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NBA PLAYOFFS ROUND ONE: CLIPPERS vs WARRIORS

April 21, 2019

Doc Rivers

Los Angeles, California: Game Four

Warriors - 113, Clippers - 105

Q. What effect do you think the change-up in the lineup had on your team?
DOC RIVERS: Well, it clearly helped. It was 20-20 at the end of the first or towards the middle of the first. I thought defensively just overall, not just the lineup, just us, I thought we were better defensively tonight. They were averaging, what, 130, shooting 54 percent. Today they shot 47 percent from the field, 113. So I liked a lot of the things we did.

Again, and I've been saying this, it feels like over and over, and give them credit, I thought offensively again we just wasn't very good. I think we didn't score on two 4 on 1's, one 3 on 1 and one 2 on 1; we came up empty. In the Playoffs you've got to get at least one point out of all of those. You should get more, but we should get at least one point. We kept coming up empty on those. Those are the ones, when they get them, it's a three or a two, and we would get them, we came up with zeros, and those things can happen. And then the rebounding really hurt us again. Right now they are crushing us on the glass.

Now, one reason obviously is you've got to rotate to their shooters and that allows their bigs to be free on the glass, but we've got to do a better job.

Q. It looked like Shai kind of got the message to be more aggressive?
DOC RIVERS: Yeah, it was great.

Q. What did you think of him tonight and how do you get him to keep doing that?
DOC RIVERS: Just, you know, it was great. He was aggressive. He was attacking. That's what we needed him to do. You know, they're playing off of him, and instead of just standing there and being a spot-up shooter, he actually decided to make plays tonight. So that's what we like. We need him to keep doing that.

Q. How big was that play at the end of the half where Gallinari fouled Durant to make the three and Durant knocked down the three to push the lead from 58-54 to 62-54?
DOC RIVERS: It was a big play. I don't know if it was -- it was a big play. We should have trapped. That's what we were trying to do. No one came. Gal probably should have been up a little bit more, as well. But you think about a great example at the end of that quarter, I think we have a 4 on 1, I think Pat pulls up for a three, we get nothing out of it, and they come down and get a four-point play. That's just the way the game goes, though. Can't get it back.

Q. After Game 3 you talked about counter-punching. Every time you get hit you told your team you've got to punch back?
DOC RIVERS: Yeah, they did that.

Q. Each time the Warriors went on a run --
DOC RIVERS: Listen, overall I don't like losing, period, in anything, and so -- but my guess is we did make some mistakes. There's no doubt about that. But overall, I loved how we fought. I loved how we kept coming back. You know, because you have to against them. I didn't think any of our guys were fazed when one of their guys made a shot or made a great play. We went right back at them. I think that's how you have to play them. I thought we did that overall.

Q. What do you think it means for Jerome's progression as a player to have the impact he had in the mix?
DOC RIVERS: It's good. That was good for him. That whole group with Jerome out there, they were just moving the ball, playing well. He had a great defensive play where he got a steal. The one thing you like about Jerome is if he's open, he's going to shoot it. You know, I know that sounds silly, but there's a lot of people who won't, and Jerome is not one of those. That's why we put him in tonight.

Q. You've coached against their defense for a long time. What's it like when they kind of tighten up the vise in the fourth quarter?
DOC RIVERS: They're good. They're long. They're long, athletic, they're smart. They've been together forever. There's nothing you're going to run that they can't read. I think it's probably the most undervalued thing about their team. You know, their shooting is tremendous, but when they go with Iguodala and KG -- KD. I wish KG, especially at this age. And Draymond, they're just so smart, long, athletic, but their defensive IQ to me is unbelievable, and Steve and Ron Adams are responsible and part of that. Mark Jackson started that. He started it. But that's what they do well. They kill you with their defense, and then they show you their offense.

Q. Danilo and Lou-Will combined for 7 for 30 today from the field. When they shoot that poorly, is there just no way you guys can get over the hump?
DOC RIVERS: Well, there's a way, but it's hard. You can still win no matter who does what. I mean, it still was a four-point, six-point game, but clearly if those two guys -- and those are our two key offensive guys, struggles, then it's going to be hard, very, very hard for us to win against anyone, let alone Golden State.

Q. As far as a 3-1 deficit, what are your words of inspiration and outlook going back to Golden State?
DOC RIVERS: Well, I don't know yet. But the first thing I told them was before the game, mathematically it was as close as the series possibly could be. It was 2-1. Unless my math is off, after three games, 2-1, that makes it even. Y'all can figure that out later, all right. But you know what I'm saying. But now we are down, and the only way we can come back is we have to win there.

One thing I will say about our team is we will be ready. We'll show up. I can guarantee you that. This team has never not done that, and it would be nice to get back here, that's for sure.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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