NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS: LAKERS vs WARRIORS

May 10, 2023

Stephen Curry

Golden State Warriors

Game 5: Postgame

Warriors - 121, Lakers - 106

Q. You hadn't shot that well, either you or Klay, maybe something's due. Do you feel like this was a game where you had to win it other ways and you feel good about that because you imagine the shooting is going to come at some point?

STEPHEN CURRY: Yeah, a defensive mindfulness was there. Obviously Draymond was extremely aggressive from the jump. Wiggs played amazing. GP, plus 25. Like you get contributions from everybody and shots that you feel like you can make and the reason you take 'em, a lot of confidence in 'em. You hope that they will start to fall. But the fact that we can control a game from the jump the way we did, handle that run the way we did and then close out the fourth quarter strong was exactly how we expect to play. And it's just a matter of can we take it on the road and win a must-win game on Friday.

Q. You get so many other contributions. Does it feel like a lighter load for you than say a Game 4 where you're putting up 30 shots and --

STEPHEN CURRY: Still got up 24, so...

It's just a matter of picking and choosing your spots. It's not really a lighter load because you're mentally thinking the game and still trying to counter all their defensive adjustments and what they're trying to do. We're running more pick-and-roll, but I think it's just a great vibe when that.

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Q. How much emphasis was it to play as fast as you possibly can to run at them as much as possible, maybe not just for this game, but knowing that they got a couple guys that they're relying on and maybe to get them running too?

STEPHEN CURRY: I think it's up to mostly me, Draymond, J.P. when he's out there, to do that, to push it. But it's important just because they're, at times, a big team with AD. He puts a lot of pressure on you on the offensive end. So you try to create whatever advantage you can. That's a big thing. And part of that is just trying to keep them off the foul line as much as possible just because that slows the game down and gives them free points and they get to set their defense.

So you want to get stops, but even if they do score, that is our advantage in the series is our speed and the fact that I can push, Draymond can push, J.P. can push, we got guys running the lane in transition, spacing the floor. So it's hard to do, but it helps us counter what they do well.

Q. Apart from the conversations that you guys are going to have as a team that you're going to have with the coach, what are you going to do to prepare yourself to take this momentum following to Game 6 in Los Angeles and be able to bring it back home on Sunday?

STEPHEN CURRY: I think just kind of take stock of what's happened in Game 3, 4 and tonight. What we've done well. Like even the mental preparation is understanding that we've played well enough down there to have won both of those games. I know Game 3 was a blow out, but the first half, like there was a lot of good that we showed. Then obviously Game 4 knowing how that went. So accepting our shortcomings there, but also understanding we can make the necessary adjustments to hopefully get off to a good start in Game 6, give ourselves some momentum, put some pressure on 'em and bring the effort and the competitiveness and the same fire we had tonight. So, I mean, that's the game plan. And again, just get lost in the game down there, because it's going to be a fun atmosphere.

Q. Do you like it when a playoff series dictates you guys run more pick-and-roll? Obviously we know traditionally what you guys like to do, but is it fun when it kind of demands it more?

STEPHEN CURRY: It's more the narrative of just how hard it is to win four games in any series and the different adjustments that you have to make. Like we've been in however many, 29, 30, whatever series it's been since this run started. Whether we've swept a team or gone to seven or lost, like it's always that game-to-game kind of adjustment that you love the most. Whether, whatever the answer is. Doesn't really matter. And we're also capable of playing a lot of different ways because of our personnel and the way that we do things. So, yeah, I like it all, to be honest. Just try to figure it out.

Q. Steve said that at this point in your career you really feel what needs to happen, what's required of you. Whether that's 38 shots in Game 7 in Sacramento, 22 assists these last two games. How much better do you feel that than you did early in your career, maybe in 2015 at the start of this run, and how, what, how is it a different kind of satisfaction when you are setting up your teammates as opposed to making seven or eight threes?

