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NBA FINALS: CAVALIERS vs WARRIORS

May 31, 2018

Kevin Durant

Oakland, California: Game One

Warriors - 124, Cavaliers - 114 (OT)

Q. Coach Lue just said that they were robbed, that that charge was overturned. What was your take? Were you surprised that happened? Also the way regulation ended with JR dribbling back toward half court?
KEVIN DURANT: I can't control that. Well, I could have boxed JR out, I could have done a better job, so I'm glad we were able to get the win with that happening.

But the blocked charge thing, last year in the regular season same play happened to me. It was a block. They called it a block, and they went and reviewed it and changed it to a charge. So I knew once it was 30 seconds to go that they could review that situation. There were a couple, like goaltending and block/charge a couple years ago, they put those rules in that you could review them. Just like you can review out of bounds calls. So I knew that. I knew he was late on the drive, and I knew I had my man beat and he came over a little late.

So when they called the charge, I was surprised, but I'm glad they reviewed it.

Q. Can you kind of go back to that JR play? I know you had the missed box out, and what were you thinking when he decides to kind of shoot out to the perimeter with the ball?
KEVIN DURANT: Well, they still had enough time to get a shot off. They still got a shot off with that. But I thought he was looking for LeBron, because I was right there. If he had tried to put a lay-up up, I thought I had a good chance to contest it.

But I'm glad we don't even got to think about that. They did a good job tonight coming in and hitting us in the mouth. They outrebounded us. I think that's always the way they get us, on the offensive rebounds. So they had 18 of them. We can't give that up if we want to win.

Q. What did you think of Javale McGee's defense on LeBron there in the third quarter -- or I'm sorry -- yeah, the third quarter, given how you guys struggled early on against him?
KEVIN DURANT: Yeah, Bron does a good job on the screen and roll, kind of balancing and unbalancing the floor and in match-ups and getting a lot of screens to get guys on him. Then after that, it's hard to stop him.

I thought JaVale did a good job of using his length. I know as a wing player, when you see a big, you feel like you've got so many moves in your bag that you don't know which one to bring out. And I think after while, LeBron just got a little confused, and it was good that JaVale was able to stay in front of him.

We've got to be better next game. We know he's going to come out and be super, super aggressive. He made shots tonight and he rebounded well, so we've got to try to control that.

Q. You played in the league a long time. You've seen other players probably lose track of time. But from a player standpoint, how does that happen in a moment of that consequence that you don't know whether you're ahead or you're tied in a game?
KEVIN DURANT: I mean, anything can happen on the basketball court, you know? We've all done stuff like that on the basketball court. You know, I can't talk about a guy like -- I can't talk about a situation that way because I do some dumb stuff on the court. So I can't really talk about that.

But I'm glad we got a W. I don't know what was going through JR's head, but he made a great rebound and gave them an opportunity to win the basketball game.

Q. Kevin, did you get a look at what happened with Shaun and Steph down there with Tristan and all that going on? Did you get a good look at that at all?
KEVIN DURANT: I didn't get a good look at it, but obviously I was right in the middle of the scuffle. But, it's what happens when you play in The Finals. I don't think it's anything that we should be concerned about. I think it's something we could easily move past.

Q. I know Coach Kerr is a big proponent of not letting the shot clock run out. He says, hey, you shoot before it's out. Some guys don't like that. Where do you stand on that?
KEVIN DURANT: Well, that's our thing. That's our thing. It's no disrespect to any other team, it's just what we do. We don't want to take the turnover. We take the shot. So we've been doing that all year, since I've been here too.

Q. LeBron obviously finished with 51. How much of it was his greatness, and how much of it was what you guys -- maybe some defensive faults that you guys had?
KEVIN DURANT: Well, I mean, it's all him. It's tough to stop him. Especially, you know, he's getting a lot of screens, he's getting Steph on him a lot, and that's what the mismatch is, and getting the bigs on him. So we've got to do a better job of helping him out. In transition, you've got to be aware of his catches. Because he wants to catch and go to the rim, but, you know, that's what he does. He's been in the league for so long doing the same thing. We've just got to try to make it tougher on him.

But he got the ball in his hands all game. He's playing -- well, without the overtime, he's playing 42 minutes in regulation. So he got the ball, and he could orchestrate the offense. So we've got to be patient and not get discouraged when he makes shots and just keep playing hard.

Q. You went 1 for 7 from the three-point line tonight. How much of that was just you missing shots you normally make, and how much of that was the Cavaliers defense?
KEVIN DURANT: If I get a three-pointer up, it's because I want to. Well, actually, one of them Kevin Love did play great defense over on the wing and rushed the shot. But I'm glad I made up for it at the free-throw line.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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