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NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: THUNDER v SPURSMay 31, 2014Scott BrooksOKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA: Game Six Q. The last two games you've been out‑rebounded, obviously those games got out of hand late, but how much is that a concern, and what needs to change in order for those numbers to go back toward a Thunder win? SCOTT BROOKS: Well, we definitely have to rebound the basketball. It starts with making sure we get a stop, making them miss. But we've been a good rebounding team this year. When we out‑rebound a team, the numbers are always in our favor, put ourselves in a position to win the game. We have to get defensive stops. We have to make sure that we do a good job with that. They're a good team. They score in many different ways, and we have to make sure we make them miss and get the rebound. Q. With the three‑pointers so prevalent now, where do you stand on that choice you have to make, or where do you weigh in on protecting the lane versus allowing the three‑point shot? SCOTT BROOKS: Well, against some teams you can pick. With this team you can't. You've got to be able to stop the paint and the three. You have to be able to be on point. All five guys have to do their job. If you have one guy not doing their job, it's a bad ripple effect down the line. And we have to be able to guard the paint and make sure you close out on the time of the pass and be there at the time of the catch. And if you don't, it's a three‑point shot, and it's a 40‑percent shooter taking it. We've done a good job in our two home games. We have not done a good job defensively on the three road games. It's been a strange series where each game has not been really a fourth quarter game. None of us expected that, although we hope it happens one more time tonight in our favor. You have to be able to do them both. Some teams you can pick. Some teams you can lock in. Against Memphis you had to be able to stop their bigs and stop their paint. Against the Clippers, they're as deep a team as any team in the league, and you have to do them both. And with the Spurs, obviously the way they play and move the basketball, their passing, you have to be able to do both. Q. Any lineup changes? Are you going to stand pat with what you've done the last couple games? SCOTT BROOKS: Stand pat, but maybe some adjustments throughout the game. Q. Obviously, these are tough days and challenging games. What was the mood you got from the team, the sense you got from them? Was it nervousness, confidence? SCOTT BROOKS: Today or yesterday? Q. Today. SCOTT BROOKS: Today, very confident, and we should be. We're a good team. We're on our home floor. We've played well here for a lot of years, and we've played well here in this series. We have good players, and we should be confident. I liked the mood today. We had a very brief shootaround. It was precise, it was crisp, and I saw a team that has a very confident look. We know what we're going to have to do to beat this team, and we have to do it every single play. You can't give them a two‑ or three‑minute period where you're not committed, because if you do that with this team, it's a 12‑2 run. And I'm sure they feel the same way. We've had our runs here on our home court. I liked what I saw today. All of our guys are looking forward to tonight's game. Q. Do you try to keep it even keel, not change too much at practice or be panic‑driven or anything? SCOTT BROOKS: We've been here before. I mean, this group, it's a young group, but we've been in a lot of big moments in our careers.  We're confident. We've been in this situation before. We've been in this situation on the road in Game 6 where we had to win. There was no question. It's exciting. It's exciting for us, exciting for them. They win, they go to The Finals. We win, we get a great opportunity to have a Game 7 on the road with a chance to go to the NBA Finals. That's every kid's dream growing up, and we have an opportunity if we win this game, we put ourselves in that position that that could happen. That's the things that we've talked about yesterday, and I thought the confidence in our guys' faces today reflected that. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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