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NBA FINALS: CLEVELAND VS GOLDEN STATEJune 6, 2017Kevin DurantCleveland, Ohio: Practice Day Q. The other night the way you guys kind of turned like a three-point game into a 10-point game as fast you could, it almost felt like watching the Olympic team. Have you ever been on a team that can spurt ahead that quickly? And when you do it, do you sense the other team getting deflated at all? KEVIN DURANT: I played against a lot of teams that's done that in the regular season and the Playoffs. Teams have great nights in this league, and it's the NBA. So that can happen a lot. But when you're the one making the run, you could definitely feel the other team looking for answers and being deflated as the game goes on. But I think you only can do that if you got great communication and you play defense, and that's easier said than done, especially this late in the season. So, it was good, we put together a few minutes of really good basketball, but it can't be just a few minutes in Game 3. It has to be more consistent. Q. When you were against the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals last year, that's when kind of people saw you as a great defender. What was the turning point for you, and how have you been able to carry that over into this year? KEVIN DURANT: Well, it started in 2011, 2010 we first made the Playoffs, my first year in the Playoffs, and going over scouting reports, defense is the only thing you really are concerned about, really, to start the series. So that's when I started to realize how important defense is. I know that's kind of late in my career, but it's really when I started to focus in on the importance of getting a stop and rebounding and taking care of the ball and just other parts of the game outside of just trying to score and trying to make plays on the offensive end. So I learned that a long time ago, and I just tried to get better each and every year, more comfortable, more experienced each and every year. I just try to watch film and learn tendencies of other players and also add my little nuances that I've learned over the years from other guys as well. So it's been in my thought process for a while now. Q. How is your defensive role and responsibilities different here with Golden State as compared to earlier in your career? KEVIN DURANT: I wouldn't say it's anything different. I still got to play defense or I'll be exposed in the film room. So I just try to -- I'm not going to be perfect, I'm not going to have a perfect game defensively, but I can -- my effort can be there every play. I can be engaged, and I always can be better. So I just try to not get discouraged when I have bad defensive lapses, but just know that I got to snap out of it quicker than usual. Q. But are there kind of different things that you're asked to do here, like do you protect the rim any more, that kind of stuff? KEVIN DURANT: No, I mean, it's -- when you go small a lot, you're forced to play underneath the basket more. So if we didn't play as small, maybe I would just be on the perimeter more, guarding guys. But we're playing smaller and we're playing Draymond at the five more, and it's forcing me to guard bigger guys. And I just try to -- I got to fight a little harder now than I did before. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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