NBA FINALS: CELTICS VS. WARRIORS

June 5, 2022

Al Horford

Boston Celtics

Game 2: Postgame

Warriors 107, Celtics 88

Q. Defensively they just seemed to really turn it up a notch from the other night. How difficult did they make it in the paint, especially, for you guys?

AL HORFORD: Yeah, they were better defensively. I felt like we missed a lot of easy ones around the basket. I myself have to be better in that area, and I will be next game. I'll look at the film. I'll learn from it, and we'll look to be better in that area.

Q. What kind of impact do you think Draymond and some of the dust-ups he got in out there and some of the physicality he was playing with had on you guys composure-wise, especially after a few of those altercations you had early in the game?

AL HORFORD: Nah, no impact.

Q. Overall his defensive intensity?

AL HORFORD: I mean, he's going to do what he does. We're not worried about him. We're going to do what we do, focus on us. We just didn't get it done tonight. We'll be better at home Game 3.

Q. You guys have talked a lot about the fact that your third quarters have been a problem. We talked about it after Game 1 when you struggled. What is causing these repeated issues in the third quarter and how can you fix it going forward in the series?

AL HORFORD: It's something we have to fix, that we have to address. I know Coach has talked about it. I'll have to go back and look at the whole game but really look at the third, and we need to find ways to be better.

They do a good job in the third. We went through a stretch in the season where we were doing pretty good in the third, as well.

Look at that film and be better, and I think that we can. It's a mindset.

Q. The turnovers tend to cascade with you guys --

AL HORFORD: Yeah.

Q. It's been not just this series but in the past. It's not that you have a couple, you have four, five. Why can't you guys stop that, turn off that water?

AL HORFORD: Yeah, for whatever reason, even to your point, the previous series that happened to us. On our wins, we didn't turn it over; on our losses, we turned it over excessively. It's something that we'll have to look at this game individually and just see how we can be better.

I know we can prevent a lot of those, and in order for us to be in a better chance of winning, we have to cut those down.

Q. You did not take a three-pointer tonight. Derrick White and Marcus Smart both saw their attempts limited. What did they do to take away some of your airspace that they weren't able to do in Game 1?

AL HORFORD: I feel like we didn't move it enough on offense at times. I think that for whatever reason, we got caught playing -- going downhill, attacking the basket a little more. They did a good job of staying with me, for example. Obviously I didn't get an attempt, not even a look. So they did a good job making sure they took me away. I just have to find other ways to impact the game, and that's something that I'll do Game 3.

Q. Following up on that a little bit, it looked like you guys weren't, as you mentioned, getting those drive-and-kick opportunities you got in Game 1. I know they put Klay on you, Draymond on Jaylen. I was wondering if you could explain the trickle-down effect this had on your offense a little bit? How did that change the game?

AL HORFORD: Yeah, it definitely changed it. It's easy to talk now, but I really always like to look at the film. I have to be able to see it again, feel it. Right now, all I can say is that we just needed to move the ball more, get some more movement. But I can look at film and be like, no, we got movement, we just didn't get the shots.

I believe that we just have to play at our own pace, make sure that we're driving the ball, driving and kicking. When we play like that, that's when we're really at our best.

Q. How much did the Warriors raise their level of physicality from Game 1 to Game 2, and were you guys expecting that?

AL HORFORD: I don't know if they raised it. Whatever that is, I just think that we just weren't good enough tonight, especially in that third. But I don't think it has to do anything with that.

Q. Ime said he got that technical foul on purpose in the third quarter. When things aren't going right, does that actually fire you guys up, or what effect does that have?

AL HORFORD: Yeah, I can imagine. I could see that coming a mile away. Just that whole first half, it was definitely different. We knew it was going to be different, but we kind of wanted to just stay the course.

It is what it is. On to Game 3. I can't wait to get to the Garden. I know it's going to be rocking on Wednesday.