NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: WARRIORS vs KINGS

April 23, 2023

Keegan Murray

Media Conference

Golden State Warriors 126, Sacramento Kings 125

Q. Keegan, how did it feel to finally get going today? It felt like early in the first quarter, you finally found your stride and finally rolled from there. Would you agree?

KEEGAN MURRAY: Yeah, I mean, I've just tried to be more aggressive throughout the playoffs and I knew eventually I'd catch my stride on the offensive end, so it's just a matter of time and I came in confident. Just tried to figure out what they are doing against me and just try to figure out how I can get open looks.

Q. You guys came in here up 2-0 and now it's tied going back to s AC. Where are you at mentally after a tough two games?

KEEGAN MURRAY: Yeah, I mean, I feel like we fought the last two games, the first game kind of got away from us but I feel like this game we kept fighting, even through the little mistakes we had. We had a shot to try to go in at the end of the game and that's all we could have asked for it. Was a great look by HP, and I'd have him take that ten times out of ten. We know we just need to defend home court as well as we can.

Q. Going back, what would you contribute your shooting struggles the first three games? Because your confidence level was really high today?

KEEGAN MURRAY: Just finding a rhythm. The first two games we had guys step you have, Trey, Davion and Malik and the last couple times I got foul trouble it, was just trying to figure out how to get in a rhythm. My first couple as a shooter, you see the first couple go in and you feel good. I just try to watch as much film as I could on myself and just try to figure out what I need it do to get some looks off.

Q. Looks like you were able to get back to that DHO action more today. What do you feel like allowed that to happen?

KEEGAN MURRAY: I think it's just being aggressive. I feel like they didn't change anything that they normally did. Just more aggressive coming off it and that either led to a mid-range or a three or a dump off to Domantas. That's something we are really good at this season and we need more of.

Q. What happened in the third quarter when they re-took control of the game?

KEEGAN MURRAY: Yeah, we fought back, and they hit a couple shots, we had a couple lapses and that ended up changing the course of the game and they had control the rest of the game since then. So just something that in the playoffs, you can't have happen, and we obviously need to clean up some of those mistakes.

Q. Seemed like you guys came out in Game 4 with much better energy than what you had in Game 3. Was anything said or done and how do you bottle that before you go back home for Game 5?

KEEGAN MURRAY: We just got used to the environment. Obviously we played here a couple times earlier in the season. It's different when you're playing here in the playoffs, and I feel like obviously they are playing really well on their home court in. Game 5, we'll try to defend home court and we have to be the more aggressive team offensively and defensively, and that's what we were the first two games.

Q. Did you notice yourself being more aggressive or anything they did, or is it as simple as seeing the ball go through the net?

KEEGAN MURRAY: They didn't change anything. I feel like they have been playing me the same the first four games. It's a matter of me and myself being more aggressive. I know my talent on the offensive end, so just trying to tap into that, I found that in this game.

Q. Before the game, Coach Brown half jokingly, half seriously said he had been cussing you out nor to the taking shots. Can you describe how he handled that with you and do you think the next couple case he won't be cussing you out?

KEEGAN MURRAY: He's been on my tail, I guess, the last couple of days, just me being more aggressive on the offensive end because of the last couple games, I wouldn't say, not a liability but not as good as I have been. He just knows he has full confidence in me and he showed me that and told me that the last couple days when we had time to practice. He's a Coach of the Year for a reason and I wouldn't have any other coach.

Q. You guys were 11 for 27 in the first half shooting three-pointers and you only took one three in the third quarter, the one that you made. Did the Warriors do anything differently or defending you guys differently on that three-point line?

KEEGAN MURRAY: They just made more a point of emphasis to get out to the shooters. I think they are running a lot more guys off the line in the second half and then that led to us, more shots to the basket, more contested shots to the basket and mid-range shots. I feel like just what they did in the second half changed the game in that aspect.

Q. When HB let's that shot go, what's that look from your vantage point? And did anyone speak up postgame? What's the message?

KEEGAN MURRAY: When HB shot it, I always think when he shoots, it's going to go in. I was just under the basket. I thought it was going to go in. Looked good and hit the back of the iron. We'll take that any day of the week. The guys in our locker room, we have been together this whole season and we are a really tight group. A lot of guys just know that it's the next game. We know this is a tough one but we know it's just the next game.

Q. Curious what you're seeing from De'Aaron, the way he's played in this series, the way he played today, the leadership maybe that he might be showing behind the scenes, what are you seeing from him?

KEEGAN MURRAY: I think he just kind of turned up a notch from the regular season to now. Just shows that he can be a superstar in this league. He made tough baskets and kept us in it. His on-ball pressure was good in this game and he's playing well on both ends of the ball which is huge for us.