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NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: TRAIL BLAZERS VS. WARRIORS

May 16, 2019

Klay Thompson

Oakland, California - Postgame 2

Golden State 114, Portland 111

Q. When you guys made that big run in the third quarter, I know that's a team effort, but how much of that impetus came from Draymond [Green] and the energy he was bringing and the way he was pushing the pace for you guys?
KLAY THOMPSON: Draymond has been special all playoffs, his ability to get the rebound and push the ball and make the right decision is incredible. You've seen it. He's a point guard out there in a power forward's body and when he goes, we go. You know, he was tremendous tonight.

Q. Third quarter again, what do you think got you going, especially with how you looked in the first quarter?
KLAY THOMPSON: A couple easy looks from three and my -- I mean, 8-for-22 is not the best percentage but I'm happy with the looks I got all night. Easily could be 11-for-22. Missed a couple layups and a couple jumpers, but you can never lose confidence. That's the reason why is all is takes is one or two shots to get going. Luckily I made them in a timely fashion because we needed to hit a couple three-balls down to spread the court.

Q. Do you feel this was a win that was a win out of experience? The Blazers have some good players, but you've been here throughout the years and been in situations like this.
KLAY THOMPSON: You can definitely credit it to experience. I mean, when you play in 100-plus playoff games, I'm not going to say it feels normal but it feels like you -- like you've been there before, and even being down eight with six minutes left, we knew the game was far from out of reach. I mean, that lineup, you know, me, Andre [Iguodala], Steph [Curry] and Draymond logged a lot of minutes of basketball together and throw [Kevon] Looney in there who was special tonight, that's a mini-death lineup in itself.

Q. Warriors announced before the game, they might have told you before, that Kevin [Durant] is going to be out for at least another week, re-evaluated in a week. That takes him pretty deep in the series, if not until the end of it. Does it change your approach or the way you think about the series and anything beyond it, knowing that he's in question?
KLAY THOMPSON: Well, we miss him. I mean, that's obvious to say. Does not change my approach. Just got to go out there and play my style of basketball and just hope for a speedy recovery. It's unfortunate but part of the game and we desperately need him to three-peat and that's no secret about that.

Q. You've seen Andre Iguodala 's hands and probably played against them in practice. What is it like to see him use those hands to steal a game for you guy at the end?
KLAY THOMPSON: It's incredible. That's why he's a perennial All-Defensive player. He's actually a good boxer. He's a good golfer. His hands are great. I mean, he's been swiping at the ball since he got in this league. You know, I actually read "Mamba Mentality," the book and Kobe [Bryant] gives him a great shout out of how good of hands he has, and you saw tonight, he has some of the best hands in the world.

Q. Having a front-row seat for the Curry battle, could you give us an insight on stuff you hear, like the trash talk, stuff that you hear that we don't?
KLAY THOMPSON: I wouldn't say I had a front-row seat. I was kind of out there playing (laughter).

But they were -- Seth [Curry] was incredible tonight. He almost won the game for them. We got to do a better job on him. Had 16 points. That's a huge impact, plus-13, so we got to try and eliminate his looks the next game, and what a special time to be in the Curry family because you never know when this will ever happen again. I'm enjoying it because I know how hard they work, so I'm definitely enjoying it.

Q. You know, you know what this is like. You played with your brother in the state championship. You all won the state championship. When you do see things like that, I mean, generally, for the love, for the competition, that spark, that fire, does it make you a better person or a better player, playing against your sibling like that?
KLAY THOMPSON: It does. I mean, growing up, you don't play against anyone harder than your brother. So it's probably just like being in the backyard for both of them, and like I said before, such a great time for the NBA and for them. I mean, the Gasol brothers never got to face off against each other in the Western Finals, but the Curry's are.

There's been a lot of brothers in the history of the game and to see them going for the fist in the Western Finals, it's incredible and it will be a story forever told, especially in the Bay Area. I'm happy for both of them because I know how hard they work and you've got a great memory, because I really did enjoy playing with my brother, as well.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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