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NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: RAPTORS VS. BUCKS

May 20, 2019

Danny Green

Toronto, Ontario - Practice Day, Canada

Q. What does it take out of you with the overtime game that you guys played the other night, and what steps do you take to get even close to being 100 percent for the next game?
DANNY GREEN: Luckily, it's a late game tomorrow night, and for me also, I got a chance to sit early on. I'm not as beat as other guys, but I know Pascal [Siakam] and Kawhi [Leonard] played near an hour last night, so that's going to be tough on them. They get a lot of treatment today, watch some film, some treatment probably tomorrow as well. Taking care of the body starts right after the game. A lot of guys getting massages, cold tub, all those things, et cetera. So hopefully, that will help, but playoffs are about who's going to want it more. Everybody knows each other's strengths. Everybody knows each other's plays and tendencies. So we've got to come out wanting it more.

I think the biggest thing for us is rebounding and getting back in transition. Unfortunately, we had some foul trouble the last game. Hopefully, we can keep some guys out of foul trouble. Marc [Gasol] had five. K-Lo [Kyle Lowry] fouled out. Norm [Powell] fouled out. Pascal probably had four or five. So I'll take it upon myself to be a little more physical and try to take some of their fouls, but if we could limit our fouls as much as possible and keep them off the line at the same time, it would be great for us.

Q. The Bucks were saying it was more of an off night for them last night than it was for the Raptors, taking it to double OT. They're taking the positive. We didn't play well, and we still went to double OT. How do you respond?
DANNY GREEN: That's how you're supposed to feel. We didn't play well either. For us, I think we kind of survived that game with how poorly we shot the ball. We haven't had a great shooting game as a team the whole series, but I'm expecting we'll shoot better in Game 4, knock on wood. I think me, Fred [VanVleet], Serge [Ibaka] had some pretty clean looks and decent ones. Obviously, some were not that clean, but we had some clean ones that just didn't drop for us. K-Lo, Pascal, Marc -- Marc hit some for us, but even some of the ones that we did miss, collectively, I don't think we shot that greatly.

As great as Kawhi played for us and moved us to a win, he didn't even have a great shooting night to start. So that being said, I don't think both teams played greatly, but I don't think they were off. I think they shot the ball from three -- [Malcolm] Brogdon, they shot the ball from three pretty wall, [Pat] Connaughton, a lot of those guys.

I'm sure they're expecting more out of Giannis offensively, but I think our guys did a good job of not letting him get to the paint as much and kind of keeping him off the free throw line at the same time.

Q. I asked you about Kawhi earlier in the season when you guys were going to San Antonio and talked about him being able to take over a game, and you actually said that's when he's at his best, when he's playing both ends of the court and can take over a game defensively. Is that what you saw last night with him going one-on-one?
DANNY GREEN: Sure. I think we all knew last night was our backs against the wall, do-or-die type of game. That being said, it's hard to come back from a 3-0 series. I don't think anyone's ever done it. That's why we had him on Giannis from the jump. He wanted that assignment. He's guarding Giannis from that end of the floor and trying to keep him out of the paint. Offensively, he's carrying the load and kind of picking and choosing his spots and understanding how to guard him and making plays not just for himself but for other guys, and that's why we're getting so many good, open, clean looks. We just have to knock them down.

For myself especially -- me, Fred, Serge, I think, will step up and hopefully make some more shots the next game, and hopefully we can have Norm continue to shoot the way he's been shooting, K-Lo. Kawhi's going to do what Kawhi does. And Pascal, if he keeps attacking with the corner threes, it will make us very tough.

Q. In the Orlando series, you had said you get worried when your legs aren't really in your shot, and that wasn't a concern then. Is anything concerning you about your shot now other than the result?
DANNY GREEN: No. I think it's just part of the game sometimes. Sometimes you get good looks. Sometimes you miss them. I didn't think I had a great rhythm in terms of the last game, but sometimes it happens that way. There's no concerns right now. I just -- I think some of them were off balance. Some of them were maybe rushed. But for the most part, I just missed. I've got to keep taking those shots confidently.

The next one for me -- I told him, Nick [Nurse], stick with me. I have one in the chamber for him at some point. Luckily it came, and he called my number. For a coach to do that and have the confidence in me to be able -- 0 for 8 at the time, to actually hit the next one, or call for me in double OT, I think it was, and one went in. So it felt good. Hopefully, that starts a rhythm to build for next game.

Q. Were you surprised to get that play called?
DANNY GREEN: Yes, I was. I was very surprised.

Q. What's your thinking of, hey, you know that that screen is coming and you're coming off of that screen and you're 0 for 8, as you said. What do you --
DANNY GREEN: I have to give a lot of credit to my past history, coaches for maturing me, not just as an adult, but as a basketball professional -- Chad Forcier, Will Hardy, those guys every day were just telling me, don't worry about the last shot. Just think about the next shot because that next one could be a big one. You could be 0 for 9, and nobody cares or even remembers it because that 1 for 10, that one shot could be a game changing three or a game changing pull-up, whatever it may be. If you're too worried about the last shot, you're not going to make the next one. So my coaches did a great job of helping me mature as an adult and a professional shooter to not let those other shots in be in my mind.

So when I came off the screen, I didn't think twice, just the next one's going in. That's how I see my shots anyway. The next one's going in. Can't put any doubt in my mind. Have to shoot with confidence. That last one for sure, I had to make sure I tried to get that one to go in.

Q. Are you thinking consciously about every little piece of your shot?
DANNY GREEN: No. It happens. You think Steph [Curry] thinks about every piece of his shot when he misses a couple? I don't think so. Even the greatest in the world have some slumps or miss some shots or games where they're off. It has nothing to do with their technique. It's just you missing them or not being in rhythm or just having an off day.

For the most part, my thing is, regardless if I'm making shots or not, I have to find other ways to impact the game. Blocking shots, getting rebounds, getting steals, being active defensively, or use the offensive glass to try to push people or try to get tip-outs or creating space by running the floor and giving those guys lanes to attack the rim.

I would still love to make shots. I think we all would, and my teammates would love for me to make shots too. I'm going to do my best to try to help them. I need to help them, but I've got to find other ways to impact the game.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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