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That's What He Said - Celtics at Cavaliers

Read what the players and coaches had to say following Boston's 111-108 victory over Cleveland.

Click on a player or coach to reveal quotes from their postgame press conference.

BRAD STEVENS

RE: They were in control 77-56 in the third quarter.
What changed at that point to allow you guys to get
back in and then eventually get the win?

RE: Was it defense or offense do you think really got
you back in this and won the game?

RE: A lot over the course of Marcus's career has been made about what a poor shooter he is, but he always seems to hit them late. What did you see of that tonight?

RE: You've talked about it before with this team, but in this case, the way the first two games went, not
having Isaiah, down 21 with six minutes left in the third, what did you see from them on the bench? What was the mood, and how do they stay so resilient when there's every reason to not be?

RE: Did you get a sense the guys realized that and felt that as you're down 21 --

RE: First couple of games you said that when things
weren't going right, you guys seemed to get down,
seemed to deflate a little bit. Marcus seems to get
the opposite attitude when those situations arise.
How did that affect how you were able to come
back tonight just him getting angry?

RE: I was going to ask about Jonas. He came in
middle of the third quarter and the 21-point deficit
erased pretty quickly. What did he do to unlock the
side-to-side offense for you?

RE: They had 14 threes in the first half. The second
half Tristan Thompson just kind of dominates the
offensive boards. The free-throw disparity, you had
a lot of things go against you. When you win it's
usually Isaiah hitting a lot of threes, but tonight it
seemed to be different. How did you keep the guys
from getting discouraged, and can you describe
your personal emotions, although you don't show
any visibly, when Avery's shot went in?

AVERY BRADLEY

RE: Avery, could you walk us through the last play,
how you came to be so free?

RE: We spoke before the game and you told me that
Marcus Smart lives for these moments. What can
you say about his game?

RE: Avery and Marcus, you just mentioned Brad's
after-timeout plays. He had a couple others before
that one. What's the feeling coming out of the
huddle after Brad draws something up as a team of
what you guys are going to be able to do,
regardless if the ball goes in or not?

RE: First couple games when they made plays, made
shots, you guys seemed as a group to deflate a
little bit.
But how much does Marcus's attitude, when things
go like that, he seems to get more pissed off, how
did that help?

RE: Avery, on that play, what was the point where
you went from the layup and seeing the Cavs
collapse on you and then making the kick-out to
Jonas? What was going through your head?

MARCUS SMART

RE: Avery and Marcus, you just mentioned Brad's
after-timeout plays. He had a couple others before
that one. What's the feeling coming out of the
huddle after Brad draws something up as a team of
what you guys are going to be able to do,
regardless if the ball goes in or not?

RE: I'm
sure you guys were really down about Game 2,
then the Isaiah blow on Saturday, but then to come
back and do this -- can you describe how you guys
got yourselves together to be able to do this?

RE: They're in control this series, they're in control
of the game in the third quarter, up 21. What
changed at that point? How were you guys able to
find whatever it was deep down inside and come
back and win this game?

RE: Marcus, you've known for the last 24 hours that
this moment was coming and that you were going
to start this game. Not to say that you prepared
any differently, but you had to have had some
different thoughts going through your head leading
into this game as opposed to a regular one when
you're coming off the bench. Can you walk us
through what your thoughts were and what your
mindset was coming into this game?

TYRONN LUE

RE: On your last defensive possession, it seemed
like Iman and J.R. ended up -- I think it was on
Crowder, and then Avery got open. What happened
with your guys' defensive execution?

RE: Before the game I asked you about protecting
big leads and the third quarter --

RE: What happened? You were up 21 in the third
and you don't protect it and you end up losing.

RE: LeBron has been so good in the playoffs.
Tonight, only 11 points. Was it something they did
or just an off night for LeBron?

RE: You guys have had problems during the regular
season when opponents' best players go out and
you don't probably play as well as you would think
you would in that situation. Did this feel like a
regular-season game for a variety of reasons? It
kind of felt like what you struggled with at times
during the regular season.

LEBRON JAMES

RE: You guys were up 21 points. What happened?
What factors led to Boston coming back at you?

RE: You had a tough second half with just three
points. What were some of the factors that led to
that? Were you as aggressive as you wanted to
be?

RE: Was there a sense of surprise or shock or what
have you in the locker room afterward, just given
how well the first two games had gone and that
Isaiah was out?

RE: Did they mix up the coverage on you from what
you had seen in the first two games?

RE: Tristan, when LeBron has a night that's atypical,
how do you guys respond as teammates as the
game is going on?

TRISTAN THOMPSON

RE: Tristan, what's most disappointing given the
way you guys played in the first two games and
throughout the playoffs? What's most
disappointing about this one tonight?

RE: Tristan, when LeBron has a night that's atypical,
how do you guys respond as teammates as the
game is going on?

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