NBA FINALS: LAKERS VS. HEAT

October 5, 2020

Alex Caruso

Los Angeles Lakers

Practice Day

Q. Alex, how is the atmosphere in the locker room ahead of Game 4, and do you feel that you are responsible to make a step up, the whole team, to make a winning streak again?

ALEX CARUSO: Yeah, I mean, you can't have that thought process going in. It's kind of already out of my mind today how we didn't perform at our best. It's just mainly now about watching the film and getting back to where we know how we can play.

We're a championship level team and I don't think we played like that in Game 3. Give credit to the Heat. They played well. They played desperate, they played with a high sense of urgency and played like they were trying to compete in the NBA Finals.

It's up to us to correct our mistakes, get back, and then have the confidence that we know we're a good team.

Q. Alex, with Jimmy Butler, what kind of challenges does he present, because he seems to be on the attack all the time, looking to score and also to pass?

ALEX CARUSO: Yeah, really, I mean, All-Star level player. Jimmy is who he is. He's a relentless competitor, great overall well-rounded basketball player.

I don't think there is anything he does that he doesn't do well. He just has a competitive spirit about him. He's going to keep going and keep going and keep going, and it's up to you to either stop him or slow him down. We obviously didn't do a good enough job with that the other night. Like I said we're going to get back, watch some more film, and shore up our defense and schemes a little bit.

Q. Alex, there is obviously been a lot of the talk about how Danny Green and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope have shot in the Finals and playoffs so far, but you're somebody who has also had a hard time knocking down their three-points at a level I know you would like to. Can you describe your frustrations with not being able to hit those open shots sometimes in key moments of the game?

ALEX CARUSO: Yeah, I mean, maybe the first couple series I don't think I was shooting it as great, and that's probably why my playoff percentage looks a little low. I went one for three last night; probably should have made a one or two more. Two for four the game before that, I think maybe one for two the first game. I'm confident as ever in my shot.

For the other guys, you know, I know they're better shooters than I am and I know they're not going to stop shooting. It's just about staying with the work, preparing before the shot, and being ready to shoot in the game. We know the ball is going to be swung our way. It's just about being ready and stepping up and shooting it.

Q. Alex, how important for you is to cut down the pace of Tyler Herro on the court?

ALEX CARUSO: Yeah, very important for us. He's a player that I don't think people talk about enough. He has a great ability to play off the bounce and then also shoot it over the top and stress the defense out and score from behind the three-point line.

So I think for us it's just about recognizing the kind of sets and obviously where he likes to attack. Like I said, we'll go back to the drawing board, watch some film, and shore up our defense, and I think we'll be in a good spot.

Q. Alex, Jimmy Butler said rebounds were essential to win Game 3. Do you think it will be the key for Game 4, or is there another one?

ALEX CARUSO: Yeah, controlling the glass is important, but I think for us it's even more important we cut down on some of our turnovers and our paint decisions as a team. Just making sure we get shots at the basket, especially against this team when they have the offensive capabilities that they do with how well their offense is run and how well they play with space.

I think it's more important for us to focus on trying to limit turnovers and shoring up our defense. Again, like I said, I think our defense is probably the biggest asterisk on our game from last night. We didn't do a go enough job, we didn’t play at the level we played all year.