NBA FINALS: CELTICS VS. WARRIORS

June 5, 2022

Kevon Looney

Golden State Warriors

Game 2: Postgame

Warriors 107, Celtics 88

Q. What was the key to you getting going offensively?

KEVON LOONEY: For me it was just trying to find space, working from behind the defense, Steph draws so much attention, him and JP, I was able to stick behind the defense and finish around the rim. They have got some good shot blockers, but I was able to get up quick, so that was about it.

Q. What was different defensively tonight, especially in the third quarter?

KEVON LOONEY: Just our physicality. We were able to get them out of their rhythm. We were able to get Horford off the three-point line. Get Derrick White, finish some tough shots, and I think Draymond did a great job setting the tone on Jaylen Brown with his physicality, and we were able to keep them on their heels. I think we did that for the most part last game until the fourth quarter. I think we were just more focused on bringing that understanding and playing with energy.

Q. What went through your mind when Klay, who had been struggling all game, hit that three and then the Celtics called a timeout immediately? What were you thinking at that time?

KEVON LOONEY: You know, we were getting good looks. Klay is a guy who’s going to keep shooting. He's going to figure it out, and it was just good for our energy to get him going and see the ball go to the rim. You know, getting them clean looks against a defense like that is tough, so when we get some free easy ones, he made it, it got the whole team going, and I think we kind of fed off that energy.

Q. Wondering if you could explain the intensity Steph plays with when they are trying to take him away? How does he respond to that?

KEVON LOONEY: He responds well. They have been trying to do that to him for years. It's not the first time where guys try to beat up on him and be physical with him. We know how to play against that. Just got to execute. I think we did a good job of screening for him and getting him open looks. He did a great job of drawing a crowd and getting off the ball, and I was able to convert around the rim off some assists from Steph.

Guys are going to try to be physical with him, but he's been used to it. He's a lot stronger than he used to be. He's been making shots. He knows that sometimes he's going to have to sacrifice, not get as many looks sometimes to find us, and I think he did a good job of balancing out today.

Q. Just following up on the defensive question, what did you guys do to neutralize Horford and Smart tonight? They had such good Game 1s, and each of them had two points tonight?

KEVON LOONEY: We just tried to take away some of their easy looks early. Last game they got real comfortable. They got into a rhythm. I think Marcus Smart put a lot of pressure on the rim the last game, and Brown and Tatum put a lot of pressure on the rim and they was able to kick it out to shooters.

We did a better job controlling the ball at the point of attack and in turn was able to limit their three-point attempts and keep Horford and Smart from getting wide-open looks.

I think that starts with Wiggs and Draymond. They did a great job with Brown and Tatum keeping them out of the paint, or no straight-line drives, I should say. And we did a good job flying around rotating.

Q. You mentioned Draymond's intensity tonight. Steve Kerr has long called him the motor of the team. Can you verbalize how much of a difference it makes when Draymond comes out playing with that type of intensity? How much does that change things on the court?

KEVON LOONEY: It changes things a lot. You know, when he's out there playing with that intensity and when he's flying around making plays, you know, not only our team feeds off that but the crowd feeds off that. When he's out there getting steals, getting blocks, getting assists it, makes the game easier for everybody.

I think he was in -- he played a great game. We fed off his energy, his intensity. He's been our leader. He's been our emotional leader, been our voice of this team for a long time. When he put on a performance like that, everybody has to follow, and we have to match that intensity that he started; he set the tone, and we followed.

Q. Did you cringe at all when Gary Payton fell on that left elbow?

KEVON LOONEY: Just a little bit. You know, he's going to make plays. He's going to get to the rim. He's going to fall.

But no, Gary is a tough guy. He always plays through injuries. He's played through things. I know -- I think he's learned how to fall since the last time, so I think we have some confidence in him.

Q. What does he do for you guys on the court but also some of the lineup combinations and stuff?

KEVON LOONEY: He's a guy that's able to defend multiple positions, and he's able to -- we are able to play small lineups with him because he's able to rebound so well. He kind of brings a different type of energy. He springs in transition, he's a lob threat.

We missed him in the last series and in the first game, so having him back out there was great because he just is a disruptor. You know, he plays well out of the dunker. He just provides a lot of things that we don't have.

Q. What was halftime like for you guys? What was said?

KEVON LOONEY: Not much was said it. Was just keep executing, keep limiting the turnovers and keep playing with that same force and keep playing our style of basketball.

I think we did that to start the third quarter. We always are usually a pretty good third quarter team. I think we did a good job of limiting the turnovers and getting out in transition. We got a few shots to fall. We got to play some open looks, Steph got some open looks and we were able to just feed off our defense.

Q. What's it been like so far trying to deal with the Celtics' size, knowing you guys don't have a traditional big man, and what do you guys try to do to make up for that?

KEVON LOONEY: You know, I wouldn't even say it's like they don't really have traditional bigs. Robert Williams is the only, probably -- you say traditional big, but he's still probably around the same height as me.

He's super athletic and but he kind of does the same things: dribble hand-offs, lobs. And Al Horford likes to space the floor. Their athleticism around the rim, their shot-blocking is probably the biggest thing to deal with. They had a lot of blocked shots tonight, it seemed like.

But you've just got to know, when you get to the paint, got to kick it out and make the extra pass because you know they are coming and they are going to block shots. And if you put it up on the rim thinking it's easy, they are going to get it. That's probably the biggest adjustment, and we still have to get used to their length when we are attacking the rim.