	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

NBA FINALS: CLEVELAND VS GOLDEN STATE

June 4, 2017

Kevin Love

Oakland, California: Postgame

Warriors - 132, Cavaliers - 113

Q. How pivotal is it going to be now? Do you feel that Game 3 coming up is going to be -- do you consider it a must-win game?
KEVIN LOVE: Of course. I feel like every game in the Playoffs and especially in The Finals are a must win. But being down 0-2, going back home, we have to take care of business. We have to defend our home court, and we are in the same position that we were in last year, and going into Cleveland we're going to need to make it a tough environment for them. And it definitely is a must win, yeah.

Q. Quick follow-up, did you feel that both these games you guys had chances that you guys let one slip away that you guys weren't able to take one here?
KEVIN LOVE: Tonight. We felt like there was a couple times throughout, maybe a few times where we could have put our foot on the gas and not made certain turnovers or kept the game within reach and given ourselves a chance, but they forced turnovers, they hit shots and they were playing together and good basketball. So that's also maybe what did it for them.

Q. You guys are familiar with the Warriors on some level, of course, because of the third straight Finals, but this Kevin Durant version of the team, do you feel like you have a full sense of what they're about, and what's it like kind of unwrapping that challenge on The Finals stage?
KEVIN LOVE: Yeah, I think first two games we definitely have a sense of what they're capable of, and we felt like a lot of times tonight we played better basketball, but they're a team you cannot -- you can't let them go on runs.

I know that's easier said than done, but we had our chances to take control of the game, and we didn't do that. But we're hoping that it's going to be a different story when we go home because at the end of the day both teams play better at home. So we know what we're capable of, going back to Cleveland and we have been in this position before, but we're plain and simple going to have to play better, especially against this team because both teams have gotten better.

Q. Kyrie was saying in the locker room just how difficult it is to get used to the Warriors' pace because it's so rare. How do you get used to it at this time of year?
KEVIN LOVE: It's tough. You have a number of guys on that team that can shoot the ball at a high level, and Klay didn't shoot the ball well Game 1, but tonight he was getting open looks. And even at his size, just having that quick trigger, it just keeps guys on your toes. It makes you try to pressure the ball more, especially when you're at the four or five position and going into pick and rolls and that sort of thing.

So playing up, that allows him to hit the little pocket pass or throw the over the top pass to their big, and then they're able to make plays. So a number of playmakers on that team, a number of guys one through five, that are very capable. And their coaching staff has done a good job of putting those guys in positions.

Q. You mentioned being down 0-2, in this same position last year going back to Cleveland. In what ways, if at all, does this 0-2 hole feel different than last year's?
KEVIN LOVE: I don't have a concussion.

(Laughter.)

So I guess in that way it feels a little different. Looking at the film after Game 1, a lot of things were telling. Tonight it's easy to say we can look at the film and make adjustments, but overall we just -- as an entire unit, we need to play better. And I think we are capable of doing that. And if going home to Cleveland and playing in front of our crowd isn't enough for you, then you might as well go home. So I think we will be ready to go.

Q. The pressure of trying to keep up with their scorers, I mean, do you just kind of have to tell yourself to keep -- don't just fling something up there, just to get sucked into that?
KEVIN LOVE: Sure, and they do a really good job of making the advance pass and playing with such a pace that it's -- they create cross-matches. And I think of all the teams in the league, they're probably the best at doing that. You saw tonight Steph or Klay or K.D., those guys were hitting shots from -- and we felt like we were contesting them and playing pretty good D, but they were knocking it down, they were getting the crowd into it. And when they play with pace like that and make those advance passes and always make the extra pass, it's tough to guard. But we feel like we can be better on defense, too.

Q. When Kyrie's having a rough start to the game, is there anything you can tell him to try to encourage him?
KEVIN LOVE: Yeah, I mean, I think that like with anybody we ride or die with Kyrie and all the guys that -- I mean, Kyrie knows what he's capable of in this building, in the league, at our building. So I would imagine Kyrie's going to come out and have a great Game 3.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297