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NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: CELTICS VS CAVALIERSMay 22, 2017Tyronn LueBoston, Massachusetts: Practice Day Q. You said last night that at times you felt you guys slipped into a fog. Now that you've seen it, do you still feel like that's what happened yesterday? TYRONN LUE: It was a weird game, a weird-feeling game. But give them credit. They came in and they played tough. They scrapped and they competed, just like I said they would before the game. There's no quit in this [Boston] team. They've got a lot of fight, a lot of pride, and they played well last night. Q. You guys have been so focused for so long. Are you surprised that a game like this would happen from a focus standpoint? TYRONN LUE: I wouldn't say from a focus standpoint. I mean, we lost the game. It happens. You're not going to win all of the games. But I thought they played a big part of that. They were into us defensively. They were more physical. That stood out a lot, just their physicality and how physical they were. I've got to give them credit: They brought it. Q. LeBron gets so much credit, and he deserves it, when you guys win. How much blame does he deserve for what happened yesterday? TYRONN LUE: No blame. We're all to blame. We lost; it happens. For a guy who played great for five straight months, he's got to have a bad game sooner or later. He's human. He didn't shoot the ball well. It wasn't his ordinary game. But Kevin and Kyrie had it going early and they played well, so it kind of got him out of rhythm a little bit in that first half. That's no excuse. Like I said, they played well, but we've just got to play better, be more physical. Q. As far as the defensive adjustments, you guys were going under screens a lot. Was that a mistake in hindsight? TYRONN LUE: They made some shots. Marcus Smart made 15 out of 77 off-the-dribble threes this year. He made some last night. So he shot the ball well. Q. LeBron said after the game that he thought a little adversity was good. Do you share that opinion? He said in the playoffs there usually is some -- TYRONN LUE: I would rather have adversity and win (chuckling). But like I said, we won 10 in a row, we lost a game and we've got a chance to come back and work on some things that we're definitely going to correct. See what happens tomorrow. Q. How about as far as getting to the basket? The second half and down the stretch -- LUE: Yeah, I thought our pace was bad, especially in that second half. I thought we got stops, but we didn't play with that speed, that pace and that force that we've been playing with. They were able to get back and get their defense set, and we really didn't attack the way we're capable of attacking. Q. LeBron starts a lot of games facilitating. Can you tell the difference between one of those games, which is more often, or when he's headed for an off night? And is there anything you can do? TYRONN LUE: I just think that Kevin and Kyrie had such a great start. They were playing well. We went to those guys. He never really got in a rhythm offensively. But defensively in that first half, I told them at halftime that we could be better -- more physical, not into their bodies [enough], not tough enough defensively. And then you saw in the second half they were able to get some open shots because of that. Q. Did you talk to LeBron afterward or today or did he talk to you -- TYRONN LUE: Yeah, I talked to him today. He's in good spirits. Q. I mean about what happened last night? TYRONN LUE: I mean, a game like that just happens. You move on and hopefully be better the next game. It's not something we're going to hang our head on. But we definitely understand that this [Boston] team is not going to quit, they're going to fight, they're going to compete. We've got to bring the physicality and the defensive mindset to start the game tomorrow. Q. Overall last night it seemed like in the locker room the guys were angry after losing the way they did. What was the mood like around the team today? TYRONN LUE: They were good. Locked in and understand that we could have been better. I think it started defensively. I thought offensively we just didn't attack. We didn't play with that same pace and that same power and speed that we've been playing with the first two games. We've got to get back to that. Q. The switch thing on the last shot, was that just communication issue? TYRONN LUE: It was just something -- Avery made a big shot. Q. At what point is dwelling on a loss counterproductive? TYRONN LUE: Yeah, we've got it put it behind us. Short-term memory. They beat us. They played well. Like I said, Marcus Smart made seven threes. He played great. He stepped up. Olynyk stepped up and played well, Jerebko. We know what we've got to do. We've talked about it. We've seen it. So now we've just got to go out and do it. But the loss is behind us, and now we've got to play better tomorrow. Q. You said they were getting back on defense, but is there something they were taking away as far as you guys not getting to the basket? TYRONN LUE: Yeah, I thought we fell in love with the three a little bit too much. Making 14 the first half, in the second half I thought we were seeking the three instead of attacking. I thought we had opportunities to attack and play with pace and get downhill, but we didn't really push it and play with that speed and try to attack offensively. Q. LeBron mentioned last night that maybe this loss would get you guys back to playing desperate, a suggestion that maybe things had gotten a little bit too light or happy around here. Did you sense any of that? That maybe guys began to feel how easy it had been? TYRONN LUE: I mean, it's natural. You win 10 in a row and you're feeling good. Same thing happened last year versus Toronto. We've got to be better, but there's nothing wrong with being confident and feeling good. We wouldn't be in this position if we weren't confident. We've just got to get back to, like I said, being physical, bringing the physicality and having a defensive mindset. I think that's where it hurt us the most. Q. You talked about falling in love with the three. When you have a guy as hot as Kevin was in the first half, you're going to try to find him and guys are going to pass up shots to get him the ball. But is it a little more difficult to (inaudible)? TYRONN LUE: We've just got to take what the defense gives us. We can't make things up or just seek guys out. When we've got opportunities for guys to have open shots, you've got to take those shots. Kevin being one of our focal points offensively, he's going to get his attempts. But other guys, when they're open, you've got to take your shots or drive the basketball when you have opportunities. Q. Jerebko seemed to change the tone. Did you feel that? TYRONN LUE: Yeah, he played well. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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