	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

NBA PLAYOFFS ROUND ONE: THUNDER vs TRAIL BLAZERS

April 21, 2019

Terry Stotts

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Game Four

Trail Blazers - 111, Thunder - 98

Q. Coach, can you explain just to everyone how important Al-Farouq is to you guys' team?
TERRY STOTTS: You know, he does it every night. Sometimes he scores, sometimes he doesn't, but he gives a great effort every night. We ask him to do a lot of things at the defensive end, to rebound. You know, he's probably a better shooter than people give him credit for, and he's been an important part of our team since he's been here.

Q. You've held them below 100 three of the four games. How important was the defense tonight and in the series?
TERRY STOTTS: You know, you've got to win at both ends. I mean, you've got -- if you can play good offense, obviously that's great, but I thought Mo Harkless was really good defensively. He's been really good defensively throughout the series. He's been on Paul George most of the series. I think he's been given a lot of attention. I thought Enes's interior defense has been very good. Both he and Zach did a nice job protecting the paint, protecting the rim. I thought our pick-and-roll defense was where we needed to be. We got sucked in on too many threes, but I think up and down the roster we're locked in on what we want to do coverage wise, and we're giving good effort.

We need one more game like that.

Q. Even though the scoring for Dame wasn't there as much in the first half, he was making a lot of those extra passes to get you guys big open looks. How important was that extra pass tonight to get the open look?
TERRY STOTTS: You know, you can never underestimate the passing. I think I was asked before the game about assists and we only had 16 assists, but we're relying on Damian and CJ to do a lot off the dribble. You look at what Damian did in the second half, obviously he struggled shooting the ball early in the game, but he just keeps coming at you. He made some big shots in the second half. I think he had 15 in the third quarter, but some tough threes. So it was -- we rely on him to do a lot.

Q. Apparently Dame time is around the third quarter in this series, but what can you say about his ability just to stay the course, remain focused, and when you guys really need it, just give you guys that scoring punch?
TERRY STOTTS: Well, we've kind of come to expect it. I think he's really -- he manages the game. I think he senses the moment when we need him to do different things. He's an ultimate competitor. However the game is going, if it's going well, if it's going not so well, he's going to give it his all. A lot of times that's with his scoring, but I think his leadership, his passing, the way he directs the team, the example he sets, all that.

Q. How tough is that decision at the start of the fourth quarter to sit Dame for a few minutes? Do you think about just letting him ride?
TERRY STOTTS: Oh, yeah. I mean, yeah. I mean, tonight it was close. The way the third quarter ended, I felt like he needed a blow. The way we were kind of rolling there, and if we'd have kept rolling, probably would have left him in. But it was -- especially in a playoff game where you can ramp the minutes up a little bit, it was definitely a thought to leave him in.

Q. In light of everything that happened in Game 3, how impressed were you with your guys to stay mentally strong and demeanor wise how they responded in this game?
TERRY STOTTS: To be honest, I liked our demeanor in the third game, but we were very businesslike, we took care of our business. I think as I told the team, we have to be concerned about us, and I thought we played the way we needed to play, and there really wasn't a lot -- as we talked about yesterday, any of the peripheral stuff. I thought both teams really focused on the basketball game, and I thought it was well officiated. Both teams played hard. But it was -- I liked the way we approached the game throughout.

Q. You're up 3-1, one to go. How do you feel going into Game 5?
TERRY STOTTS: Same way I felt going into Game 4. It's going to be tough. Close-out games are always tough. It's good that we're back home, but that doesn't guarantee anything. But we've been very focused on what we need to do, and we need to have that on Tuesday.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297