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NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: THUNDER v SPURSJune 4, 2012Kevin DurantRussell WestbrookSAN ANTONIO, TEXAS: Game Five Oklahoma City – 108 Q.  To both of you, where did this series turn around, and how do you explain it? KEVIN DURANT: We just made adjustments, I guess, after Game 2. We just played harder, played more together. 22 assists, Russell was great at controlling the whole game on both ends of the floor. You know, and we kind of followed his lead. We're just playing together, man, playing hard. Once you leave everything out on the floor, you give yourself a good chance. We've just got to keep going. Q. For both of you, can you describe the emotions of whatever you're thinking when you go up by 13, then you go down, then you come back up, what it's like as a player and why that happens? RUSSELL WESTBROOK: You know, it's always tough to be in those situations. It's really hard to find the answer because you don't want to play too fast and then let them come back. You don't play to play too slow to throw us out of our game. It's tough, but we were so close during those times when they was coming back, and it would show towards the end of the game when we came out with the win. Q. Russell, your coach said you had a tough fourth quarter and yet you ended up with 12 assists for the game, so talk about your fourth quarter, were they getting up in you? RUSSELL WESTBROOK: Man, I'm going to continue to play aggressive, whatever is going on. I might turn over the ball. It's definitely a learning process for me, a learning stage for myself. You know, that's a part of the job, and Kevin, James and those guys picked me up even when things were going downhill, and they did that tonight. Q. You guys have been so good at closing out games, but what made you get out of here with the win tonight? KEVIN DURANT: Well, it was just the whole game we were playing hard, we were playing together. We had a tough, tough start and we got up a few points and then we let them back in it and then we got up and let them back in it. Daequan Cook was unbelievable for us tonight, not having played that much, but came in and gave us some great minutes. James, of course, Thabo gave us some great minutes. So people always say once you end the game off like that it's the fourth quarter but the stuff we did in the first, second, third quarter helped us get there. We just stayed composed, stayed poised and made plays? Q. For a long time in the NBA the idea was you kind of had to wait your turn. When did you guys decide we're ready now, and how did you know it? KEVIN DURANT: Well, we never just thought that we were supposed to wait our turn. We always wanted to go and take everything. Coach always emphasizes that every opportunity we step out on that floor is a great opportunity to get better and grow and fight towards our dreams, and we all knew that. We've been together for so long, and we just had to keep pressing. We've got a long ways to go still, we've just got to take it a day at a time. Q. What did you think of Popovich saying you're arguably the best player in the game right now? KEVIN DURANT: Well, I appreciate that, I guess. He's trying to fire up his team a little bit, as well, to get underneath me tonight. They did a great job of pushing me off and fighting me and making it tough for me. But Popovich has been around for a long time, and I really appreciate that. But I've just got to keep pressing, keep getting better. I'm not where I want to be? Q. Russell, can you talk about the mental toughness of your teammates, yourself, just the mindset we've seen the last three games? RUSSELL WESTBROOK: I think it started in the first quarter. We got off to a slow start, they got to the line early, kind of‑‑ it was kind of predicting the game. Our team showed mental toughness. Everybody stayed together. We got stops and we finally made some shots. And I think that was the turning point for us to see how the game was going to turn out. Q. For both of you guys, you guys are one win away from the NBA Finals and you're going back home. What's that feel like? What are you thinking right now? KEVIN DURANT: Well, we don't want to get too high for this win. We know that we still have a tough road ahead. But we came here, we wanted to get a win on their home floor. That's what it took for us to advance or to get to where we wanted to get to. We knew this was an important game, and personally for me, my uncle was in the hospital, and I wanted to win this game for him, he was watching. So I thank my teammates for coming out here and playing an unbelievable game, playing hard every minute. This is big for me. We've just got to keep pressing, man. We've got one more game to go to advance, so hopefully we get it. RUSSELL WESTBROOK: Like Kevin said, it's just one game, it's Game 5, now got to get ready for Game 6. Just one step closer, but at the same time this team is not about to lay down or nothing like that. They're going to come in and try to win, and we've got to be ready to play. Q. For either or both of you, what were you guys talking about prior to their last possession when Ginobili wound up forcing the three, and you guys are obviously known as a great offensive team; what can you guys take out of being able to deny them what they were really trying to do in that possession? RUSSELL WESTBROOK: You know, Ginobili, I think there was two guys guarding him at the time. He took a tough three. We were told to switch and help out there if it was on the three‑point line. I think we did that and did a good job of that. He missed his shot. But I'm going to continue to say the same thing: I think our mental toughness throughout the whole game was so great in regards to what happened. I think we was always bouncing back. Q. Being one win away from the NBA Finals for the first time, what was the message in the locker room after the game, and Kevin, could you talk about your uncle? What's his name and what's he in the hospital for? KEVIN DURANT: Well, he's a little sick right now. All I can say is I just wanted to win for him tonight. He's watching. He's been watching me ever since I was a kid. It was weighing heavy on me, my dad told me this morning. I wanted to play my hardest and leave it all out on the floor. That's what he wanted for me. Uncle Tyrone, that's his name. My teammates did a great job of helping each other out and playing together and playing hard. That's all we can ask for. Like I said, we can't get too high off this win. We've got to know that we can't rely on our home crowd too much in Game 6, and we know this team is not going to lay down, not going to lay down. So we've got to come out with a lot of fire and a lot of effort to try to close them out. Q. You almost had Game 1. What did you learn from that game, and what was different tonight? RUSSELL WESTBROOK: I think we were in the same situation, I think, going into the fourth, up nine, that we were in Game 1. And during the time‑out, guys came together and said, we're not letting this happen again. You know, we all came together, became closer, and I think we hit two big shots or something like that, and kind of willed us to a win. Game 6 is going to be pivotal for us, and it's definitely going to be a big game. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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