NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS: WARRIORS VS GRIZZLIES

May 9, 2022

Tyus Jones

Memphis Grizzlies

Game 4: Postgame

Warriors 101, Grizzlies 98

Q. Tyus, how did you feel just about the shots that you as a team got, that you generated down the stretch?

TYUS JONES: I mean, honestly I feel like we had good shots, we had good looks, and then I think we let them force us into a couple tough ones. But that's the game.

Ultimately I feel like for the most part of the game, we got good looks down the stretch. Obviously it's tight and they're playing physical. I feel like a couple of the shots we let them kind of dictate what we were doing, but that's the game, again. It happens.

Also, there were shots that we can make, so you've just got to live with it.

Q. Tyus, did you feel that down the stretch of the game that their experience helped pull them through and especially in their building?

TYUS JONES: No, honestly I just feel like they executed on offense, and we missed some looks. I feel like it was just a back-and-forth game all game. The building was rocking, but I just feel like it came down to execution on the offensive end, both for them and then us not executing, not making shots down the stretch, and that was kind of the turning point. That's when they took the lead, and yeah, that's that.

Q. What did it feel like out there from a mindset perspective as you're going through this game? They don't hit a three in the first half, y'all only hit two, and everyone is struggling, seems like there's a bunch of turnovers. What is it like out there in that sort of a slog type of game?

TYUS JONES: It's just playoff intensity. Playoff intensity, guys are -- we're in it now. We know the scout. They know their scout. We know what we're trying to take away from them. They know what they're trying to take away from us.

It's just a high-intensity game. Nothing easy on either end of the floor. Yeah, it was just one of those first halves where they weren't making shots but we weren't capitalizing and making a bunch of three-point shots either.

Yeah, it was just one of those games.

Q. Tyus, I know there's a balance because you don't want to tell a guy to stop shooting in basketball confidence-wise and things like that, but as a point guard do you ever talk to your guys sometimes about taking smarter shots or trying to get better shots later in the possessions sometimes?

TYUS JONES: Yeah, that's something we talk about all year is passing up good shots for great shots, making the right play, but also taking your shots with confidence. It's just finding that balance. Coach gives us a lot of freedom to take our shots. He tells you when you take your shots, be confident in it, finish your shot. So it's just about balance, walking that fine line of being aggressive but then also knowing when we can pass up a good shot for a great shot.

But ultimately that's how we've played all year. Just playing free, sharing the ball, trying to make the defense work, and when we get open shots, just take them with confidence.

Q. Tyus, along those lines, especially through one quarter, it's like I think they were shooting 33 percent, you guys were shooting 35, and it was really a defensive fest all the way through. As a point guard, how does the point guard gene kick in in that situation when you guys are shooting 35 percent and your job is to organize?

TYUS JONES: Yeah, just trying to figure out what looks, what actions can get us quality looks. They were playing physical with us, and again, we weren't knocking down shots. So just trying to see, orchestrate what actions can get us into quality looks, can get us open looks, and then that's about it. Just trying to make sure I'm continuing to find my guys, trying to free them up for open looks.

They're really sticking tight to Des, not giving him any open looks. That's opening stuff up for other guys, so yeah, it's on me to try to continue to orchestrate and try to get guys open looks at the end of the day.

Q. How do you digest this emotionally when you lead all the way until 45 seconds are left and now you're facing elimination and you don't know if you're going to have Ja back? How do you guys handle that emotionally?

TYUS JONES: It's a tough one. It's a tough pill to swallow. Felt like, yeah, we were leading the whole game. Felt like we were in a good position. Felt like we put ourselves in a good position to win a ballgame, and just things didn't go our way down the stretch. But you can't hang your head. We've still got games to be played, backs up against the wall, so it's do-or-die at this point, and we've got to be ready to go back at home. We're fighting for our season, so now is the time.

Q. Tyus, you get the call to go back in the starting spot; did you feel that all that time you played without Ja really prepared you for this moment, and as far as you guys all playing together, it seemed like it worked seamlessly.

TYUS JONES: Most definitely. Most definitely. Yeah, Ja is missed. I started 20-something games this year, and that definitely prepared me for this moment, just having that camaraderie with the first unit, trying to just hit the ground running and continuing to make things flow.

Obviously not having 12 out there is big shoes to fill, but it's not just solely on me. Everybody has got to step up, have a little bit bigger role. But I definitely think the regular season helped prepare me for that, most definitely.

Q. Last couple of minutes you guys looked like you rushed through the offense a little bit. What did you think of the looks you were able to get down the stretch, especially the threes at the end?

TYUS JONES: Yeah, again, I feel like their pressure kind of sped us up. We let their pressure kind of dictate us into some shots, and I think that starts with me out front, being able to handle that pressure, make sure our guys are calm down the stretch, and whether it's getting us into an action, getting us into a set or creating something myself or creating something for others, just got to make sure we don't let their physicality or their pressure kind of speed us up, especially down the stretch, because we know that they're a smart veteran club. They're going to get physical down the stretch. So yeah, we've just got to do a better job down the stretch, and yeah, we'll be good.