NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: MAVERICKS VS. WARRIORS

May 20, 2022

Jordan Poole

Golden State Warriors

Game 2: Postgame

Golden State - 126, Dallas - 117

Q. Jordan, what is it like watching your hometown homie [Kevon Looney] produce in a playoff game for you guys?

JORDAN POOLE: The little kid in me is so excited, so excited, just because I grew up watching Loon, played against him and to see him do this on the highest stage, is just amazing to be a part of. I don't think people understand how hard it is alone just to be here, and just seeing the professional that he is, the way that he plays, his grit every single day, I don't know. I don't know. I'm so happy for him and I'm glad to be a part of that.

Shout out to big bro Loon for sure.

Q. We've talked about the non-Steph minutes, even before you got here. Pretty important non-Steph minutes in the fourth quarter in this game. What are you thinking when the ball is in your hands for five or six minutes in such an important moment in such an important game?

JORDAN POOLE: Continue to be aggressive. When Steph comes off the floor, the defense tends to focus on me a little bit more. So continue to be aggressive, and not only try to make plays for my teammates but try to look for more shots and just keep our rhythm going. Then whenever me and Steph play together, obviously play off that.

But the coaches are giving me the keys and my teammates trust me to put them in easy situations, to score and to make plays. Just go out there and just be aggressive.

Q. We're used to seeing the Warriors have a big comeback like this, but that's about a previous edition and it's a lot about Steph and Klay and Draymond, but for those of you this deep in the playoffs for the first time, is it too much to say that you're kind of maybe riding a little bit of their confidence and momentum? Does that seep into the rest of this cast that's new to this?

JORDAN POOLE: I think what makes us special is that every single player on our roster has confidence in themselves to play as a team, to step up and make big shots, to make big plays. Otto hit a huge shot coming into the fourth quarter, I think it was, corner three. Moses came in right away and had amazing moments, amazing minutes.

Yeah, we ride the confidence but as a team. These guys have been there before when they have been in this situation before. We go to them and we look to them for leadership but we also write our own story and are doing anything we can just to help our team win games.

Q. You touched on this indirectly but how much pride is there in that second unit when you and Porter and those guys are out there, they kind of tilted the game early in the fourth quarter, it was close going to the fourth, and for you guys to make a difference like that, how important is that?

JORDAN POOLE: Just step up and be ready for the moment. Coach wouldn't throw us out there if he didn't believe in us and he didn't trust us. We have a lot of big-time players. Not just solely focus on offensively or defensively but leadership-wise, experience-wise, we just have a really good core of guys, and the way that we just mesh together and play together, wanting to see everybody else succeed takes us a long way.

Q. Not every team has every player, has confidence. Is that something that all of you came to this team with? Was it developed here? Why is it that every player on this team has confidence?

JORDAN POOLE: Coach gives us the opportunity to play freely. And the unit that we have, the guys that we have, are all team-first players. So when you go out there and be as aggressive for yourself but knowing that if somebody is open, we are all willing to make the right play.

It's really fun to be a part of, and we feed off of that, and our chemistry off the court helps that. And like I said, we have a really good mixture of young guys and guys who have been in the league a couple years and vets who have been through it. Just a really special situation, and I think we know that and we are not taking that for granted. We've just got to find ways to keep winning games.

Q. What were you seeing from the Mavs defensively that let you go off?

JORDAN POOLE: I think we just slowed down a little bit. We were more patient. Stopped turning the ball over as much in the second half. Kind of got to our actions. We were able just to buckle down and get stops in the second half.

They shot the lights out the first half, and we were able to contest a little bit harder, and you know, get some rebounds and get out in transition.

But we can score in a hurry. I think that's what makes us so dangerous and once you're able to get stops and get on a run, we kind of got it going.

Q. What did change defensively? They hit 15 threes in the second half and only six in the second. What did you guys do better?

JORDAN POOLE: I think we just matched their physicality a little bit. Played with a little bit more urgency. But we stuck to our game plan and like I said, they were lights out in that first half, and you know, if a team goes out there and they hit 30 threes, credit to them.

So just sticking with it and just finding ways to execute down the stretch.

Q. You had Moody out there with you in that fourth quarter as you mentioned. He had not playing meaningful minutes in the playoffs at all. Was that a surprise to see him out there with you and what was it like to have him out there?

JORDAN POOLE: Moses is extremely mature, and what makes him special is he's ready for any moment. For him to come in and step up and play big minutes in the Western Conference Finals and help us pull out a win is huge.

That just goes back to the credit from the vets, giving him the confidence and instilling the confidence in him and the coaching staff instilling confidence in him and players. We are all just a collective unit. Shout-out to Moses. Huge minutes and he helped us win the game, and I'm glad he was able to experience that, especially as a rookie, and I have no doubt that he'll be able to build off of that.

Q. You hit a three with just under eight minutes to go to put you guys up five and there was Kevon setting the screen for you. What's it like getting a screen from him? How does that help you be able to execute on a play like that?

JORDAN POOLE: Yeah, the 414 duo that we have has been all year, and the chemistry that we have, the connection that we have on-ball, off-ball, the way we play off each other, it just makes it really easy, not only for me, but being able to put him in positions to score. And if they want to press up, hitting him in the pocket. Like I said, he's an intelligent player, so he's going to make the right play.

I love playing with Loon. I love playing with Loon. I played against him when I was young, and he had 40. So I'd rather be on his team.

Q. This is a career-high for him tonight. Are you the least-surprised person in the building then?

JORDAN POOLE: 20 in the league in the playoffs in the Western Conference Finals, is still 20, and we go back and forth. He was talking about how he have more points than me in a game a couple times earlier on in a regular season.

But I don't know, he just stepped up. I mean, Loon is a dog. He's always been a dog. And just to see how he have to change his role and his style of play to be a professional, and for him to come in and to score 20, 12 boards, that can't be overlooked.

So credit to Loon, man.