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NBA PLAYOFFS ROUND ONE: SPURS vs WARRIORS

April 24, 2018

Klay Thompson

Oakland, California: Game Five

Game 5

Warriors 99, Spurs 91

Q. How much did Draymond's energy help tonight?
KLAY THOMPSON: Well, Draymond can literally do everything. So these last two games, he's been rebounding like a beast and his ability to take the ball from the rim and push the break is what sparks the offense so much. We expect him to continue to play with this edge because when he does and he's played with great emotion and passion, that's when he's at his best.

Q. Very rarely do you have off-shooting nights, but you were saying yesterday about the need to simplify things and also get looks. How much did you see that in play tonight?
KLAY THOMPSON: Still took about three or four bad shots but other than that I thought I got great looks. Feel like I could have more points but that's basketball. It's not always going to go your way and I look forward to doing that the rest of the playoffs. Not try to do too much but just try to play my game.

Q. With how you are as a competitor, how much do you use like a rare off-shooting night as motivation versus trying to forget about it?
KLAY THOMPSON: I've had so many in my career, even before the NBA, I know how to bounce back. So it's not a big deal to have an off-shooting night. To me, at least, because I know if I play hard, it's going to come back around.

Q. The other day, you said, "We're a championship team and we're going to come out with a championship effort." What did you see on the court with your teammates? Seemed like you were leading the charge in the first half when the Spurs came back and you guys needed a little help offensively.
KLAY THOMPSON: I mean, it's just no fun having to lose on your home court in the playoffs and fly across the country. So that was motivation. The team we're going to face the next round is already resting, so we don't want to add extra games to our resumÃ© when we have an opportunity to close out at home, so that also was in the back of our heads.

But it's the playoffs, and luckily for me and my teammates, we've played so many of these games, and I mean, you can't put anything out there but 100 percent effort, or you will lose. Tonight, our effort was amazing. We held them to 37 percent from the field, and you can't do that by playing lazy.

Q. You mentioned the Pelicans. As you start to shift toward that series, how impressed were with you what they were able to do to Portland and what challenges did they present for you guys?
KLAY THOMPSON: Alvin has got those guys playing at an amazing pace, very up-tempo. Jrue Holiday is looking like all-NBA type of point guard with his ability to defend and run the team.

I've seen Anthony Davis. I've seen plenty of highlights of what he's doing this postseason and it's amazing, so that's going to be a huge challenge for us. I could go on and on. So it's going to be a great challenge for us and just got to take it one game at a time, as clichÃ© as that is, because you can't look ahead to West Finals or Finals. You have to beat the Pelicans and they are playing really well right now.

Want to say to the Spurs organization, congratulations. What they were going through the last week, is all of, and it's really got to be -- I can't imagine how hard it is to go out there and perform under those circumstances. Our hearts are with them and we have nothing but respect for that team because they play the right way and they have great pride and have been doing it for so long.

So hats off to them and it was a very hard-fought series, and like I said before, our hearts are with the Popovich family and the whole Spurs organization.

Q. What's your outlook on Steph for the next series?
KLAY THOMPSON: I hope, but I'm not going to expect it because I don't want to get my hopes up and not have them fulfilled. If he doesn't play, we're prepared. If he does play, hallelujah.

But we've got to go in this week with the mindset he's not playing, because that's what we've been doing this whole postseason and it will just make us better when he does come back. But we sincerely miss him and can't wait till he gets back.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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