NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: MAVERICKS VS. WARRIORS

May 20, 2022

Kevon Looney

Golden State Warriors

Game 2: Postgame

Golden State 126, Dallas 117

Q. Kevon, do you know when the last time you scored 20 points in a game was?

KEVON LOONEY: Probably college.

Q. January of your freshman year of college. With this matchup how the floor is spread, do you feel you have a more offensive scoring mindset out there?

KEVON LOONEY: A little bit. JP, Steph and our guards put a lot of pressure on the rim. Just try to be in the right space. Just open the floor up for them, with me and Draymond out there just working the dunker -- something I haven't done a lot this year, but something I'm pretty used to.

They have been doing a lot of drop-off passes to allow me to finish and pick-and-roll, and with all the shooters we have, the paint is pretty wide open. So I'm able to roll to the rim and finish.

Q. The "MVP" chants are usually for Steph when he steps up to the free-throw line, how was that for you?

KEVON LOONEY: That was nerve-racking. I haven't shot a free throw in a game in like three weeks. I tried to focus on making the free throw. It was a cool moment for me. I made the free throws, so that was even better.

Q. You're logging a lot of minutes on your body. How are you feeling physically? Everyone made such a big deal about Game 6 and then you had a big workload again tonight.

KEVON LOONEY: I feel great. Something I've been preparing my body for all year. I didn't play this many minutes throughout the year, but I played a lot of games and my body has been ready for it. As my minutes change series to series and game to game, just staying mentally ready is something I've been doing my whole career. Pretty easy for me to play those minutes now. A few years ago might not have been the same thing, but now that I've been working out and logging a lot of games, my body is ready for this.

Q. You guys scored 62 points in the paint tonight. What was behind that team performance?

KEVON LOONEY: Just us being patient. Felt like the first half we kind of rushed things and we were not playing our style of basketball and kind of slowed down. We just got to play our style and push the pace. JP put a lot of pressure on the rim. Klay, Wiggs, Draymond, everybody was pushing the ball and getting into the paint and making the right plays. That was something Coach was on us about at halftime, and we came out the second half and executed.

Q. You're doing a lot of the driving, arm-extended scoop shots like back in the Milwaukee days. How much has your finishing improved as a center in the league?

KEVON LOONEY: It's improved a lot. Growing up in high school and even in college, I didn't envision playing center. So all kind of my center skills, I kind of learn in the NBA just being around guys like Zaza, Bogey (Andrew Bogut), Varejao and even our new coach, Decky (DeJan Milojevic). I improved a lot this year, learning about angles and how to roll off defenders and different things like that.

I've grown a lot in that area. In high school, you just catch and dunk. But in the NBA you have a lot of guys that are athletic and can meet you up top and you have to work on your touch. It's something I've been working on. I've been getting a lot better and it's been paying off for me.

Q. When things were not going your way early on in your career with injuries or whatnot, did you ever imagine at that time that you would have the type of game tonight that you had and the stage that you had it on?

KEVON LOONEY: Yeah, it's always something that I dreamed about and envisioned. Always say, keep working, your time is going to come. Steve always talks about, you're always going to get an opportunity playing on this team. You have to take full advantage of it, and tonight was my night to make a big difference and step up. It's been a theme for our whole team throughout my whole time being here: Guys step up when called upon.

Q. Teams have picked on you in switches going back to the Houston days. How are you better or different, I guess, as a defender against guards like Doncic compared to say Harden and Chris Paul back in 2018?

KEVON LOONEY: I'm pretty much kind of the same. I take kind of the same approach. I'm just a little bit more battle-tested. That was my first time playing on a big stage like this. I don't know if even my teammates had the most faith in me, but they put me out there and I handled it pretty well. Those experiences got me ready for things today and I feel a lot more confident being out there guarding guards.

I'm able to watch film better and I'm just a little bit smarter and a little bit more physical now. So I'm able to guard those guys a little bit better. Luka and Brunson, Dinwiddie are all different type of players, different type of iso players. Kind of tough having to guard those guys. I think I did a good job tonight. It's going to be a long series, so I got to keep it up because those guys are going to keep coming.

Q. Draymond, Klay and Steph have been the center of the dynasty that was built and the center of the conversations, but you have been with the team for a really long time. Have you ever felt left out of those conversations or want to be in there?

KEVON LOONEY: I wouldn't say I feel left out. Them guys make me feel involved. The Bay Area always shows me a lot of love and the fans show me a lot of love. I feel honored to be part of the ride. I get to come in and look up at the banners and see my name on the banners. I feel gratitude for being part of this team and now I have a real chance to make a difference and help our team win.

So no, it feels good. I don't really feel left out. Like I said, the Bay Area fans show me love whenever I'm out. Whenever I'm in a game, they always give me a good ovation. So it's all love for me.

Q. What was it like for you when you lost your starting job, I don't think you had any DNPs but your minutes dropped dramatically. What was your mindset at that time? Was there any frustration? And on a different note, do you like that they are starting to figure out your "Loon" chant now?

KEVON LOONEY: No, when I went to the bench, I wasn't really frustrated. It was something that always happens with our team. You kind of tinker with lineups, tinker with different rotations, so it's something I'm used to and I know I'm going to get an opportunity at some point and it's always going to come back to me. Just when it comes back, make sure I take full advantage of it.

Just try to stay ready. It's been fun being back in the lineup and being out there and knowing that our guys trust me and knowing I can play in big situations. It's been cool. Hearing the crowd say your name in the starting lineup is always a cool and fun moment for me and my family.

Q. (No microphone).

KEVON LOONEY: From my dad, really. Growing up watching him work seven days a week and never complain about nothing. Just go to work, clock in, clock out, come home and still have time for me and the family was something that I learned from him, how to be a professional. And coming into the league, having my dad as an example but then coming into the league and seeing guys like Andre, Bogey, Zaza, D-West and Steph, their workouts, their routines is something I took note of. I figure if I'm going to stay in this league, I have to do everything the right way.

Q. Putting your night into historical perspective, you have to go back to late '70s for a Warriors center to put up 20, 10 in a playoff game - Robert Parish. When you hear something like that kind of recognize what you did tonight?

KEVON LOONEY: That's a cool stat to have. Playing center for the Warriors, it's a different type of job from other teams. A lot of the scoring and stuff, we don't really need us to do. It's a lot of screen setting and a lot of playmaking and doing different things. For me to have a game like that is cool. Something I'll always remember. But it's a lot of work to do still.

I'll definitely enjoy tonight. I'm going to remember that stat, so I can tell somebody else about it.

Q. You had the screen to free up Poole for the three to put you up five. That doesn't show up in the stat sheet but doing things like that to do your role for this team?

KEVON LOONEY: That's something I probably enjoy the most, just getting my guys open. As a big man, I take pride in making my guys look good, and in turn they make me look good as well. Me and JP, it's always fun, us being from the same city, to play on a stage like this and have those moments. It's always cool just to know growing up, I would never envision I would play with somebody from my city in the Western Conference Finals. Moments like that, I cherish.

Q. There was a moment in the fourth quarter, you had a rebound, JP came down and made a three and the Mavs called a time-out. As you're walking back to the bench, Steve Kerr embraced you at halftime. When you share with us what he said to you in that moment and what it meant to you?

KEVON LOONEY: I probably don't want share it. Steve has always been a guy that goes to bat for me and he always had my back in my career even when things weren't going my way. He always was there for me, somebody I could talk to.

When you're having a good game like that and Steve is able to talk to you and give you that motivation, that's something that's always special for me.

Shout-out to my sister. She graduated today.