STEPHEN CURRY: I mean, it's just, it's the body of work that you can kind of tap into to, again, know how many different scenarios and situations that you've been in that I can tap into that confidence that I can do whatever the game requires. I just love this stage so much and not afraid of anything that's going to happen and the outcome. It's just again getting lost in the game and understanding the versatility of being able to play a lot of different ways and the confidence that I've been able to do it for a long time. And the trust that I have in my teammates to be along that journey with me. So it's nice to -- and blessed to be able to keep doing it even at this stage in your career. So I don't want it to stop any time soon.

Q. With AD and his defensive impact, I don't remember seeing a guy that has created this kind of hesitation for your whole group around the rim. If you look at the series before tonight were there times when maybe all of you look at the film and were there overcorrection, were there just a lot of times where you see opportunities that where, because of the impact he's having, there's second guessing happening and then why was tonight different?

STEPHEN CURRY: He's a great defensive player. Like he's smart, he's got size, he can move his feet. They have a certain system that tries to funnel everything to the paint where he's usually standing and disrupting a lot.

After Game 1 it was, you just had to feel it for 48 minutes just to understand it was totally different than the Sacramento series. They didn't have anybody with that type of presence. But there's also counters to it and you got to trust that you can create a good shot even with his abilities out there. You still get kind of lulled into it from time to time, just that's how basketball goes, and he makes some amazing plays. But we're, when we're decisive and we're organized in terms of our spacing and understanding you might not get all the way to the basket because he's down there, but somebody's going to be open and there's going to be other option, when we're locked in like that, it, good things happen. You look at the last three minutes of Game 4, like we kind of abandoned the things that were helping us and you see the result. So it's just a matter of just being mindful of what you're trying to do at all times, knowing that he is a great enough defender that it requires it.

Q. To that point did you find something tonight? Does it feel like you found something with him?

STEPHEN CURRY: No, it's more of the same of what we've done through the good parts of Games 3 and 4. Mostly 4. So just got to continue -- you have to make him work. Like, again, he's going to make plays and whether it's in the pick-and-roll or whether it's off the ball. But when we're organized good things happen.

Q. Draymond, back in Game 5 against the Kings, Draymond scored 20 points. Tonight he scored 20 points. Besides just giving you another scorer what does it do for the team when he's just being aggressive and attacking like that?

STEPHEN CURRY: It just keeps everything balanced in terms of countering what teams try to do to take away our threes, our clean looks at the three-point line, driving lines, where help defense is usually coming from. I told him every play he made tonight like I love that aggressive nature because it just keeps the defense honest. And he's capable of making plays. So the first three was big to kind of get everybody's morale up, the emotions high. But then he was assertive getting into the paint, finishing at the rim. He hit a big shot in the fourth off of kind of a last second broken play. Timely baskets. You have to keep the defense honest so they can't kind of load up other places.

Q. How much do you like Andrew Wiggins' aggressiveness? He shoots threes and rebounds a lot.

STEPHEN CURRY: It's the best version of who he is and how he can impact games. He played great defense all night. Even though he made some tough shots. Like you said, the rebounds, the offensive aggressiveness. Him getting up 18 shots is huge. We need that every night. And it's on us as a team to feature him too at certain points of the game because he is such an athlete and he can create his own shot. Got to feed it to him and let him do what he does.

Q. At the start of the series it was, you guys were throwing flowers at each other. LeBron, Steph, you guys, your longevity, everything else. And now it seems like Steve is talking little bit about how the Lakers play, Darvin's talking a little bit about how you guys play. Do you feel like it's getting a little chippy? Does it feel like a little chippy, more physical playoff series to this point?

STEPHEN CURRY: I've seen it way worse. But the more you play a team, the more stuff comes out. And the power of this microphone and the gamesmanship back and forth. Like it's all a part of it. Nothing that is surprising. Even from game to game. So, I mean, there's respect, but there's competition. And everything is catered to just trying to win four games. That's what you expect, so, yeah.

Q. Do you anticipate AD will play Game 6?

STEPHEN CURRY: I have no idea what happened to him or what his situation is, so I would say yes, but I have no idea.