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NBA ALL-STAR 2018

February 16, 2018

Jamal Murray

Los Angeles, California

Q. You just came in from Milwaukee, right?
JAMAL MURRAY: Yeah.

Q. Did you get any sleep yet?
JAMAL MURRAY: No. I'm tired. I got in at 2 a.m. Woke up 7:30 this morning, so not much sleep.

Q. You got the Rising Stars MVP last year, 36 points. Are you trying to get that again today?
JAMAL MURRAY: We'll see what happens. I'm going to get hot again. Just do what I do best and take it from there.

Q. So is there anybody that you're looking forward to playing with tonight?
JAMAL MURRAY: We've got a great group of guys. Joel [Embiid] didn't get to play last year, so it will be fun to play with him. Buddy [Hield] and I had a great time playing last year. Dillon Brooks, my Canadian brother. These guys are fun.

Q. Who do you have for the Dunk Contest?
JAMAL MURRAY: Dunk Contest? I have to go with my boy Donovan Mitchell.

Q. How big was that win last night, right before the All-Star break?
JAMAL MURRAY: It was a big win. To win on the road against a good team, and everybody had a great night. It felt good going into the break.

Q. One of those nights where everybody's draining them. That is the second time you guys hit 24 threes in the game. Was it contagious? What was it?
JAMAL MURRAY: Everybody was having fun. It was a collective effort. We got it done defensively for most of the game. And guys were just hot.

Q. Did you know Nikola [Jokic] had a triple-double in the first half?
JAMAL MURRAY: Yeah, that was crazy. He's one of a kind. He's a stat-sheet stuffer and he doesn't even try [for triple-doubles]. He just plays the game the right way.

Q. The experience last year, how much does it help you this year? Do you like this?
JAMAL MURRAY: Yeah, I like it a lot. I want some more sleep, but other than that, it was a great time. It was a great group of guys. I got to see some kids and some fans.

Q. What is the feeling being here?
JAMAL MURRAY: Just go out there and have fun. It's the All-Star break, so you just try to have the mood light, have a good energy. The most important thing is to have fun.

Q. Just like a dream coming true?
JAMAL MURRAY: Oh, yeah. You dream of this as a kid, watching the events growing up. So watching the events and being in the Skills Challenge and the Rising Stars game is a meaningful thing.

Q. How much of a whirlwind is it to be playing so late last night, taking that red-eye flight out here, getting little sleep and being out here? Just kind of describe that?
JAMAL MURRAY: It's part of it. Can't overthink it. It is what it is right now. Hope I've got enough in me for the game.

Q. How do you feel like your game has evolved from a year ago until now?
JAMAL MURRAY: Just playing the one now instead of the two. Coach [Michael Malone] has helped me a lot throughout the season, just giving me more minutes and allowing me to learn from my mistakes and keep growing. So I just play with confidence, and the team kind of moves and plays with good energy.

Q. Can I ask you about Jaylen Brown? He's made a good step from year one to two. What do you see there?
JAMAL MURRAY: He's athletic, he's strong, he's smart. Off the court, I know he's a great guy. He's very humble and he's intelligent. I know he's a guy that's going to keep learning year in and year out. Keep improving his game. He's somebody you can depend on down the stretch.

Q. How did you get to know him?
JAMAL MURRAY: We both like to have a good conversation, easy to talk to. Adidas events, stuff like that. We've had a great time together, great connection. And we battle on the court.

Q. If there is one skill from a current All-Star you could take into your game, maybe Steph's shooting or DeMar's footwork, who would it be?
JAMAL MURRAY: Everybody's got their stuff they need to work on. I don't want to take anything from somebody's game; I want to create my own. I want to improve my handle, show it off a little bit more. Show my leaping ability more. I didn't really get to work on my game this summer because I had surgery. So I'm looking forward to this summer being able to work on my game.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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