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NBA FINALS: CAVALIERS vs WARRIORSJune 2, 2018Tristan ThompsonOakland, California: Practice Day Q. When the verdict came out about the fine and reduced flagrant, what were your thoughts when you heard? TRISTAN THOMPSON: Happy I'm able to play. The NBA has to do what they've got to do in terms of fining. At the end of the day, I want to be out there with my teammates and I'll be able to do that in Game 2. Q. Were you concerned that it could be a suspension for Game 2? TRISTAN THOMPSON: I mean, people said it was a possibility. At the end of the day, I did what I had to do in terms of speaking to the NBA and whatnot. But they made the right call by letting me play. Q. Do you think Draymond's trash talk and his gestures during the game, how does that affect you? Do you think it's too much sometimes? TRISTAN THOMPSON: No, it doesn't affect me. It doesn't really bother me at all. He's making himself look crazy. But that's what he does. That's what he brings to his team. That's what makes him valuable to the Warriors, in terms of bringing that toughness and that grit. So I don't blame him. Every team needs a guy like that. Q. How hard is it not to be drawn in to that? TRISTAN THOMPSON: Of course I know that he's going to probably try to find ways to provoke me and make me retaliate, so I've just got to stay locked in at the end of the day. It's about the game. Got to stay locked in and win the ballgame. Q. What happened at the end of Game 1, can something like that fire up a team going into Game 2? TRISTAN THOMPSON: Most definitely. It's The Finals. It's about toughness. You've got to be able to play hard, and I think that's what I bring to my team. So as that enforcer for our team and Draymond for his team, I think it is what it is. If it had to be two guys that do get into a little scuffle, it would be us two. Q. What specifically did he say to you to provoke you? TRISTAN THOMPSON: I don't remember. I don't remember. It's 2.6 seconds left in the game. Went and got an early shower. Q. Is there anything about that last two seconds that you regret? TRISTAN THOMPSON: No, no. It just took longer than 2.6 seconds. We wanted to get off the court and start regrouping for the next game. So I don't regret nothing. Q. Has there been any sort of growing, any sort of irritation between the teams given that you guys keep seeing each other? TRISTAN THOMPSON: Whenever you see a team for four straight Finals, you start not liking each other. It's two competitive franchises that want to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy. So like any playoff series, after a couple games, guys get irritated. But for us it starts in Game 1, because we've seen these guys the last couple years. Q. Can you compare the overtime heartbreak now to 2015, the way you bounced back in Game 2? Is that helpful? TRISTAN THOMPSON: Yeah. I think we watched the film this morning, and we saw areas that we could be better at. But like you said, 2015, we went into overtime and fell short. We had Kyrie go down; that was definitely tough for us. But we've been there before. I think what happened in Game 1, to be able to bounce back and come out and give us a chance to win a ballgame on the road. Q. Is the irritation that you talked about that a team naturally develops, is that just when you're between the lines? Or does some of it spill over and you have negative feelings off the court? TRISTAN THOMPSON: No, no. It's just basketball. It's just a competitive sport. Of course we're going to get irritated with each other, just because we're both competitors and we both want it all. But it never goes off the court. Maybe for some guys it does, but not for me. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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