NBA FINALS: CELTICS VS. MAVERICKS

June 13, 2024

Derrick Jones Jr.

Dallas Mavericks

Practice Day

Q. Was today more talk, more videos?

DERRICK JONES JR: It was just watching film. We got to see our mistakes and broke it down a little bit for us so we can get ready for Game 4.

Q. What was in your vision the mistakes you guys did last night?

DERRICK JONES JR: Defensively we had a couple breakdowns, and offensively I thought we let it slip away a little bit.

Q. What about the refs, the fouls, something to change for Game 4?

DERRICK JONES JR: Refs are going to do what they are. You can't change that. You've got to play the game the way you've got to play it, no matter what they call.

Q. What is your feeling, the team, about this Game 4 and the possibility to come back here to Dallas?

DERRICK JONES JR: Get a win. I guess that's everybody's goal, is to get a win. That's my mindset. That's everybody's mindset. I'm pretty sure you're going to see a lot of smiles out here right now. We want to get this win. That's what we want.

Q. It's obviously never been done before, coming back from 0-3, but it's been done in other sports and somebody has to be the first team to do it. What gives you guys the encouragement that you could be the first team to do it and it could happen eventually?

DERRICK JONES JR: We believe in each other. We never stop believing in each other. That's just how we are. We trust each other. We've been through a lot. We've been down 30, come back, take a 10-point lead and possibly have lost that game.

But we've been through a lot. We've fought as a team, and we're going to keep fighting as a team no matter what.

Q. You mentioned the fight the team is going to be able to put up. Is there any other group of guys you'd rather be in this fight with?

DERRICK JONES JR: Absolutely not. These are my guys. I've been telling everybody in the media how much I love it here, and my guys is the main reason. They told me to be me. They pushed me to be me. They don't judge me for nothing. They love me for who I am, and I love it here.

Q. Even outside of basketball, how have they helped you as Derrick the man?

DERRICK JONES JR: The ones that are fathers, the father figures that I have on the team, they've helped me out because I'm still 27, I'm still young. I have my kids. Just seeing them being around their kids and being able to see how they interact with their kids and their families, it helps me out a lot, especially because previous teams I've been on haven't had as many fathers.

I've been on a few young teams. It's just nice being able to be outside the court, spending time with my guys and having our kids around each other all the time.