NBA FINALS: BUCKS VS. SUNS

July 19, 2021

Brook Lopez

Milwaukee Bucks

Practice Day

Q. In this playoff run, three close-out games on the road, what is the feeling, the mindset as you guys try to do this and close it out at home in Game 6?

BROOK LOPEZ: It's very exciting, obviously, but you know, as Bud said, just because we're at home isn't going to make it easier or doesn't mean we're going to win obviously. We obviously have to go out there, prepare and be ready and then do the work.

Q. Can you draw from other close-outs? As they say it's the hardest thing to do. So, can you look at that or is it because it's the Finals, there’s just a different weight to it?

BROOK LOPEZ: Yeah, it is funny, you want to treat it the same as any other game but at the same time, it is what it is. It's a close-out game of the finals. But, I definitely think we can take from our other experiences in the playoffs, those games you mentioned. And one thing, you know, if you look all of them, obviously we know that the other team is just not going to roll over and stop playing. They are going to fight till the last second. We have be ready to come out at our best.

Q. Curious since when you came in and maybe when you started, you were considered a traditional big center, how you view Giannis in that light; you see the rim numbers and restricted area numbers and the comparisons statistically to Shaq. Is he changing the big, so to speak, or how do you view him in the way he operates in there in that way?

BROOK LOPEZ: It's really incredible, technically position-wise he's a big but he's really in his own category, honestly. You can't really peg him into one spot.

Q. Is he a unicorn in that way? He's not a traditional stretch big where he's shooting threes -- you know what I mean, like how --

BROOK LOPEZ: He's really his own player, and you can stick him into literally any lineup, and you know, you could have two bigs already, two guards, two wings, whatever it is and you can still throw him in and he's going to find a way to fit in just right and still stand out.

Q. The pair with Khris, obviously the two of them have been here the longest, can you recall your first camps or whatever, I know P.J. and Bobby and Jrue have all recollected this past year when they realized those two had a different thing about them. I guess when you first got here, when did that click to you that maybe they were a different pair and could get you to this point?

BROOK LOPEZ: I mean, both those two players are just so incredibly talented and gifted and smart when it comes to basketball. But they definitely hold and treat themselves differently than other stars I’ve been around for sure.

They just have this very kind of typical, you know, typical way they hold themselves, they go about -- their very businesslike, workmanlike, but still comfortable and great to be around when they are on the floor. It's just a very atypical superstar look for those two.

Q. You had 21 fast break points, the highest so far in this Finals, and in turn, you contested 42 two-point shots. What allowed you to defend better and run the court more often?

BROOK LOPEZ: Actually, those two points you brought up, the three-point shots and fast break points for us, those are two things we are focusing on for them. We want to limit their fast break points and take away their threes, so I think we have done a better job contesting those on their end, and that leads to those for us.