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NBA FINALS: CLEVELAND VS GOLDEN STATE

June 2, 2017

Kevin Love

Oakland, California: Practice Day

Q. Do you feel like last night was a little bit of a dampener after the way you dominated the East?
KEVIN LOVE: At the end of the day, they defended their home court. We naturally felt like we could have played better, taken the game to them a little bit more and also played with better pace. But we were a little bit sloppy on both sides of the ball. Some of our rotations weren't there. There were also times where we could have been smarter and made better decisions as far as fouling in the open court when they had an advantage. They're so devastating in that open court, especially when they get a defensive stop.

So there are a number of things we felt showed on the tape that were very telling and we feel like we can get better at. But at the end of the day, like I mentioned, they did what they were supposed to do. They played well, didn't turn the ball over and defended their home court.

Q. You mentioned pushing the pace, and so did Ty on the previous call. What does that look like? How much does that fall on Kyrie and LeBron? Or how does the entire team go about doing that?
KEVIN LOVE: You mean looking at the tape as a whole?

Q. Yeah, like what can you guys do as a team to push the pace? Or does that just fall on Kyrie and LeBron?
KEVIN LOVE: No, I think it's all of us. When the Warriors get some of those open looks and momentum-changing plays and they get out on those runs -- which they're so tough when they get on those runs and get their crowd into it, that sort of thing -- it's tough for us to then get the ball out of there and push with pace.

But it's a combination of a number of things. It's us getting stops, not circling back to the ball, making sure that we're getting out and getting numbers. We always use our pace to our advantage, no matter who we're playing. It's not just one or two guys; it's each and every one of us. But defensively our schemes were there; we just need to execute them. I think that's ultimately what showed up on the tape and what Ty talked about and continues to preach to us when we're out there, especially on the offensive end, because we're so much better when we play that way. We have seen that in the past three years with this team.

Q. How do you guys get other players besides you and LeBron and Kyrie involved in the offense?
KEVIN LOVE: I think overall guys just need to settle in. The Finals obviously are a different feel, a different moment, especially playing away from home. Having to settle in, whether it's after the first quarter or first half, first game, whatever it is.

I think that now that certain guys have gotten a taste of it, even guys that have been here before and had the experience, have gone out there and gotten a feel of what things are going to be like in this series, I think you'll see a lot better showing in Game 2 out of the guys. It's not for lack of effort. I think guys are going out there, competing very hard. In some ways it's just us focusing even that much more on the game plan and knowing how we have to play this Warriors team.

Q. Tristan had an extraordinary game in terms of few rebounds. Were the Warriors doing anything scheme-wise from your point of view that other teams hadn't done? And if they were, in your opinion, what opportunities does that create for the rest of you on the court?
KEVIN LOVE: I think sometimes the ball just might not bounce your way in certain games. I think Tristan will come out in Game 2 and be a lot more assertive and just use his will to get rebounds on both sides of the ball. He's so capable and so good at doing that, no matter who we're playing, against any team in the league.

I thought they did a good job of boxing out. On the offensive end they were tipping the ball out, trying to get extra rebounds. Even some of their guys, one through four -- it wasn't only the five man -- they were going in there and crashing from the perimeter as well when they didn't have that swing-swing and guys were hitting long shots. They knew there were going to be long rebounds and balls were going to be taking different bounces.

I think Tristan will come out and have a big effort in Game 2.

Q. I'm curious about how do you evaluate your own performance in Game 1 and what do you think you need to improve to have a better game in Game 2?
KEVIN LOVE: Just keep filling in the blanks, filling in the spots against this team. I think defensively, depending upon who is guarding me, just continue to -- I keep using that word assertive. Just continue to be assertive, pick your spots and also keep hitting the glass as much as you can.

So as far as my performance, it's not really about me. Just trying to continue to make an impact as best I can.

