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NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: RAPTORS VS. BUCKS

May 20, 2019

Nikola Mirotic

Toronto, Ontario - Practice Day, Canada

Q. Niko, you're wearing a Bench Mob T-shirt but you're starting. Are you breaking news right now?
NIKOLA MIROTIC: No, of course not. They just gave me this T-shirt yesterday on the plane. I thought it was a good idea to wear it right now. It was my first thing that I picked up when I woke up this morning.

Q. What do you think the big difference was from the team you were facing, when you look at what the Raptors did yesterday, what was the big difference in Game 3 for them verus in Games 1 and 2?
NIKOLA MIROTIC: I think they played more desperate. They played with much more physicality, especially from the beginning of the game, and they made some really tough shots as well, especially, I think, at the end of the game, Marc Gasol had a couple of important threes.

I think, even without playing the best basketball last night, we were so close to winning that game. We were not that well offensively yesterday, but we had some really good defensive stops yesterday. So just keep grinding and try to win the next ones.

Q. Do you have to give some credit to their defense? You said you guys didn't play well. How did you think their defense was yesterday?
NIKOLA MIROTIC: They were great, especially regarding Giannis. Giannis did a really good job passing the ball. Unfortunately, we didn't make shots as we were supposed to, but that's part of basketball. One day you make more, one day not. We were moving well the ball, especially until the last five minutes of the game, that end of the game, but the team played well. We were in position to win. That's what we want coming here in Toronto. We'll still fine tune, and we're going to try to win the next one for sure.

Q. Is that the silver lining that you guys weren't at your best by any means and it still took two overtimes to put you guys away?
NIKOLA MIROTIC: Could be. We did our job. We just need to have a better start next game. Obviously, we're going to watch some film, see the errors where we can improve as a team. It's a very good thing for us. We are very -- we know that without playing our best basketball we were there, so it's just about little things to adjust that are going to make a huge difference for us, and I don't see us shooting the ball as bad as we shoot it the last game. Defensively, we're fine. We just need to keep doing the same thing we've been doing, and we're going to be in good shape.

Q. Niko, were you happy with the looks you had, or did they feel a little bit more rushed?
NIKOLA MIROTIC: Obviously, they were running me out of the line, three-point line, so the shots were a little bit -- I don't want to say rushing, but a little bit quicker. Right now I'm not making the threes that I was supposed to be making, but they're good looks. I need to take those shots. The team wants me to take those shots, and I know -- I'm not that worried about my offense.

The biggest thing for me is defense. Right now I think I'm doing a good job defensively helping the team, and my offense will come as a part of the team as well. So just keep grinding and play hard. That's all.

Q. Niko, the defensive matchups are totally switched around on you guys. How do you feel that's affected you, and what can you do to get a little bit better for Game 4?
NIKOLA MIROTIC: Well, we didn't watch the film yet. We'll watch later. Yeah, they did make some adjustments, as we can expect they will. It was not that big difference. I think we had the looks that we want. We just didn't make those shots.

Defensively, as I said, we were fine, getting well matched up and getting back in transition, trying to make those shots difficult on Kawhi [Leonard]. Just see the film, and let's see where we can improve for next game.

Q. Niko, it seems like an emotional double overtime game like that can be draining. How do you guys kind of stay even keel heading into Game 4?
NIKOLA MIROTIC: I think it's kind of good for us to have games like those because during this, when I came here, we didn't have that many close games. So it's kind of good for us to learn from this point, where we can do better as a team the last couple minutes of the game.

So just try to have better looks, try to move the ball and try to find a hot guy at that moment. Just keep playing the same way we've been doing, and I know we can do better. So we will watch film and get better.

Q. Niko, does the extra overtimes affect your body?
NIKOLA MIROTIC: I don't think so. It's the playoffs. We're ready. We worked all season for this, to be in good shape to be in this position to fight for a championship. So the guys are ready. We have a deep bench. Everybody's stepping up. Everybody's playing well. We feel fresh. We'll watch the film and bounce back tomorrow.

Q. Do you feel like as a team you guys take losses seriously? You have done a good job all season bouncing back.
NIKOLA MIROTIC: Yeah. I think we just lost one game, right, back to back? It's a good thing for us that we are showing good mentality after losing the games. So hopefully, it will be the same thing tomorrow. I'm sure that we're going to play better, and if we play the same way defensively as we did last game, and improve some things offensively, we're going to be in good shape to win as well.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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