NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS: WARRIORS VS GRIZZLIES

May 9, 2022

Steph Curry

Golden State Warriors

Game 4: Postgame

Golden State Warriors 101, Memphis Grizzlies 98

Q. What was your reaction?

STEPH CURRY: It's been a wild day all the way around. We had some -- you just had to kind of figure it out on the fly, and I understand we've been through this before, guys that were here in 16, 17, with Coach and his back problems back in the day when he was out of the lineup and still had an influence.

And Mike B. stepped up, so we really didn't have a lot of time to react. Just come with the same approach and understand that we know what the game plan is and then come out and try to execute. Obviously we didn't for three quarters. Defensively we were solid. Just offensively couldn't get anything going and gutted it out.

Q. Is there anything unique about the purple shoes, and is there something you figured out in the fourth quarter?

STEPH CURRY: Nothing figured out. It was just don't let the first three quarters influence the fact that we still had a chance to win the game, shoot the shots you think you can make, play aggressive, take care of the ball. We did all those things.

We were able to get enough stops. That guy on the corner was unbelievable down the stretch taking on that challenge.

So just understand we've been here before, you know, whether we won or lost, the intentions of how we could give ourselves a chance in the fourth quarter was all we focused on and then got it done. Shock the system a little bit.

Q. You were yelling something at Draymond when he got that tip block to close it. What were you saying to him?

STEPH CURRY: I have -- I don't know what the transcript was, something to the effect of, that's what you do. Every opportunity we have to appreciate his greatness on that end of the floor, especially at this stage, that's what it's all about. Offensive after larges are loud and the crowd gets into it, but when a defensive stop feels games, you get to enjoy those moments, that's -- it hits a little different, especially when you see that fire come out of him.

So I don't know what I actually said verbatim, but it was something to that effect.

Q. A lot of emotions before the game and then you get the coaching change. But yet even though the offense wasn't what you wanted it to be, you did enough to stay in the game. Was there a sense that your experience, that you guys would find a way to pull this thing out all along?

STEPH CURRY: Yeah, just staying with it. Like I said defensively, we kept them at bay for the most part throughout the game and still we were our worst enemy a little bit with rushing in the first six minutes on offense. There were times our shot selection and missing shots affected our transition defense.

But for the most part, like you know, when you come into a fourth quarter with no flow offensively and you're still within, you know, three or four possessions of coming back, like that feels, there's some motivation behind that. Like you said we've been here before and we know how to pull off games like this, whether it happen or not. It's just about how you approach it and we made that happen.

Q. How much do you appreciate what Mike Brown has brought during these times to step in and do this on the postseason stage? And also he said there's been some good-natured razzing of him the last -- well, since yesterday, some good jokes going down on him taking over the Kings.

STEPH CURRY: His track record obviously as a head coach, he's coached in Finals before, coached some high-powered teams, some big market teams. He's been through it all. Been with us for these last six years, and he's been interim coach for a little bit and made his presence felt, especially defensively leading us this year.

So he has a good presence about him, a great way about him. I know Coach talked about it, I think this morning, about what he's meant to our team and to that coaching staff and just maybe the way they approach it all year in terms of everybody having a voice us and being able to hear that throughout the year, it makes situations like tonight a little bit easier of a transition. He had a lot of good words tonight. I don't know in the history if you could name the head coach of two teams in 24 hours. He's continuing to set many trends.

Q. The one-liner you said on TNT after the game, something that you felt you guys all turned into the Sacramento Kings?

STEPH CURRY: You misheard that, I was saying because Mike was the coach, it felt like we all got traded because there was a lot of talk about him being the head coach and obviously all of the sudden, now he is the head coach of our team tonight. It wasn't about how we were playing. It was just the vibe of Mike Brown as the head coach of the Kings and now all of the sudden he's the head coach of two teams. Got to get that straight.

Q. Good save.

STEPH CURRY: Thank you.