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NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: THUNDER v SPURSJune 1, 2012Russell WestbrookOKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA: Practice Day Q. Switching the lineups last night, a lot of people are making a big deal about how that helped you guys be able to contain their pick‑and‑rolls. What did you notice that made you so effective with the switching? RUSSELL WESTBROOK: Just caring about the paint, making them take tough shots. Our guys playing one‑on‑one, and make them take some tough shots. Q. The big man, Perk out there guarding Ginobili and Parker a little bit, how effective were they? Do you feel they can sustain that? RUSSELL WESTBROOK: Definitely can sustain. We're not doing it the whole game. We're doing it in little parts of the game. They did a great job of using their hands, using their length. Q. What adjustments did you personally make to the way they were playing defense? RUSSELL WESTBROOK: Just making the extra pass, crowding the paint every time I drive, and just making them pass when it was open. Q. How important is Thabo for your team right now? He played extremely well yesterday? RUSSELL WESTBROOK: Very important. He's a great defender and he has been for us all season long. Q. What did you think of the switch? RUSSELL WESTBROOK: Good. It was more length. Gave them a different look. Q. Gave you a break too, didn't it? RUSSELL WESTBROOK: I wasn't really tired or nothing like that. Q. But that's a lot of banging, 73 pick‑and‑rolls in one game. RUSSELL WESTBROOK: If you want to win, you've got to do what you've got to do to win. Q. You guys are always good in transition. Defensively turning those guys over, was that something that helped you beat them like you guys did? RUSSELL WESTBROOK: It's very important to get out and use our young legs and get out in transition. Q. Pop said the bigger switch on defense was putting Ibaka on Manu, finding the bigger switch of the two. RUSSELL WESTBROOK: You said putting Serge on? Q. On Manu. RUSSELL WESTBROOK: I don't know what you're saying. Q. Switching the defenders, that was a bigger defensive switch, would you agree? RUSSELL WESTBROOK: Yeah, I think it's all a part of the same thing. Everybody switched on to everybody. Q. What were some of the other keys in helping keep some of those guys out of the paint? RUSSELL WESTBROOK: Using our hands, using our defense to make them kick out to the contested threes. Q. You have those guys on their heels last night the way you came back? RUSSELL WESTBROOK: Yeah, I feel we were the aggressors last night, but we played off them. Q. Do you expect more energy out of them in Game 4? RUSSELL WESTBROOK: Oh, definitely. They're trying to win just like we're trying to win. I expect them to come out with the same intensity. It's going to be tough to beat us. Q. How much of that win last night built your confidence and believe that you could come back in this series and win it? RUSSELL WESTBROOK: It helps us a lot T shows that we could get a win. We got a win, and we know what it takes to win a game. Q. Do you have to do more crazy things like you did last night, just switches and things like that? RUSSELL WESTBROOK: A little bit. That's what making adjustments is about, trying to do different things throughout the playoffs. Last night we tried something and it worked. Q. Can that stuff work in a seven‑game series? RUSSELL WESTBROOK: Yeah, we're going to find out. Q. Do you feel like you were all over the court last night effectively? RUSSELL WESTBROOK: A little bit. Yeah, just tried to stay active and stay in the game. Kept my team going. Q. What part of your game were you most impressed with? RUSSELL WESTBROOK: That we won. For the most part, that's all that matters. Regardless what the stats look like, our team win, that's all that matters. Q. Is there an area where you feel like you need to be more effective? Can you talk about the big three for you guys scored 30 each in Game 2 and lost. But then you guys had lesser offensive nights and won last night. RUSSELL WESTBROOK: Like I said before, my job is to make sure we win. Whatever it is throughout the game that I need to do to make sure of that, that's all that matters. Q. Did Charles Barkley use any of your advice on where to go eat? RUSSELL WESTBROOK: I don't know. I haven't even talked to him. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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