	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 7, 2017

Kyrie Irving

Cleveland, Ohio: Postgame

Warriors - 118, Cavaliers - 113

Q. How tough is mentally a loss like this, especially after you guys played so well since basically until the end?
KYRIE IRVING: It's definitely tough. It hurts. Did some great things tonight. Came down to the stretch, and they made some big time plays. K.D. comes down, hits a big three, puts them up one, iso on the wing. I'll probably be replaying that play for a while.

But it definitely hurts. I'm human, as well as my teammates, and to lay it all on the line like that, you want to come out on the winning side. But we gave a great effort, and the result just didn't turn out the way we wanted to. I apologize if I'm shivering. I just got out of the cold tub. So don't think I'm like getting sensitive on you guys. Just pretty cold.

Q. Coach Kerr said he kept telling his players they're going to run out of gas, they're going to run out of gas, stay with it. Did you guys just simply run out of gas in that stretch where you got out scored 11-0 to close the game?
KYRIE IRVING: It's The Finals. We had our horses in. Myself and Bron, eclipsed the 43-minute mark, playing pretty well, then they made some big-time plays down the stretch. They're a juggernaut of a team, do a great job of spacing out the floor, keeping a high tempo, and just made some big-time plays down the stretch. You got to give credit when credit is due.

Q. You've been going back and forth with Klay for the last three games, really hand-to-hand combat for most of it. You were able to have a lot more success tonight? What did you see in the matchup that was able to sort of open things up for you this evening?
KYRIE IRVING: I saw some space, started attacking early, getting in transition, off our rebounds -- excuse me, off their misses. I got a few rebounds, got to push in transition, got to the free throw line a little bit, just stayed aggressive the whole entire game.

When they're doing a great job of loading up on you, every iso, every time you come off pick and roll, you got to find other ways to still be effective. So we tried to do that tonight, but it wasn't enough.

Q. You do look kind of cold.
KYRIE IRVING: Yeah.

Q. I mean, each of these last couple of games you've -- as a team you guys have done some great things. You're down 3-0. Do you see enough to build on that you guys can look at and climb this mountain that no one's ever climbed before?
KYRIE IRVING: I mean, we'll come in and watch film tomorrow, prepare for Game 4 just like we have the last three games. See where we can get better and go from there. We have to come out with an unbelievable mindset, unbelievable focus like we have, like we did tonight, and limit them to some of the things that they're comfortable at.

When they have their three main guys eclipsing almost the 30-point mark, it's going to be a tough game. So they definitely came to play tonight as well as we did. A few plays here and there that I wish that we all could take back, a few missed communications and stuff like that that obviously we want to limit.

But when have you a powerhouse like them, you have a legitimate three big-time scorers that are able to affect the game like the way they did tonight, it will be a tough matchup. But Game 4, we just look -- I look forward to it. Another challenge for us, another challenge for us to get better and go against a great team.

Q. As good as the Warriors were last year when you faced them, it seemed like this last couple minutes tonight shows how different it is with Durant, that he can get a shot even when he's guarded well?
KYRIE IRVING: Yup.

Q. How much does that change the dynamics in a close game like this?
KYRIE IRVING: He was their closer tonight, for sure. Doing what he is supposed to be doing. He got to a spot, got a switch out on Tristan, hits a big-time shot baseline and then, I mean, just hits an unbelievable game winner, just comes down in transition, that only Kevin Durant can hit.

So you give credit when credit is due. Now it's just time to go home, watch film, get prepared for Game 4.

Q. Maybe up until the Warriors were formed, could you have ever envisioned a night where LeBron scores 39 and you have 38 and you lose?
KYRIE IRVING: Nope. I mean, it's hard to envision. But they're definitely a different team than they were last year that's definitely in full effect that we're all fully aware of. Going down the stretch they're a lot more poised, and when you have pieces like they have, they're able to stretch the floor and give space to a great iso player at the top of the key and make big-time shots. That's what they did.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297