NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS: LAKERS vs WARRIORS

May 2, 2023

Draymond Green

Media Conference

Los Angeles Lakers 117, Golden State Warriors 112

Q. Game 1's style changed so much, I how different is it going from --

DRAYMOND GREEN: It's a totally different team. Presents some different challenges than we faced in the first round. We just have to make the adjustment and come back in Game 2.

Q. Did you think the quick turnaround had any effect on you guys?

DRAYMOND GREEN: Nah. I thought it was pretty good. Got out in transition early. We fouled too much. Slowed down quite a bit and have to do better defensively.

Q. How do you handle, not just you specifically, but handle a player like Anthony Davis?

DRAYMOND GREEN: I think when you are guarding a player like AD, you know, it's never going to be one guy that just shuts him down. It's a team effort. But as far as the matchup goes, got to take a hat off, and I don't think we did a great job of that tonight.

Q. You mentioned the foul discrepancy, and obviously they got to the line quite a few times more than you guys. How do you combat that going forward and is it as simple as the message being, don't foul?

DRAYMOND GREEN: I mean, I think there were some cheap ones that we kind of gave away, some in transition that we took, away from the ball when we were defending that we can take away. We'll do better.

Q. Different from the team you played in the last round, but in terms of the bigs, a dramatic change going from Sabonis to AD. What challenges does he bring specifically?

DRAYMOND GREEN: He's a great player. Great rim protector and his shot was going tonight. I felt like he made every one of those mid-rangers he took. You've got to live with some of those but I think we can do a better job individually and collectively taking some of those away.

Q. Jordan didn't have a great last series but what do you think about him in this game and the shots he was taking and the willingness to take them?

DRAYMOND GREEN: I thought he was really good. I thought early on he passed up a couple and we need him to take those, and he started taking them and he was great. I think this will be a series that will go his way and that's great for us.

Q. What do you change?

DRAYMOND GREEN: My aggressiveness on both ends of the floor. I think I allowed the three fouls to kind of take me out of a rhythm, and never really found it again. So just got to stay out of foul trouble. It's kind of been a theme with me. Just got to stop fouling.

Q. Game 1, of course you want to win it, but guys make adjustments from here. In that fourth quarter, you went on a run and Steve went small. Do you think that's something you guys can use to your advantage?

DRAYMOND GREEN: I think that's always been an advantage for us but we're not just taking Kevon Looney out of the lineup. He's been incredible. That's not on him. If anything, it's on me. We have some of that. I'm sure we'll see some of that. There's a lot of things we can do better and we'll watch the tape and figure them out and we'll do better.

Q. You mentioned you feel like this is a series that -- (Inaudible)?

DRAYMOND GREEN: Based on the way they guard, he's going to get some good looks, me, and JaMychal, guys get free and allow him to get some daylight and get to some of the shots they want to get to.

But like I said, this will be a much better series for him, and one that will turn his way and you know, hopefully it will turn our way.

Q. Following up, do you feel like you can employ a strategy guarding AD like you did with Domantas?

DRAYMOND GREEN: Totally different player. No way. Like I said, we have to do better at the point of attack with him. We'll shore up our ball screen offense, drop off -- ball screen defense, I'm sorry. Allow ball screens and drop offs, pick-and-roll totally different last series. Got to readjust.

So we'll make the adjustments and we'll figure it out, but I've got to say, it starts with our aggression. Easy ones to start; starts with our aggression initially, and then you go from there.

Q. Your last four games, a road team has won and a lot of road teams are winning the playoffs. Is home court in the advantage maybe overrated?

DRAYMOND GREEN: I think everybody want to be at home. I don't think it's necessarily overrated. At some point, some road teams are going to get some games and we have to make sure we do that and return the favor. But you know, if you are on the court, you always want home court just to be in front of your crowd.

You know, everyone plays better at hope. You are more established in your own routine, your daily routine which makes a difference. We all want home court and we'll have to protect home court next game. But also, come this weekend, we'll be looking to get one back.