NBA FINALS: LAKERS VS. HEAT

October 6, 2020

Frank Vogel

Los Angeles Lakers

Game 4: Postgame

Los Angeles Lakers - 102, Miami Heat - 96

Q. I want to start by asking you about the defense, especially in the fourth quarter. What was working so effectively in making it difficult for Miami to get good shots?

FRANK VOGEL: Well, we're continuing to go grow our understanding of the Miami Heat and their offensive system, which is very, very complicated and difficult to guard. Each game we tweak the scheme a little bit and get a little stronger with what we are doing on that end and what we are trying to take away.

Obviously, Anthony's matchup on Butler was a big factor in our defensive efficiency. He did a great job. Jimmy is so great, it's hard to even slow him down but AD did a great job. It starts there but you have to credit our guys' competitive spirit. They were flying around and just competing at an extremely high level that end of the floor.

Q. You expect to see LeBron and AD come up with plays down the stretch. What are your thoughts on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope at crunch time?

FRANK VOGEL: Huge. He's a confident young man. He's been a huge part of our success this year for what he does on both ends of the floor. I was proud of him and Danny for having bounce-back games offensively. We need everybody to participate and contribute and we're a team-first team. Obviously we have our two big horses but everybody's got to contribute that's out there, and proud of both those guys for stepping up.

But KCP down the stretch, big guts to take the shots that he took and it was a huge five points, obviously.

Q. AD taking on Jimmy most of the night, and then LeBron refusing to switch up Jimmy, how do you feel that set the tone for what you did in the second half defensively?

FRANK VOGEL: Set a big tone. That was a big part of our plan, the adjustments from last game to this game was to try to keep those guys on him as much as possible. They rose to the challenge. They really stepped up. Obviously it's one game, we still have work to do. But tonight's game, those guys did a great job.

Q. Along those lines, the decision to go with AD, especially knowing Bam might be playing, how did that idea come to be?

FRANK VOGEL: That's what we study film for. We studied the game tape and see where you're getting hurt. There were ways that he was hurting us. Obviously, he had 40 points last game. So we identified ways that we can take certain things away from them, and hopefully not get hurt too bad. That's what it's about, making adjustments.

Q. In the last few minutes of the game after LeBron looked a little shaken up on that collision, the next two possessions, you scored with either Rondo getting a layup or him setting up Anthony Davis. I don't think LeBron even touched the ball. Did those two possessions sort of epitomize what you have in Rondo and what he means at this type of stage?

FRANK VOGEL: Yeah, he's been huge for us all year. Obviously vital down the stretch. We've been telling Bron, when he needs a possession off offensively, that's a great action to go to, Rondo and AD in the pick-and-roll. We'll ask him to just catch a quick blow.

He had great trust. It's tough to trust in that situation that late in the game, but when you trust your teammates, you usually get rewarded. And Rondo made a great play, AD was huge, made that big three. Again, we're a team-first team and we trust all our teammates. We trust all five guys on the court to make big plays, and that's what happened tonight in the fourth.

Q. AD made two huge plays at the end of the game. What did you say to raise his level so much?

FRANK VOGEL: You don't have to say anything to Anthony Davis. He wants this more than anything. Obviously he's a great player capable of imposing his will on the game on both ends of the floor. You saw what he did tonight defensively, and obviously that big three helped seal it, but was great on both ends all night.

Q. How important is Rajon Rondo as a part of your game plan? Because he made some great plays, especially in the rebound and in assists, and also, the last five minutes of the game, defense was the Lakers' identity.

FRANK VOGEL: Again, Rajon is a huge part of what we do. I have a tremendous amount of trust in his abilities, especially in this atmosphere, this deep into the playoffs when the games mean so much. He's been there before and I trust him, you know.

And then obviously the defense, I was very proud of our defensive performance tonight. Game 2 and Game 3 were not good enough, quite frankly, to win in the NBA Finals, and we made some adjustments to our scheme, and the guys raised their level from a competitive spirit standpoint and alertness standpoint and both were huge factors.