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NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: THUNDER v SPURSMay 30, 2014Kevin DurantOKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA: Practice Day Q.  You had this morning to look at the film. What is going to be the key heading into Game 6 for you all? KEVIN DURANT: Just being in the right spots to do things and helping each other out a little bit more than we did the last game. Q. All these games have been so crazy with the momentum swings and crowds getting into it. Has this series been a new level of frustration, yes, but also just the energy swings? KEVIN DURANT: Well, it's the Playoffs. It's going to decide who goes to The Finals and who wins the Western conference. It's going to be emotional, there's going to be words, there's going to be physicality. It's been a crazy series, yes, it has, as far as momentum and teams playing well at home. But in our case we've got another 48 minutes to try to take this thing to a Game 7, and who knows what happens after that. Q. Do you go home and fall into bed and just fall to sleep or do you stare at the ceiling? KEVIN DURANT: No, I've learned not to let basketball take over my life, so when I go home I try to release and just enjoy my life, just get away from it, but also in the back of my mind just get ready for the next game. It was frustrating last night going on, but we have to look at the grand scheme of things and know that we've got another opportunity. I'm excited about that. Q. That being said, do you go home and try to forget about it, how do you approach a must‑win situation like this? KEVIN DURANT: Just know it's a must‑win. That means do or die. That's self‑explanatory. If you can't get up for that, then‑‑ I've always been the guy that's going to bring it and that's going to play to win, so it's a must‑win, and I can't sit home and think about it every single minute of the day, but I've got to know how important it is. Q. Spurs said they played harder and that was the bottom line for them. Is it that simple for you guys? KEVIN DURANT: Yep, it is, definitely. Schemes and Xs and Os, it all goes out the door. We've just got to play harder. They did last game, so we've got to match up. Q. You guys have played some of your best basketball in the Playoffs in similar situations, the Memphis series, had your backs to the wall a couple times. What's allowed you guys to be so resilient in these situations? KEVIN DURANT: To be honest, I really don't know, man. We know that it's a situation where we lose, we go home, and nobody wants to do that, so we just leave it all out there and whatever happens we live with. Most of the time when we play extremely hard, play well, play together, we come out on top. We just want to leave it all out there and play our game and live with what happens. Q. You guys played so well in 3 and 4 at home, and then what happened last night. Was there almost some shock value from last night that you can carry forward? KEVIN DURANT: No, we just try to get rid of it and learn from it. Obviously it wasn't our best game. It wasn't close to our best game. But we can learn from what we did wrong and try to correct it next game. Q. What do you feel like you can do better tomorrow night? KEVIN DURANT: Defensively just staying in front of the basketball and helping each other out more in transition, playing fast. They didn't score as much in the paint as they did in the first two games, but they counteracted that with 13, 14 threes. We've got to figure out a way to do both. Q. Do you feel like you've been able to put your imprint on the series the way you'd like? KEVIN DURANT: You know, it was a different series compared to the first two, whereas you've got to beat this team with a group of guys. Against the Clippers, me and Russell, we came out and scored 40 points a piece and be able to win, but this team makes you play with everybody. We knew that. I mean, it's been like that in the past, so that's why Reggie stepped up, that's why Russell, myself, Serge came in and stepped up. We do have to beat this team with everybody, we can't just focus ongoing out and scoring a lot of points. You've got to do it on both ends of the floor. I feel like I put my hand print on the series. It may not be in the usual way that people expect me to go out and score 40 a game, but I think I put my imprint on the series. Q. You really had that kind of offensive flow and rhythm in that first quarter. What was working for you all during that stretch? You seemed to be able to pick their defense apart. KEVIN DURANT: Well, we made shots. We got to the paint, we made shots, but we didn't play any defense. Q. The last two games the team got off to a better start. Can you over rate starts? KEVIN DURANT: Depends how you finish. You get this far, you make adjustments throughout the game, and it's two great coaches, they make adjustments throughout the game. It's about how you finish. Q. This series more so than the past two have been more about lineup changes. Does it feel more like a chess match, who can come up with the best‑‑ KEVIN DURANT: You've still got to play. You've got both teams top to bottom are good teams from everybody you put in. It comes down to just determination and will, commitment to what we do. That determines who wins. Q. You've always been motivated to give your best and go for the win. Do you ever feel more pressure now that you are the MVP that you have to do more? KEVIN DURANT: No, I never feel‑‑ uh‑huh, I don't think so. Pressure comes from everybody else from the outside, from media, from friends, family, but I play this game because I love it, and I play to win. If I give it my all, it may not be enough for everybody else, but I know what I gave, so I can live with it. Q. You said going home you just try to not think about it, but how do you do that? KEVIN DURANT: Well, I have friends and family that make sure I don't go crazy, just do stuff that makes me happy and just, like I said, try not to always think about it. The mind is a powerful thing. When you think positive thoughts and thoughts that it's going to move forward, like I said, to get your mind off it, it helps, also. Just having positive people around me not always criticizing me helps. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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