that something you'd rather know now? Because Pop said he doesn't think he'll play. Is it better for the team to know now instead of waiting until game time?
PATTY MILLS: I'm not sure, to be honest. I don't think it could affect us. I'm not sure. We haven't, you know, had that in the past. His Houston game, for example, Game 6. But I think our preparation and our mindset is the same, like I said, no matter who is on the court or not. So I don't think it would.

Q. What has this past few weeks been like emotionally for you guys? You lose Tony [Parker] and you lose Kawhi, and Kawhi's back, and you lose [him] again. How do you ride that sort of roller coaster?
PATTY MILLS: I think it's brought us together, like I said. We've grown together closely as the season has gone on. Incidents like that, you know, it's a test of character. To be honest, I think it's brought us closer together, to understand that we've got to come together to be able to do this as a group.

The belief is still there with everyone, from the players through the coaching staff and supporting staff. So it's a good environment of mindsets that we're all in this together. That's what we've got to have for sure at a time like this.

Q. Has Coach Pop voiced to the team at all what he voiced to us about his displeasure with Zaza and the anger of what he saw on tape?
PATTY MILLS: Yeah, we knew the deal, and for him to let us know that he's going to handle it and that we will let him handle it and not say anything further. But I think that's, like I said, to handle it the right way for us as players and let him do all that there.

Q. Was it last night he let you guys know that or today?
PATTY MILLS: No, no, it was today.

Q. Would you like the league to do more for safety in regards to defenders sliding under jump shooters?
PATTY MILLS: No, to be honest, I think -- I'm assuming Coach Pop had answered that question. But, like I said, for me as a shooter, I'm just going to keep shooting like I normally do.

Q. As a shooter who shoots a lot of threes with guys closing out, is this something that you've become more and more concerned with your space underneath you to land?
PATTY MILLS: No, not really. I don't jump very high anyways. I don't get off the ground very much.

Q. Yesterday almost nobody in the country was giving you guys a chance, and now you lose your best player. Do you realize how big of an underdog you guys are right now?
PATTY MILLS: You know, we know that we are, and we don't care either way about any of that, to be honest. I can tell you what, if that is the case, I think we've grown a lot of confidence from the game. I know it's a tough way to lose yesterday after being up for so long, but I think taking away positives from the game gives us confidence to know that we can run with these guys and with the guys that we do have, and we proved it yesterday.

We obviously got to fix a lot of mistakes and not make a lot of mistakes there at the end of the game yesterday. We'll focus on that. But I think, like I said, the belief and confidence, you try to take the positives out of any sort of situation. But I think that's where we're at in terms of yesterday's game.

Q. For you personally, how taxing is it to run around with Steph on defense with these guys, and then to come back and have to try to play offense on the other end?
PATTY MILLS: Yeah, it's tough. We all knew it. We need to have a lot of battery packs in the back pocket to chase him around. But it's a team defensive job, 1 through 15. Everybody needs to know where he's at on the court at the one time, as well as their other shooters and playmakers as well. So it's obviously not easy, but it's a team job. Like I said, we're going to do this together if we're going to get it done.

Knowing defensively where he's at as well as everyone else is important. But it's a team job.

Q. Patty, assuming Kawhi's out and Jonathon [Simmons] steps into the starting lineup, just talk about his growth and the confidence you guys have in him?
PATTY MILLS: Oh, all the faith in the world in Simmons and how he's performed, not only throughout the season but the Playoffs as well. You know, he's been living for this moment. He's worked very hard. He's earned it. He's earned the right to play minutes, to play big minutes, and he's producing as well. So all the faith in the world in him, as well as all the other teammates do as well.

It's a challenge, but we're all competitors. We live for these challenges. So, you know, he'll do a great job.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297