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NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: CAVALIERS vs CELTICS

May 21, 2018

Tristan Thompson

Cleveland, Ohio: Game Four

Cavaliers - 111, Celtics - 102

Q. After Game 2, you indicated how your teammates and yourself had to respond more so that nobody, LeBron especially, would have to play hero ball. What kind of report card would you give yourself and your teammates after Game 2?
TRISTAN THOMPSON: I think it's on the defensive end for us. I think we've been much better with the multiple efforts. Like I said, after Game 2, we just weren't communicating and we didn't have the multiple efforts. Especially with Boston, they've got guys down and they're moving the ball. They got it hopping. You can see coach [Brad] Stevens on the sideline telling them, miss or make, push the ball, get the ball moving. So we've got to be ready for that. I think we did a much better job at home, but the real test is how we're going to play out there in Boston. We know they're going to have their crowd behind them and they're going to be feeling good, so we've got to be ready to weather their storm. And it starts defensively for us.

Q. Can you talk about never quitting on a play beneath the basket? Eight blocked shots. Kyle Korver had three of them. You had two. Seems like you guys played through the full 24 seconds.
TRISTAN THOMPSON: Yeah, Kyle [Korver] was great for us tonight. I think in the post with Jaylen Brown, that's a tough coverage. Jaylen Brown has worked on his game in the post when he has a mismatch. He's got some good moves down there. Kyle walled him up, stayed strong and then jumped him, changed his shots. Kyle was huge for us tonight in the second quarter defensively, getting us going. It's a full team effort, and we're going to need everyone to step up and be huge for us in Game 5.

Q. Have you become more of a vocal leader during this run in the playoffs, or is that something that you have done in the past that's just seemed to be more visible now?
TRISTAN THOMPSON: I think Perk [Kendrick Perkins] always says the job of big man is got to bring the toughness, bring the energy, and we're the back-line defense. Myself and Kev [Kevin Love], whether it's in the pick-and-roll or multiple actions, our guys rely on us to communicate and call the coverages out and have everyone's back. In terms of being physical, it's going to be a physical series. They showed that Game 1 and 2. They hit us in the mouth, and we weren't able to rally back. So we knew coming home, protect home court. We took care of business. Now we get ready for Game 5.

Q. There was also a moment in the second half when Kevin was struggling, got into some foul trouble, and during the free throw you kind of grabbed the ball, walked over and said something to him. Can you share what you said to him, and if so, what was it?
TRISTAN THOMPSON: Keep playing. Keep playing. The first half was tough. There were a lot of calls made and got him out of rhythm. But Kev was huge in the second half for us. Getting offensive rebound put-backs, getting to the rim and taking advantage of the mismatch. He was huge for us. We know he's going to do great in Game 5. He's going to be ready to play. I just told him it's a full team effort and we're going to need him, and he responded.

Q. How do you guys bottle this up on this home court and take it to Boston? They don't have to win on the road to win this series, but you guys do. So how do you take this effort we've seen the last two games from you guys and take that to Boston?
TRISTAN THOMPSON: You said it there. It's not a series until you win a game on the road, right? They've been really good at home. We know that their crowd is going to be into it. They're going to come out fighting. They're going to be real physical like they were in Games 1 and 2. We've got to weather that storm. We've got to weather that storm and stay together as a team. If things aren't going good for us, we can't go apart. We've got to stay together and fight through it.

Q. Ty Lue mentioned that you're kind of, I guess, mentoring Larry Nance Jr. a little bit. Can you just talk about both you guys have faced not playing at all and then here you are with the season on the line both impacting the game? What have you done with him to get his confidence up?
TRISTAN THOMPSON: Larry was great for us tonight, just bringing energy. Things that might not show on the scoreboard just in terms of him defensively when he's switching on [Jayson] Tatum, forcing him to second-guess his moves. Marcus Smart, messing with him and getting strips. He was huge tonight. Me and Larry work out together before and after practice, built that relationship and chemistry. I'm happy for him. He's a really good player. Whether he's in the game or I'm in the game, we're going to bring that energy, that toughness and athleticism. He was great tonight.

Q. What was your view of Kyle Korver's dive for the loose ball, and how big of a play was that did you feel in the moment?
TRISTAN THOMPSON: That's our mantra, Whatever It Takes. If we've got to dive at loose balls -- I think that got us going, and he was huge. Kyle left it all on the line. Me and him are both in the cold tub right now, so we've just got to do whatever it takes to get ready for the next game.

Q. LeBron's 44 points, everybody is going to talk about that, but what do you think of the level of defense he's played in the last two games?
TRISTAN THOMPSON: It's been huge. He's the captain of our team. When he's coming out, not just offensively firing but defensively taking the challenge and making it tough for Brown, we all feed off his energy. When your captain is doing it on both ends, and on the offensive end he's doing his thing and defensively he's taking the challenge and multiple efforts and giving it his all, we've got to look at ourselves and say, Hey, we've got to follow behind. There's no excuse for us.

Q. You talked about the defensive miscommunication in Boston, and it's been a little bit better here. Is it something that just goes with playing in a hostile environment where the communication is not as good? Is it easier to communicate in Cleveland, or is it something you can bring to both places?
TRISTAN THOMPSON: No, I think we just didn't communicate. We weren't talking. I think we did a great job preparing, but at the same time when the game starts, they're going to throw different wrinkles in the game, and we've got to be ready to respond. We didn't do that Game 1 and 2. I think it's a matter of where you're going to play. Both crowds are going to be loud. Obviously Cleveland's crowds are louder, just because you've got to go with the home team. But I think that's the key for us. We're starting to talk, multiple efforts. I think it's multiple efforts. When you're playing hard and you're communicating, it makes it much easier on the defensive end.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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