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NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: RAPTORS VS. BUCKS

May 23, 2019

Nick Nurse

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Pregame 5

Q. Given Kawhi's thought that the regular season is 82 exhibition games, what does it say about him that he's selected as a Second Team All-NBA player?
NICK NURSE: Well, he's awfully good. I think he -- you and I have talked about this before that he seemed to cruise to 30 points a lot of nights -- 30 is a lot in this league. And that's why I kept saying, geez, it just feels like there's another gear here with this guy that we're going to see, and then we know that he said that line that you opened your question with, that these are just practice games. He said that with about six weeks to go, and I was like now we're talking. Now we're talking.

I mean, listen, he's playing great. He's right up there with the guys that are playing the best in the playoffs. Now, there's some other guys that are playing great too around the league or have played great, but he's right there in the conversation.

Q. Nick, Bud says he's still considering a change to the starting lineup and will decide right before tip. I'll ask you the same thing he was asked when you guys were in that situation before Game 3. Does that change your preparation at all?
NICK NURSE: Not really for us. I think that, you know, again, we go in with some ideas of what you think is going to happen, but you've got to react to whatever changes. If it's something super drastic, which I don't think it would be, maybe one guy or something, but maybe it is, and then maybe we've got to consider something. Again, we'll go with the flow once the subs are in the game.

It's not that crucial, I don't think, who the starters are sometimes. It's more what lineup changes is he going to make and rotation changes is he going to make once the game gets going. And then you have a chance to match or not match or go with what you hope to do and whatever.

We've been in all those scenarios. I think in the first round we were trying to do what we've done for the year. We kind of thought we had our rotation. Well, it turned out that wasn't the right move, and the same thing in Philly, and the same thing in this series really. So each game is its own game, and we'll start reading it from when we need to.

Q. When it comes to experience, is the value not so much that guys have played in Game 5s before or whatever, but is it sort of the IQ and the smarts that get built up through that, and how much trust do you have in your guys that have kind of been in these situations and have had to adjust and react when the stakes have been this high?
NICK NURSE: Yeah, I think the experience factor comes in a number of ways. I think, obviously, you can start with maybe late game stuff, guys that have been there before, have experienced that and know how to handle themselves in those situations, reacting to wins and losses throughout series is another thing veteran guys, you know, they've been through it before. They know.

And a big one that, I think, many people talk about is rest, and these games are coming pretty rapid fire, and the veteran guys kind of know how to go out there and give you 40, and though they have one day and a half to recoup themselves and re-energize themselves, et cetera, and they've been through it before. I think our guys have shown they know how to do that as well.

Q. You just referenced rest. Kawhi clearly was hobbled the other night, and you've had now two, almost two days to get to this point. What do you expect from him health-wise tonight?
NICK NURSE: I expect him to be good. I think he's a little fresher today maybe than he was a couple days ago, it seems, in just his demeanor and his moving around in general. I gave him the option to skip shootaround today, and he said, no, I'm going. He wanted to come. He wanted to get out and do some stuff. So I think we'll be okay. We'll have to read it, as usual.

Q. Nick, I'm curious, it seems to be that the team that's been able to get their non-superstar guys going has been the team that's been successful. Your bench players were able to get it going on your home court. What can you do to keep going now that you're back in enemy territory?
NICK NURSE: That's a really good question, and you're right. I think non-superstars doesn't necessarily mean the bench, however. I think both teams have seen -- Lopez goes bonkers in Game 1. That was a huge reason they won. Gasol was not very good. Gasol's been pretty good a couple of games. Norman Powell rises up and plays. Brogdon had a big first half. I think there's a lot of guys on each team that can impact the game, and you're right. I think the team that usually gets the most out of any of those guys, bench or non-bench, usually ends up with the W.

Q. You had a Game 7 in the last series. You're here 2-2 with a spot in the NBA Finals on the line. Is this more enjoyable than it is stressful or more stressful than it is enjoyable for you as a coach?
NICK NURSE: Listen, it's tough, right? You know, I certainly enjoy coaching this team, and it's a really good team and a really good group of guys, and they're fighting like heck, and that's really all you can ask for, right? But I don't really care if I'm enjoying it or not. I'm here to try and win a basketball game and put everything I have into that and focus myself on that. Whether I enjoy that or not -- sometimes I don't enjoy the wins, and I don't enjoy the losses, but I'm here just to get the result and get moving.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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