Q. Ty Lue just mentioned earlier that James Posey spends a lot of time working with you and that kind of thing. What stands out about Posey and his coaching methods?
KEVIN LOVE: Yeah, Posey's very self-assured, very confident. I think that helps me. That's helped me out since day one. He's played a lot of different roles in this league. He's played on a lot of teams that have had success and done well.

So my respect is very high for James Posey. He's one of the guys that I kind of sought out and continue to kind of pick his brain for how I can get better and how I can help this team.

Q. For a guy that doesn't really speak a lot, doesn't talk a whole lot, how do you sort of open him up to -- as a communicator, how do you guys sort of get him to communicate more and communicate better?
KEVIN LOVE: Make him talk. I think communication is so key. To be a coach and to have that back and forth between player and coach, you need that open line. You need that communication. You need somebody that you can just put your shoulder around or step to the side and kind of ask for advice, ask what he sees and just continue to pick his brain.

He's been around a lot of winning teams and knows what works, knows how to get to that next level. At the end of the day, you want to gain knowledge and take knowledge from somebody who has won before and been there and done that. He's done that on multiple occasions.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about the schedule after a game like last night? Are you just eager to get out there? Is it a hindrance that you have to wait until Sunday to see that team again? Would you rather be playing tomorrow or even today and just get right back out there? Or do you weigh that against the rest and recovery from a game like last night?
KEVIN LOVE: I think a little bit of both. Naturally, the game playing in the fashion that it did and knowing that we can get better in a number of areas, you want to get out there right away. There's no substitute for rest as well. We have a couple days here where we can get our legs underneath us. Guys who played heavy minutes get their rest, get their recovery, get in the gym, take care of your body, whatever you need to do.

So it's definitely a little bit of both. But at the end of the day, you leave wanting more. We'll be keyed up and ready to go for Sunday. We'll take the rest, but it's not for lack of wanting to get out there and play.

Q. You mentioned the Warriors' turnovers. At times they have been a high-turnover team. So how much responsibility is on you guys to make it that way, and what can you do to try and force more turnovers than what you forced in Game 1?
KEVIN LOVE: I think just make them feel us. That's something that I imagine Ty probably talked about and we can definitely do a better job of. They were really good on both sides, being in attack mode -- whether it was playing downhill [on offense] or on the defensive end pushing us out, making the catches tough for us.

I think at certain points we did that, but we have to do that throughout. That's how you have to play against a team like them, because if they're able to move freely and set good screens, the guys are able to just get a little bit of space or a little bit of breathing room, they could be so effective. That's what makes them tough.

The onus is definitely on us. That's a mindset. Like I mentioned, we need to understand when to take fouls, when to be super assertive, super aggressive on the defensive end, and in the open court know how we're going to fan out to different defenders, not open up the lane for certain guys, and just make second and third efforts to get the 50/50 balls.

Q. Ty had mentioned that you guys have got some coverages backwards last night, and that was in response to a question about Durant dunking with no one around him. What was the misunderstanding from a game plan perspective, and do you feel like you have it corrected as far as everyone knows what they're supposed to do for Game 2?
KEVIN LOVE: Coming into this series we had talked about the cross-matches and guys having different matches going up and down the floor, whether one through five. We obviously have to stop the ball, first and foremost. I think that is very apparent, very obvious when you look at the film.

When they feel good and they're going down the lane and getting easy buckets or we're helping a little bit too late or we're kind of parting the seas there -- especially in transition, they get their crowd going and get easy buckets, hit out for threes, swing-swing passes, hockey assists, that sort of thing.

That's something where we're going to have to just get better at it. But we have showed that we're capable of doing it. We know that looking at the film and coming in with our game plan that we missed some assignments -- a number of assignments, actually.

It's not just the tap-outs, the turnovers, their lack of turnovers. It's definitely a number of things. And that was a big part of it, especially early on, getting momentum, keeping that, having the eight-point lead at halftime and then them being the best third-quarter team in the league. We let them get out to a big run, and that was tough to get back from.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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