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NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: WARRIORS VS SPURS

May 20, 2017

Stephen Curry

Oakland, California - Postgame

Warriors - 120, Spurs - 108

Q. How's your elbow? I saw that you fell and were grabbing it and stuff?
STEPHEN CURRY: It's fine. Kind of been banged up for a while, landed on the floor kind of hard, but it doesn't affect my performance or shot or anything like that. I'll be all right.

Q. Talk about the energy that JaVale came out with to start the game off? Just his defense on LaMarcus on the offensive end?
STEPHEN CURRY: He was ready tonight. Knew he had an opportunity to obviously impact the game from the starting lineup. Him putting pressure on the rim for us with the shooters that we have around it's a great weapon. He understands his importance when he's out there on the floor. Like you said, defensively, he was smart. LaMarcus, just trying to make him work, challenge shots, protect the rim, he gave us a great boost and great energy. He got a lot of easy baskets to start the game, and he was able to get a rhythm.

Q. Kevin was in here just talking about Manu Ginobili acting like he was playing like he was 20 years old out there on the court tonight doing what he did. What's it been like for you in your career playing against a guy like Manu?
STEPHEN CURRY: He's fun to watch, not fun to guard, for sure. He always has some creative button he can press just to try something out. Seems like he never ages. It's pretty special to watch. Even like [the] 2013 Playoffs, him hitting big shots against us, seeing a lot of him and a lot of great things. So he's been obviously great for the game of basketball, great for the NBA. Great for the Spurs organization, and him continuing to play like he is with the energy he has and the spring he has is crazy. I want to know where that fountain of youth is so I can see if I can get a hold of that for the rest of my career.

Q. This is a series a lot of folks were looking forward to when the Playoffs began, and you guys are up 3-0. What is your level of surprise to be up with a chance to sweep the Spurs? Despite what's going on with Kawhi?
STEPHEN CURRY: Not surprised. Our goal is to win every game we play. Obviously sometimes it doesn't happen like that, but we've answered a lot of challenges throughout the course of the Playoffs and learned a lot of lessons, obviously through winning. But against the Spurs, they challenge you no matter who is out there, and you've got to play well to beat them. In a case like tonight, obviously, on the road, knew they were going to come out with a huge fight. We didn't play our best, but we had enough timely runs to keep momentum, keep a hold of the game. So, we obviously know Game 4's going to be even tougher, with the chance to close it out. They're going to go down swinging, so we have to really come in focused and with a lot of energy to get it done on Monday.

Q. When do you guys start -- obviously, everybody's feeling like you guys are on a collision course to meet Cleveland. Has it sunk in a bit that round three with them could be coming soon?
STEPHEN CURRY: We know what the situation is, but a good team focuses on what's in front of them. It doesn't matter really what they're doing well we close this thing out. I'm obviously going to be watching the game tomorrow. I'm a fan of basketball. You know, understand what goes on in that series. But it doesn't matter until we get that fourth win in this one. ClichÃ© answer, but it's the truth.

Q. What's it like watching Kevin Durant when he goes on his runs? I know you watched Klay do it. But what is his style like? It seems a little smoother. Maybe kind of different as you're watching this, what's it look like?
STEPHEN CURRY: Yeah, it's very smooth. He can do it a lot of different ways. The run he had in the third was a clinic of scoring the basketball. He got in the paint. Finished around the rim. Hit a tough fadeaway, one-footer and pick-and-roll situations a lot, being able to play-make and create his own shot. He really answered the bell in that moment for us. At that point it's just like anybody who gets the hot hand, just give him the ball, get out of the way and let him do what he does.

His versatility, he demands a lot of attention, and it's fun to watch him get hot like that.

Q. Do you feel like you've picked up your level of defense? Did you focus on that maybe in the last round or two? Do you think you're playing some of your best defense right now?
STEPHEN CURRY: Coach challenged me going into the Playoffs to really focus on just energy and the little things that I can do to impact the game on that end. You know, staying in front of my guy. Playing great defense off the ball so I can be in the right spots to help. Other than tonight, did a pretty good job of not fouling, so I could stay on the court. Usually when I have a huge presence on that end of the floor, good things happen on the opposite end because I can help rebound. I can push in transition on steals or whatever the case may be, and put pressure on that transition defense. So good things happen on the opposite end because I can help rebound. I can push in transition off steals and whatever the case may be, and put pressure on that transition defense. So, yeah, it's a focus, and it just has to keep getting better. Trying to do little things as we try to realize our goal.

Q. Also on those fouls, you were waving them off. You picked up your third. Were you worried there that you were coming out? Did you think you had to convince him to stay in?
STEPHEN CURRY: He's [Mike Brown] kind of been my go-to guy whenever I wanted to stay on the floor in certain situations with Coach Kerr when he was coaching. Sometimes I didn't win that argument. Most of the time I didn't win that argument, but tonight, he gave me a chance. I don't know how long I'll play with three fouls in the second quarter, but just try to keep my hands out of the cookie jar and stay solid, and it worked out. So hopefully I don't have to test that anymore.

Q. With your hands behind your back?
STEPHEN CURRY: I was just showing him I'm doing it, and I won't do anything stupid.

Q. You guys have been here before, all postseason, up 3-0. What is the mindset now going into Monday knowing that everyone shows some fight?
STEPHEN CURRY: It really puts an emphasis on their starting unit how we start the game. Game 4 is going to be huge. You have an opportunity to continue to set the tone early, try to take any momentum that the Spurs are going to have in Game 4 because you know they're going to come out with a lot of energy and try to rely on their home crowd. So if we can handle those first six to eight minutes and try to get a lead and build up some momentum on our side, it should be a good situation for us.

For the most part against Portland and against Utah, we were able to do that in Game 4s and really, you know, set the tone early. So we have an opportunity to do that in Game 4 and try to make it as easy on ourselves to play a good 48-minute game.

Q. When you added Kevin Durant, it became such an embarrassment of riches. In some ways do you almost feel sorry for teams trying to defend so many weapons like you all have?
STEPHEN CURRY: No, not in those terms. But it's fun to watch when we're on the floor and things are clicking, because you know there are obviously so many weapons. We keep it simple, that's when we're at our best. It's just trying to make the right pass, knowing that everybody's a threat on the floor. When the ball is hopping and guys are put in the right position to make plays, good things happen. So that's our challenge as we've gone through the regular season and the Playoffs is trying to not to do too much. Because when we keep it simple, as I said, we're at our best, and we can put a lot of pressure on defenses to try to guard us.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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