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NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS: PELICANS vs WARRIORS

May 8, 2018

Alvin Gentry

Oakland, California: Game Five

Game 5

Warriors 113, Pelicans 104

Q. Can you comment on keeping Rondo on the bench during the second half?
HEAD COACH ALVIN GENTRY: Well, he had a groin. His groin was not in great shape and we knew that right from the start. His movement wasn't as it had been, and I just didn't think that it was worth risking something that could be serious.

So we just -- we just didn't play him the rest of the game.

He wanted to play, and he tried to play right from the start, and that's why I love the guy, you know, he is as big a competitor as I've been around, and he would do anything to help our team. I just thought that it didn't make sense to put him out there, because his movement wasn't great, and I didn't want to see him hurt.

Q. What's it like facing them, and is it both happy and frustrating?
HEAD COACH ALVIN GENTRY: I think a little bit of both. I have the utmost respect for Steve. Steve and I go way, way back. I've known him since he was 17 years old. I think he's done a phenomenal job with this team. You know, I think Bob has done an unbelievable job of putting a team together, that the pieces fit perfect.

We have to game plan for so many things, that, you know, you have to pick your poison, and if your poison is, you know, letting Durant be the scorer, that just tells you the potency of this team I think.

The one thing I'll say is that I was really proud because we could have easily stopped playing. That's not in our DNA, none of the guys, and so we were going to compete until the final buzzer went off. We came very close to, you know, really getting back in the game with four minutes to go, but you know, they made a couple of plays because that's kind of who they are.

Q. Through the first couple games of the series, your team did a nice job of stopping the big runs. What happened tonight in the third quarter that let them jump on you guys?
HEAD COACH ALVIN GENTRY: Yeah, we had some bad possessions, and then we missed some easy shots, and so all of a sudden, it's 10-0, and you know how that goes. I mean, I didn't have so many time-outs that I could use, and then all of a sudden, you know, it ends up 24-5 or whatever it was, 25-4 or something like that.

But you've just got to be solid and I thought we missed some easy shots that de plated us a little bit. We also gambled a little bit on offensive rebounds that put us in a pretty compromising position.

But I think guys were just doing it -- everything that was done, was done because they were trying to help our team, and I couldn't be prouder of a bunch of guys, the way they come together, the way they competed, the way they pulled for each other.

I mean, we're playing against a great team and I think that's where you've got to understand that this team has been NBA Champs two out of the last three years, and as I said, you know, could have possibly been NBA Champs the last three years. I think they are hitting their stride and are in a good groove right now.

You know, Steph is starting to I think get his wind back and his legs back and they are just going to become better. I think it will be a great challenge playing Houston, but they have been there before, and you know, it will be a great series.

Q. What was your reaction to Draymond coming over in the huddle in the first quarter?
HEAD COACH ALVIN GENTRY: I don't have a reaction. That's Draymond.

You saying, should that have surprised me? No, it didn't surprise me. But you know, it's just -- I mean, I didn't see any reason to get upset about it or anything. I mean, we're talking and we're going to do what we're going to do, and you know, that's Draymond.

Q. What did you tell your players after the game, and in the aftermath of this game, do you consider this season a success?
HEAD COACH ALVIN GENTRY: I just told them that, you know, we've been a team that has suffered a lot of adversity, and we've always seemed to find a way to play ourselves out of it.

We've had to reinvent ourselves twice. Obviously adding DeMarcus, we changed the way we played. We thought we were beginning to get it. Our biggest win of the year up until that point was the one where he got hurt in, and that was the Houston game and we felt like, you know, we were able to play against the elite teams in the league and we felt great about it and then he got hurt and we struggled for four or five games. Actually, I think we lost four in a row.

We just reinvented ourselves. We said, okay, we're going to have to play differently, and this is how we're going to play, and our guys did that.

Yeah, I look at the season as a success. You know, we're disappointed. We didn't come here just to play and say, oh, boy, it's great being in San Francisco. You know, we came here to try to win the game and felt like we could play with them. To me, what you -- more so than anything, what you want to try to fine out is where you are right now as a franchise when you're playing against NBA Champs.

We feel like we can play against them. There's things that we have to do from the standpoint of managing turnovers. You know, execution offensively and defensively. But we feel like we're headed in the right direction as a franchise. We got one of the three or four best players in the league, which is great to build on.

I think Jrue Holiday had a great year. Rondo has been a terrific addition to our team from the standpoint of leadership and what he's done. It's a positive in that we think we're headed in the right direction.

We're disappointed. Even losing to the champs, you've got to be disappointed and that's one of the things I like about our team is that we came in here with the expectation of winning. If you're not going to do it, I don't know how you advance. So I think we'll be okay in the future, and you know, we're looking forward to it.

Q. With the talent on both teams, how do you see the Warriors, Rockets matching up?
HEAD COACH ALVIN GENTRY: Are you serious? Those two guys are two of my best friends. I'm not commenting either way. I think it's going to be a great series. I think it will be very entertaining. I think the people will have a great time watching that series, because you know, you have great players out there. Obviously when you take CP and James Harden, it's a great backcourt.

When you take the Warriors and, you know, they have been there so many times and been through so many situations where it's big game after big game that, you know, I think they will be solid, too.

I'm looking forward to it. I think it's going to be a great series.

Q. You're going into the off-season not knowing if Rondo and cousins will definitely be back, but on your team, what do you have as far as -- that gives you the confidence that you talked about and that all the strides that you made can continue into next year?
HEAD COACH ALVIN GENTRY: Well, I think the big thing is that, you know, you have to be on the same page as the GM and I think Dale and I have a great relationship. I think we talk a lot and discuss things a lot. I think we feel the same way as to where our team is right now and what we need to add.

I'm confident that we have a great cornerstone in Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday. Those two guys I think are going to be a great anchor for our franchise. We just have to look and figure out what we can add that's going to make us better than we are this year.

Q. Would you like to see DeMarcus re-sign and come back next season?
HEAD COACH ALVIN GENTRY: He was on our team and he was great. You know, that's something that we'll discuss. Obviously the guy is averaging 26 points and 12 rebounds, you'd like to have on your team. I think that goes without saying (chuckling).

Q. Anthony Davis's first time in the second round. What do you think he learned from this experience?
HEAD COACH ALVIN GENTRY: I think he learned that for every step you take, it gets a lot harder, and that's the one thing that I said, "Steve, congratulations, good luck."

He said, "Well, it gets really hard. It gets even harder." He's right. You're playing elite, elite teams now. So from the first round to the second round to the next round to the Finals, you're going to play against a really elite team. I think he understands that. I still think he's truly one of the great players in this league, but he's probably a better person than he is a player. And I think when you have that kind of player and person to build around, that you're headed in the right direction.

Thanks, guys.

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