NBA ALL STAR

March 7, 2021

Doc Rivers

Team Durant

Press Conference

Team LeBron 170, Team Durant 150

Q. What are you most excited about when you look at the potential for your team in the second half of the season?

DOC RIVERS: Yeah, I'm really excited about the second half as far as our team. I look at our team and though we are leading the East, I think we also have the most room for improvement. That gets me excited when I think abour our team.

Q. Is there any update on Ben and Joel at this point? Have you had much conversation with the two of them?

DOC RIVERS: Yeah, I talked to both today. So far, so good as far as their testing. They feel great. They both obviously wanted to play. We're disappointed. Both of them, their biggest concern would be if they could play the first two games when we get back. So we don't know the answer to that yet. That's going to be really important for us. It would be tough to start the second half of the year and not have either one.

Q. Doc, that was exactly what I was going to ask you about. I guess just the relief that you do have that they continue to test negative even though they did have the close contact.

DOC RIVERS: Yeah, that's a relief. And now we need some more good news, where it's five days. If it's five days, I think we're in the clear. Anything longer, I think then they'll miss some games.

Q. So you're saying the five days would start when?

DOC RIVERS: I don't know. I'm thinking Saturday.

Q. Okay.

DOC RIVERS: Yeah, but that's what I'm hoping. By my count. By my count, it started Saturday.

Q. We'll start the clock when you want to start it.

DOC RIVERS: Yes.

Q. What are the challenges potentially if you were not to have those guys. Obviously, the East is really, really tough, and Brooklyn is going to get better. I don't want to be negative, but what are the challenges there if, let's say, you don't have those guys?

DOC RIVERS: We start on the road, back-to-back games, with one practice. That's a challenge in itself, right? Then, obviously, not having those guys, that's a lot of points, our two best defenders. So, obviously, it would hurt.

But listen, we would show up and we would try to win both games, I can tell you that.