NBA FINALS: HEAT VS. NUGGETS

June 11, 2023

Kevin Love

Miami Heat

Practice Day

Q. Anything you take from 2016 regarding where the series is?

KEVIN LOVE: Naturally when your back is up against the wall you start to look for answers, solutions. But we're a team that as you know has been super resilient. We understand that it's every possession, it's one game. I know that's something that is cliché and everybody says but again, we feel like if we come out, have a good start tomorrow, play extremely hard and give ourselves a chance and take it back to Miami, that is right where we want to be.

But again, tomorrow is one of those things where a close-out game is the hardest game of the series, always. Game 5 is always, always a tough game in the series if you can push it there. We just have to come out to our game, stick to our schemes both offensively and defensively. There are some things that have been glaring for us. We'll go out there and get the job done.

Q. What type of advice are guys like you and Kyle trying to give to the team right now?

KEVIN LOVE: Since I've been here, been very vocal with the team, UD as well, having that championship pedigree and having been there before. But certainly Kyle having been up 3-1 and us being down 3-1 with the Cavs in 2016, we definitely have different viewpoints and things to give vocally to the team. So we’ve just been consistently in the guys ears to not let up and stay in the saddle.

Q. Somebody was saying your wife had a baby yesterday?

KEVIN LOVE: She might have. She might have. Just, definitely need to get some rest now and get some sleep. Everybody is happy and healthy.

Q. Did you just come up here today?

KEVIN LOVE: Was able to make it in for our film session. Got a little bit of sleep, so today will be good to get up and down, get acclimated here and get some treatments, get some rest and be ready to roll.

Q. How special has this run been since joining this team?

KEVIN LOVE: It's certainly been special. We don't feel like we have ever been a normal eight seed, getting in the second Play-In game and beating Chicago and just letting the chips fall. We've been a very resilient team, a team that is consistently giving effort, consistently giving endless support to each other. Our locker room has been amazing. Coaching staff has been amazing. Organization has been incredibly supportive. So any time you have that, you give yourself a chance to do some special things.

Q. After losses when we've seen you guys come out here at practice and still look loose, has anything changed considering the circumstances the last 36, 48 hours for you? Have you noticed anything different in you guys?

KEVIN LOVE: Denver uses a great word about, I think they use it in terms of their offense but we certainly have applied it to who we are as a group and that's just be fluid, I love that word and not only how we play on offense but away from the court or going through this, we are very intentional and we are getting down to business, and we know the job at hand and the task at hand but at the same time we are fluid, we are loose, and you know, that is going to help us play in a moment like this when the lights are the brightest, to just play free and play that fluid style of basketball.