NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: HAWKS VS. BUCKS

July 3, 2021

Pat Connaughton

Milwaukee Bucks

Game 6: Postgame

Milwaukee Bucks 118, Atlanta Hawks 107 y

Q. How does it feel, to start?

PAT CONNAUGHTON: Feels great. There's really not a lot of words for it. It's been our goal obviously since I got here. But the guys in that locker room and coaching staff, the organization, front office, owners, the countless hours that we've put in together, put in individually. To have it all come to fruition to fight through COVID, injuries, all sorts of adversity, bumps, bruises, whatever it might be. The resiliency that this team showed speaks to our character and that's why we've been fortunate to put ourselves in a position to compete for the NBA Finals.

Q. Mike was talking about how bittersweet it was that Giannis wasn't able to play in this moment. For you, what did you feel you needed to do for him and on behalf of him since he wasn't out there?

PAT CONNAUGHTON: Have his back. I think, I mean, Giannis is a one-of-a-kind guy. We obviously all see his basketball talent but as a human being, he's one of a kind. He's one of the reasons I want to stay here, wanted to stay here, want to continue to stay here and play by his side because of the things he does both on and off the court. The type of person he is, that's in my opinion one of the biggest things that we did the last two games was play for him.

We know all that he gives, his body, time, energy, effort, blood, sweat, tears. So to be out there to kind of have his back and hold down the fort while he's coming back from injury, I think shows the character of the team, the character of the organization and that we do have a true team.

Q. What do you feel like losing in Toronto, the way that you lost in Toronto, made you a better team this season?

PAT CONNAUGHTON: It's adversity. I would say it's unfortunate but you learn a lot from losing. You really look yourself in the mirror and there’s two ways you can go: You can hang your head about it or you can use that as motivation to get better and fix the problems that you have and continue to work every single day and understand that it's a process.

You know, I think everyone wanted to be right back in the chance to put ourselves in the NBA Finals after we lost to Toronto. But it doesn't happen overnight and it's a process. And the things that this organization has done and the guys that have been here for the last three years, the last two years and even this year, the adversity that we have fought through just kind of shows, like I say, character. I've used "character" a few times but it shows the togetherness that this team and organization has.

Q. How sweet was it to see Khris have that moment and be that guy this series?

PAT CONNAUGHTON: It was awesome. I just said as many nice things about Giannis as I could, and I repeat all of them, ditto, for Khris. The things he does, his calm, cool, collected nature, it's awesome to see him put himself in a position to have the type of series and postseason that he's had. Because we all see the hours that he's put in but for the world to see it, it's awesome for him.

It's just joyful for me as a guy who has been with him for three years to see him have this moment and see him continue to show why he is an All-Star, why he is the second best player on a championship-contending team and he can be that and he is that.

Q. How important was it that the bench guys were able to do that together as a group tonight?

PAT CONNAUGHTON: I would say it's the little stuff that kept us in it, and that's why we've put ourselves in a position to come as far as we have and to continue to go further. Defense kept us in it, the little winning plays, the steals, the rebounds, the hustle stats that don't even end up as stats. Those are the things that I think our whole team, but especially the quote, unquote, bench mob, kind of really prides itself on.

I mean, first half I'm pretty sure they only scored 43 points. Unfortunately, we only scored 47. But when we are not making shots or our offense is a little stagnant, our defense is oftentimes able to keep us in games.

When you're able to go in at halftime feeling like you haven't played well but you still have a lead and you've been able to defend, you know, we felt pretty good about ourselves.

Q. From day one that Jrue has got here, he has said he felt no pressure despite being traded for and all that stuff. What tone did that set for you guys knowing why he was acquired and what he was expected to do?

PAT CONNAUGHTON: Yeah, I think pressure is often external, right. So internally within the team, we just love playing with him. We love having him on board. We love the type of guy he is as a person. As a player, he always makes the right play. When he's in attack mode he's really hard to stop not just from a scoring standpoint but from getting other guys involved, getting guys easy shots, getting open shots, whatever it might be. And he defends and he gives it his all on a nightly basis.

I think that's all anybody can ask for. Shots are going to go in and shots are not going to go in. You can control only what you can control, and I think internally just having him as a teammate has been one of the better experiences that I've been a part of. I'm fortunate to call him a teammate.

Q. Injuries have been a common theme throughout the playoffs NBA-wide and they have taken down a lot of teams. But it didn't break you guys. Why is that?

PAT CONNAUGHTON: The character, like I said. The togetherness of this team. Even though Giannis went down he was with us through the entirety of the way. When he was injured, he was in the facility. He was working himself to obviously get back and try to become healthier day-in and day-out but he was a part of the team still. He was still there, and that speaks to the kind of guy he is.

Like I said it's not just about his talent, it's about his character and personal touch that he puts on everything and that's why we wanted to, quote, unquote, go to war for him. That’s kind of cliché saying that but it's true. And it’s because he's been there every step of the way: Even when he's been sitting on the bench, he's been active, he's been vocal, which is something I've seen him really grow in over the last three years being his teammate.

He's not just been vocal individually but he's been vocal collectively to everybody before the games, during practice, plane rides, whatever it might be. And I think that just kind of shows the type of leader he's becoming and how we all respond to it.

Q. How and when did you guys collect yourselves after his injury?

PAT CONNAUGHTON: The confidence Giannis instilled in us after that. Obviously our concern at the time was like is he okay, and not really because of any game. It's more just the type of guy he is, we want to make sure he's okay, like as a person, a friend to friend, brother to brother, whatever you want to call it. That was our No. 1 concern.

As we found out he was okay and as he kind of exuded that confidence, he gave it to us as far as he is going to be okay and he's going to work to be back. But regardless he's going to be with us every step of the way and he's going to instill the next man up mentality for the Bobby Portis of the world; for Bryn to keep shooting; for Khris to step up and take a leading role; for Jrue to step up and continue to be aggressive. I think that just speaks to, I would say the type of team we have.

You know, Giannis is a guy that you can never replace. But we do have a team otherwise that can still compete and can still do great things and it says a lot about him to continue to drive that confidence even though he was not there physically.

Q. When did you get the sense, after the game that night or the next morning?

PAT CONNAUGHTON: I would say that night and definitely the next morning. It was one of those things where obviously we had just lost the game and no one is going to be happy. You just saw Giannis go down.

To your point, I don't think anybody was really feeling all that great about anything. It was just his ability to say, hey, we have to have the next man up mentality and we have to be ready for the next game. We play together more. We make sure that we're putting ourselves in positions to have success for everybody else and try to pick him up and make sure that we have his back.

Q. There's very few players in the world that can score 16 straight points in a game like this and 23 points in a quarter. How short is that list and why is Khris Middleton one of those players?

PAT CONNAUGHTON: I'd say the list is probably extremely short especially when you look at the circumstances under which he did it. And then he's able to do it because of the work he puts in every single day. And the confidence that our team and guys like Giannis, guys like Jrue give him to shoot the ball and be confident when you're shooting the ball.

He has tremendous talent but it's from the craft and the amount of work that he puts in on a daily basis, and you know, I couldn't be happier. It couldn't happen to a better guy.

Q. Everybody talks about, and we know him being around him, what you guys know, what a great guy he is. But there's more to him than being a nice guy. What other character does he show in those situations in a game like this?

PAT CONNAUGHTON: I would say fire. Khris, he's calm, cool and collected but one thing he shows is some fire when we're in a position where we need it. He always says the right things and makes sure he's encouraging guys individually and collectively as a group, and when he's doing that, we're a tough team to beat.