NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: NUGGETS VS WARRIORS

April 27, 2022

Monte Morris

Denver Nuggets

Game 5: Postgame

Warriors 102, Nuggets 98

Q. Monte, you had it within one possession, a minute or two left in the game. How proud are you of the fight you showed?

MONTE MORRIS: We showed heart. I mean, I'm good with going to sleep at night when I know we all was together. After Game 2, we was like this. We gave away Game 3. Game 4 we won. Tonight we came up short.

I can honestly say, look ourselves and myself in the mirror, say we gave it all the last three.

Q. What is the sentiment in the locker room?

MONTE MORRIS: Just the character of this team, man. We could have easily rolled over. Everybody know that. But we fought. I got a lot of respect for everyone in that locker room, from equipment managers to people that don't get a lot of credit, all the way down the line, to the highest degree.

I mean, it was a hell of a season, a tough season. I say we beat adversity a lot of the times. Without Mike and Jamal, two great players, we still found ways in tough, hostile situations to win. That just shows, you know, the character and how good we can be.

Q. 10-point lead at one point. Up 8 in the fourth. When did things change?

MONTE MORRIS: It's a game of runs. I know we was up 10. That team, they score in bunches. We couldn't get too high. They shoot threes. When they went on they run, our biggest thing was trying to keep the composure, keep everything, not rushing the ball, just going down there and not getting in any set.

I think throughout the game, we did that. We was in set after sets. It showed. We was getting great, quality shots.

Q. If you make your free throws, might be different?

MONTE MORRIS: Crazy. We missed a lot of free throws. I missed one myself. We missed some open threes. I think we got great looks. They tried to box-and-one Nikola.

At the end of the day it's a make-or-miss league. We can't trip [sic] over spilt milk. It didn't happen tonight. Didn't make some shots. Down the stretch, got to take my hat off to a good friend of mine, Gary Payton. Great game. He's not known for three-point shooting, but that just shows the character, how good he is, just being ready when your moment presents itself. He hit some big threes. Take my hat off to him.

Q. When it comes to the end of the season, how do you handle that? How much time do you give yourself to reflect on what just happened? How quickly do you focus on the off-season?

MONTE MORRIS: I mean, you dwell on it. It's going to be tough. I have a 24-hour rule with games. When it's your last game, you kind of dwell on it more.

But you go back to the drawing board. I challenge myself. I had good career numbers this year. I wasn't as efficient as I thought I could be. I'm going to work my tail off this summer and come back better, a lot better, not trying to have this feeling again.

Q. The fact that Golden State, they were the second best defense this season, they had to box-and-one to defend Nikola, is that symbolic of how tough he is to stop?

MONTE MORRIS: Yeah, I mean, he attracts so much attention. He's still putting up crazy numbers. Most guys when double-teamed, triple teamed, they (indiscernible) away from it. He want the ball. He want the big moment. That's why he's definitely MVP.

I love playing with him. He has a lot of confidence in every single one of us. He's so unselfish. He'll tell you to come out and look to be aggressive. Always give the ball and things like that. That's not in his character. You don't find a lot of genuine guys like that. It's great playing alongside of him.

Q. You've known Draymond for a long time. What was it like to go up against him for an entire season?

MONTE MORRIS: Draymond, since Michigan State, even since Saginaw High, he always had that grit, that dog. He always been a winner. Know how to win. Not too flashy. He's not a guy that will go out there and get you 30 a night. His goal is to bring the energy, stop guys, make you think on offense.

He will rotate even when it's not his rotation, stuff you can't even really scout. That just shows how high his basketball IQ is.

It was a great series. Love that dude. Going forward, it definitely taught me something and gave me more experience. You can never be mad about getting experience. Going up against a great team like that and vets like that, afterwards they tell me they got a lot of respect for me, sky's the limit.

Q. You have been playing short handed for so long now, what will it be like when you have a healthy Jamal and Michael?

MONTE MORRIS: It should be fun. A lot of people don't even know how well they're looking individually. We all put them together, it's going to be just like we never left. It was big-time when we was doing it, made some great 3-1 comebacks, some big wins.

I'm looking forward to it. Like coach said, they're two great guys, but we can't take away how Bones played, stepped up this year, with guys going out, that's a big role as a rookie. Signing Boogie, man, he cost his-self a lot of money this year (smiling), but love him to death. A guy that would pick up 19 points in a do-or-die elimination game just shows how much heart he has, how much love he have for the game. I'm definitely proud of him.

Q. Boogie, from what he showed tonight, how impactful he's been in the locker room? Do you vouch for him, want him to come back?

MONTE MORRIS: I mean, I vouch for everybody. My thing is it's a brotherhood. It's bigger than basketball. He's a great guy. He has a great family, great kids, amazing wife. I look at things bigger than just ball. He's a guy that's been through a lot on and off the court, experience-wise. He can help anybody. It's a lot that he's seen.

Having that around I think is big. I vouch for the type of man someone is off the court and also on the court, not so much the play.