NBA FINALS: CELTICS VS. WARRIORS

June 13, 2022

Steve Kerr

Golden State Warriors

Game 5: Postgame

Warriors 104, Celtics 94

Q. Did you guys just tell Andrew Wiggins it's time to start rebounding and playing super hard? How can you explain what we've seen from him in this series?

STEVE KERR: Well, I think throughout the playoffs, really, he's rebounded well. I think it's just a sense of what's needed and being on this team, where he's got veteran guys who are helping him to understand what we need from him, and he's just using his athleticism in a lot of different ways. He's just been fantastic, not just in this series but throughout the playoffs.

Q. What does it say about the team that Steph can have an off shooting night like he did and they still come together and put together this win, and how is Steph still able to affect the game even when he is having an off shooting night?

STEVE KERR: Well, the key to our game is defense, and Steph was a big part of that. They were trying to attack him over and over again, and he held up really well. I thought Gary Payton and Wiggs and Draymond really keyed our defensive effort to hold that team to 94 points. That's what it takes to win a Finals game. It's got to be about the defense.

I think Steph was probably due for a game like this. He's been shooting the ball so well that, at some point, he was going to have a tough night. But we've got a lot of talent and a lot of depth that can make up for that, and the guys did a good job of that tonight.

Q. I'm not sure you realize this yet, but you are one win away from another championship. How does that make you feel, considering all you've been through in the past three years?

STEVE KERR: It's so exciting to be part of the Finals again. You know, I think this whole season has kind of led to this, a lot of individual stories, guys getting better, guys getting healthy. Here we are, we have a chance. We have two cracks at getting one win, but we also know how difficult it's going to be.

Nobody's celebrating, but we are excited to be in this spot, and we want to take advantage of it.

Q. Going back to Steph's shooting, did you notice Boston doing anything different defensively? Were they coming up higher, or was it a matter of him missing shots?

STEVE KERR: It was both. Boston did a really good job defensively, as we would expect. They are a great defensive team. I thought they put more pressure on him early in pick-and-roll. And Steph missed some open ones, too.

So it's always a combination. But even for the best shooter in the world, you know, games like this happen. And fortunately they don't happen too often. I like Steph coming off of a game like this, too. I like his ability to bounce back.

So to be able to win the game with our defense, with our depth, is a great team effort.

Q. You mentioned Gary in passing. If you think about where he was a little over a month ago on the court in Memphis, broken elbow, to not just come back this quickly but to make the impact he did tonight, sort of your reaction to that and what it says about him to be able to do that.

STEVE KERR: Yeah, when he was lying there in Memphis, I thought maybe his season was over. We knew how important he was to us in so many ways.

The inspiration for Gary was to be able to make it back if we were able to advance, and I watched him work every single day running sprints, doing defensive slides, with his elbow in a sling.

The guy's a workhorse. He's incredible. Amazing athlete, great defensive player. He's got really good instincts out there, and obviously super competitive. And for him to make it back, it's obviously crucial for our team, but I'm really thrilled for him with his journey in this league. He's come a long way, and now he's getting a chance to shine in the Finals, so it's awesome.

Q. What particularly did you think you did well defensively tonight, especially on Jaylen Brown?

STEVE KERR: I just thought our force, our pressure, our help was there all the time. We just didn't allow a lot of openings. And our rotations were good, and then we flew out to shooters. Just tried to make it as tough as possible.

So it was a great effort. But, you know, we've got to rev it back up and do it again in Game 6.

Q. From the outside it looks as though Andrew's confidence and, for want of a better word, joy has increased game by game. What are you seeing from him in terms of his comfort level, confidence, and all of that?

STEVE KERR: He's definitely confident. He's definitely enjoying the playoffs. He loves the challenge. He loves the competition. And he's found such a crucial role on our team, and I think that empowers him. He knows how much we need him, so he's been fantastic.

Q. After tonight's performance, there's legitimate chatter that Wiggins should be in contention for the NBA Finals MVP award. When you first acquired him, do you think he would become this key of a cog for you guys?

STEVE KERR: We knew we needed his athleticism and defense and his versatility. We had no idea that he would make this kind of contribution. But I think it's a reminder that for every -- almost every player in the NBA, circumstances are everything. You kind of need to find the right place, the right teammates, that kind of stuff. Wiggs has been a great fit.

Q. When you get to this stage of the season, Game 5 of the Finals, how much does poise play a part in the entire equation? It looked like Boston was unravelling a bit and these games become a slog. Do you prepare your team for that?

STEVE KERR: Yeah, I thought that was the most important part of the game tonight because we had a 12-point lead at the half, and they came and just stormed right through us in that third quarter for the first, whatever it was, eight, nine minutes.

And that was a crucial part of the game for us to respond to that. Jordan hit a couple big ones late third and then had a good stretch to start the fourth as well. But the response to Boston's run to me was the key to the game.

Q. The other day, Draymond said he had to take what he did in the fourth quarter of Game 4 and then apply it to all of Game 5. What did you think of his presence and force and performance tonight?

STEVE KERR: That's a guy I've been watching for eight years. He's always over the place defensively. He's distributing the ball. He's bringing that intensity and competitiveness and energy. I thought Draymond was brilliant.