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NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: WARRIORS VS SPURS

May 16, 2017

Gregg Popovich

Oakland, California - Postgame

Warriors - 136, Spurs - 100

Q. You guys played so well without Kawhi in your close-out game in the last series. Since he got hurt in this series, not so much. Is that just the Warriors are -- do you have any concerns about the level of intensity of your team tonight?
COACH POPOVICH: If we would have won the game, I still have concerns. That's what coaches do. But I think tonight it's not what I expected. I'm disappointed. The only way I can process this is I think it's not about O's and X's or rebounds or turnovers or anything like that. I think we've maybe felt it too much, Kawhi being gone, in the sense that I don't think -- as I watched, I don't think they believed.

And you have to believe. I don't think as a group they really did, which means probably a little bit feeling sorry for themselves psychologically, subconsciously, whatever psycho-babble word you want to use. That's the way I process it. I don't think they started the game with a belief. And it showed in the lack of edge, intensity, grunts, all that sort of thing. That was disappointing.

When you're playing a team that's as good as Golden State, you're going to get embarrassed if that's the way you come out, and we did, so I think that's the deal, more than anything.

We'll put it away. We'll get a meal. Game 3, I expect to see a different team.

Q. You talk about belief. Does that come from leadership? Is that on any one guy, or is that a collective belief?
COACH POPOVICH: It looked pretty collective to me. I don't think it was one guy who didn't believe, and he infected everybody else or anything like that. I think as a group, they just let themselves down. So, you know, we talked about it during the game, halftime, after the game because I think the truth always sets you free.

You can't sugarcoat it or -- if we had just made a couple shots, we would have been right there. That's pretty lame. So, call it like it is, and we didn't come to play. We felt sorry for ourselves, we need to get slapped and come back and play Game 3 and see who we are. That's what I'm anxious for.

Q. Coach, I know collectively you said they didn't believe, but did you get something out of [Jonathon] Simmons? I saw you embraced him on one of those substitutions.
COACH POPOVICH: Yeah, Jon was -- yeah. I don't know if the only, but one of the very few who came to play. He came to play. Jon was great. On both ends of the floor he was intense, and he came to win, for sure.

Q. Was it immediately from the start that you saw this, or did it take a couple of minutes for you?
COACH POPOVICH: Oh, geez, was it from the start? 1:37 was when we figured that out. Or maybe it was three minutes in and then we realized.

Q. Okay.
COACH POPOVICH: Come on.

Q. I don't know how one way the not sugarcoated conversations are. Do you get anything back in the post-game locker room, or do those conversations happen more on the next set?
COACH POPOVICH: I just say it once. I don't sugarcoat too much. They're character guys. They know I'm going to tell them. I never blow smoke at them or try to trick them into thinking this or that. I just tell them what the deal is. They respond. They've got character. They know I'm telling the truth, and there is no reason I'd do anything different. Whether flattering to them or embarrassing to them, I'm going to say it.

Q. Did anybody speak up?
COACH POPOVICH: No, nobody spoke. I don't need to hear back from them. They process it. They're smart people.

Q. What do you need from LaMarcus going forward in the next game?
COACH POPOVICH: LaMarcus has to score for us. He can't be timid. He turned down shots in the first quarter. He can't do it. You've got to score. Scoring has to come from someplace. I think he's got a major responsibility in Game 3 to come out ask get something done. Whether it's for himself or teammates. They come after him, to find somebody, turn it over, take good shots. He's got to do it. No doubt about it.

Q. Coach, Danny Green, what about his play? Looks like he's another person that probably needs to step up too.
COACH POPOVICH: Did what?

Q. I'm sorry. Danny Green. What do you have to say about his play?
COACH POPOVICH: Danny was in the other category with everybody else besides Jon. Jon was in a category by himself. Everybody else was in the other category.

Q. After an embarrassing loss, what is the expectation? How often does a team come back in the third game, fired up, ready to play or does this carry over?
COACH POPOVICH: Well, I don't know. Are you talking about past Playoffs in the third game? I'm not that smart to remember what game this, that, or the other that we got embarrassed in.

I remember Detroit. We got embarrassed two in a row in Detroit, then we won Game 3 there, or Game 5 there.

But I'm not going to go -- that's too complicated. That doesn't mean much. All I care about is the next game, and we'll see how they come out. Whether they win or they lose, I want to see how they play. If they do the right things and play the game and obey the basketball gods, they'll have a great chance to win.

Q. Coach, LaMarcus, you said he was timid. Any idea where that comes from with him?
COACH POPOVICH: You want me to be a psychologist now? You want me to -- no. I'll pass. I already talked about what I need from LaMarcus. I'm not going to psychoanalyze him. I don't think he deserves that.

Q. What have you had the most trouble with executing so far that you guys need to clean up in the third game?
COACH POPOVICH: Well, you know, we blew a great opportunity in Game 1, and it was turnovers. You know, 31 points on turnovers is not a good thing. On the board we were very passive on the board, especially down the stretch when we could have sealed it away, and we didn't do that. So those were the two concerns after Game 1.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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