|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: WARRIORS VS SPURSMay 22, 2017Stephen CurryKevin DurantSan Antonio, Texas - Postgame Warriors - 129, Spurs - 115 Q. This morning I asked you about the 12-0 thing, and you said it didn't mean much unless you guys were able to get to 16. Are you able to absorb it now that you guys have it? STEPHEN CURRY: It's a great run, and we had an opportunity to get it done tonight, but more importantly, it was obviously just a closeout kind of mentality coming into tonight, trying to take care of our business, play a good 48-minute game. For the most part, we did. Had some slip-ups and some mental errors. But for the most part it was a solid night. Contributions from everybody. This guy right here was amazingly efficient in doing what he does every single night. Draymond bringing that energy on both ends of the floor. We got contributions from Pat [McCaw], again, stepping in in the starting lineup and playing with confidence and aggressiveness. Even Ian [Clark] coming off the bench. So, a great night. Obviously, with the opportunity to close out the series, we were able to do that. 12-0 is great, but it doesn't mean anything going into the next series, and we have to understand that. Q. Kevin, can you appreciate, though, what this team has done so far winning 12 games in a row in the postseason? KEVIN DURANT: Yeah, man, I'm just proud of the work we've put in from the beginning of the season. We just kept grinding. We didn't talk about championships or anything. We just wanted to build good habits and have fun playing some basketball, man. Simple as that. It's good that we're here now. Obviously we want to take that to the next series and try to be great and see what happens. But like Steph said, 12-0 really doesn't matter going into the next series. We know it's going to be a battle. Q. Three closeout games and you guys have been in control right from the beginning. What have you seen on how this team has handled those moments? It doesn't seem like there's been nearly as many mental lapses in the Playoffs this year compared to maybe a year ago or even two ago when there were times when you guys didn't bring the proper energy? STEPHEN CURRY: Experience helps, for sure. Having gone through most -- most of us five years ago, obviously this is a new bunch. But everybody's had playoff experience before and understands what it takes to win, how each possession is important. It wasn't a perfect game tonight by any stretch of the imagination. But the way that we started, like you said, was important, especially defensively just to set the tone. If you allow them to have life and build momentum, you make it a lot more difficult on yourself to close it out. No matter what the series is, the team playing at home in front of their own crowd, they're going to play with a different type of energy. We understood that and put our foot on the gas pedal from the opening tip, and that was that. Q. Kevin, have you seen a killer instinct from this group in closeout games? KEVIN DURANT: Yeah, I feel like we could definitely be better. Like tonight we had them on the ropes and they just kept clawing and fighting. So you've got to give them credit for that. But for the most part, we haven't been satisfied when we go up 3-0. We wanted to come out and close it out on the road. Guys have been just focused and energized from the beginning. We're going to need that from the very start next series. So definitely looking forward to it. In this league, this stuff is hard to come by, so we definitely want to enjoy it. We've got two days off, which is also good as well. But we've got to lock back in and get ready for the next series. Q. For both of you, how much more subdued is this celebration than the first time you made The Finals, and even the first time you did back in 2012 when it was probably such a release then? STEPHEN CURRY: Don't get me wrong, we appreciate this opportunity. Playing in this league, you can't take anything for granted. 30 teams suit up every year trying to get to this point, and only two teams do. So you have to appreciate it. We might not be jumping up and down and screaming at the top of our lungs and doing all that nonsense. But we need to understand the privilege that we have and the opportunity that we have to play in The Finals again, to have the opportunity to win a championship. We appreciate that because, like K.D. said, from the beginning of the season, it's all about the work that you put in, the mentality that you have, and how you deal with the ups and downs of the season, how you deal with the grind of the Playoffs, and you have to appreciate the position that you're in because it's never, ever guaranteed. That's something that we've learned, and I think we can appreciate it without having a bunch of hoopla going on. KEVIN DURANT: Yeah, it's a little different, definitely. I can't lie. I went when I was 23 years old, and it felt like the Western Conference Finals was almost like the championship. Just getting to that point, you know how hard it is and how much work you put in to start the season. So it's a little different now, obviously. We have a bigger goal in mind. But you've got to enjoy everything, man. When we look at it, this is just a blip on the radar in terms of our whole life. So every moment is definitely important, and you want to embrace it and enjoy it. But a lot of guys are more seasoned now and know what it takes to get here. Know what it takes to try to finish this thing off. So we're excited, but we're not satisfied. Q. You got an and one late in the game, and you stopped before you shot the free throw to give Manu Ginobili a chance to get his tribute. Why was that important for you to do that? STEPHEN CURRY: I'm a Manu Ginobili fan, and when you kind of sense the moment, obviously you don't know what's in his future, but the crowd's going crazy for him, and you allow -- I tried to do my best to give him that moment. Just take it all in, because you could tell how much he's meant to this organization, to this city. Obviously a true champion. The way that he plays the game, you have no choice but to just love watching him play. His creativity, his passion for the game every night, he's given a lot to the game. So that was just a cool moment for him. Yeah, I had to concentrate on the free throw too, so that helped. Q. I understand that the next step is the big thing for you guys, not 12-0. But in terms of degree of difficulty, how do you think 12-0 ranks against like 73-9, and even the 24-0 start that you guys hit last year? STEPHEN CURRY: They're all different. You can't compare. All of them are special in their own kind of way. But right now, kind of my same answer to the earlier question. It's a really cool accomplishment, one you can talk about for a second. But you've got to be able to turn the page and get ready for the gauntlet of winning four more games. So they're all special. I think it would be a disservice to each of those experiences to try to compare them because you really can't. Q. Has a day gone by since you haven't thought about last year's Finals? I was curious how many times, if any, you've gone back and watched the last three games? STEPHEN CURRY: Not much. This year is a totally different year, different group, different journey. I don't think I need to watch The Finals to understand what the experience is like and to be ready for it. We all know, obviously, who we're going to play. We'll be watching the Eastern Conference Finals to see how that unfolds. But it will be easy to start this new chapter and really just lock in on what's in front of us. The past teaches you a lot, but it doesn't matter right now. We have an opportunity in front of us, and we have to focus on that. Q. Have you watched the games at all? The last three? STEPHEN CURRY: Last summer. But since we started playing, no. Q. This is for both of you guys. You guys started off the postseason with Steve [Kerr] and then midway through the series in the first round you went to Mike B, and then Steve was gone for a while, and now Steve is back. How have you guys been so good at navigating this whole thing with having these two guys around? What's it meant to have Steve and Mike both there for this series? KEVIN DURANT: Well, since I've been here, Coach just empowers everybody. His message is still the same. Even when he wasn't there in the Utah series, you could still feel his presence. That's what great leaders do. Coach Brown is just an extension of Coach Kerr, and the rest of the coaching staff is the same way. Us as players, we know what we have to do. We're a veteran group. We've been talking about it all season, and we know what Coach expects of us. It's good to see him travel with us. It's good to see him and hear his voice in the locker room. Definitely want him healthy. But the message is always there. It's always the same, and his presence is always the same. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|