Warriors vs. Jazz Postgame Quotes - Game 1 - May 2, 2017

MIKE BROWN: Good win by our guys. I thought one of the things that we talked about going into the series was winning the possession game because they're a good defensive team. And, you know, they thrive off of getting steals and getting the ball out in transition and scoring easy buckets against their defensive pressure. So we did a great job of taking care of the ball. Seven turnovers again is a franchise low. We tied the franchise record for seven turnovers in a playoff game. That was phenomenal. I thought two of our bigs were very good moving the basketball. David West had seven assists. Draymond Green was terrific, he had six assists. Andre had five assists. We slide him to the power forward quite a bit. So for those guys that are quote/unquote our bigs to be able to move the ball like that and generate baskets for us, by moving the ball, was phenomenal. Got to give them credit, they are a good defensive team. We get into a little rut every once in a while, and some of it had to do with their defense, some of it had to do with us. But they'd go on a little run, and every time they went on a run, it seemed like our guys locked in and responded especially that second group. That second group with Ian, Klay, Andre, Draymond, David West. We thought both halves that group was really good for us. Q. Did something happen with Steph there? He had his shoe off, he was getting looked at. Is there a status update on him? MIKE BROWN: No, he's fine. Q. Limiting turnovers is something Steve talked about a lot during the regular season. Is what we're seeing now all of that work coming together at the most opportune time? What is it really that's coming together now that's causing such low turnover outputs in the last few games? MIKE BROWN: Yeah, again, going into the year, that was one of the things that Steve talked about is part of winning the possession game. We feel like we have enough scoring power that if we lock in defensively and just do our job and win the possession game, we can probably outscore most of our opponents. So Steve had stressed that from day one in training camp. It's just our guys buying in, trying to do the right thing, and most importantly keeping the game simple. We can score in bunches if we just make the simple play, keep the ball moving, keep bodies movement. That's what our guys did a lot of tonight. Q. They didn't score for over, I think, four minutes of the game. Were they just missing shots or what did you like from your defense in that early going? MIKE BROWN: You know, I thought the effort was there. A couple times we might have broken down with our schemes, but everybody was trying to cover for one another. They didn't get many looks, and again, that's one of the things that we pride ourselves on is being locked in defensively. If we're missing shots and we're locked in defensively, we still feel like we're going to come out of it, a lot of times, sooner than the other team and go on a big run to create a little separation, and that's what our guys did. Q. We all know what Steph can do, but it kind of felt like he was having trouble with the three-point shot and then he demonstrated the other part of his game, the couple plays he made under the basket and then the lob to JaVale, just, again, a testament to how he can affect the game? MIKE BROWN: Yeah, he can affect the game a lot of different ways, even when he's not shooting. He moves so well without the basketball. His movement creates other opportunities for other guys. He sets a back screen, a lot of times his man doesn't want to help on the back screen, therefore the guy receiving the back screen is going to get an open look at the rim. If he cuts hard enough, he sets the pin down, it's the same thing. So just Steph being out on the floor, knowing that he can be a threat to catch and shoot anytime or come off the pick-and-roll and score at any time is a bonus for all of us. Tonight they switched out a couple of times with some bigs on him again, because of his ability to shoot the three ball, they're pressing up into him, which allowed him to dribble drive by them. Q. Gordon Hayward, 15 field goal attempts, 4 of 15 and only two free throw attempts. What did you do against him tonight? MIKE BROWN: He had a couple looks probably that he missed. But give our guys credit, they followed the game plan. Our whole deal is we just want to keep a body in front of these guys. If we can keep a body in front of them and they want to go one-on-one and try to beat our guys off the dribble, we feel like that could be to our advantage at the end of the day. Because going one-on-one every possession, play after play after play is a tough way of playing, and that's not their style. Teams left in the playoffs, they move the ball very well, they move bodies well and space the floor very well, so for us, our whole emphasis, especially on Gordon, was to just keep a body in front of them and make them try to shoot tough shots. We thought that our guys did a pretty good job of trying to keep at least a body in front of them throughout the night. Q. Was it a concerted effort to try to hurry them up early in the game? Because they were supposed to deliver a team that looked like you guys did everything you could on defense to try to get them going at a faster pace. Was that the plan? MIKE BROWN: Again, even against Portland we felt like, you know, if we could get to these guys' bodies and try to get them to speed up offensively by putting pressure on them, especially when they had the ball out on top of the floor, then maybe it may hurry them up a little bit. Sometimes when you're pressuring guys, they see a little crack of daylight, and it's a natural instinct for a guy to want to drive against that pressure. Now the drive against the pressure, and for us we're not coming to help a ton because we feel like we're long and athletic. Now we're taking the three out of the game because they're driving for twos or driving for pull-ups. Our guys did a pretty good job of that to start the game. Even Zaza did. He saw Rudy catch the ball at the top of the floor, we don't want him to be uncomfortable out there. If he's going to handle it, he's going to have to feel a body up there, and Zaza did a good job of that early on. Q. What did you think of that play in the second quarter where Curry crossed over Gobert, and had Gobert spinning around? Are you getting used to that sort of thing? MIKE BROWN: No, I still enjoy it. I'll keep enjoying it. I feel like I've got one of the better seats in the house, and I'm not even paying for it. So it's a good thing. I mean, Steph is just dynamic with the basketball. And if their game plan is to switch Rudy out on Steph from time to time, I don't know, we may see that again. I don't know. But Steph's ability to shoot the ball and his hesitations, every once in a while he'll glance and look at the rim. That's tough for anybody, let alone a seven-footer to try to defend with all of the space because of the shooters that we have behind him.

Q. Steph, you guys finished the last series at such a high level Game 4, did you think you were at that level, or was this maybe something you kind of got through? What did you think about the level of this game for you guys? STEPHEN CURRY: We picked up right where we left off. I think our defense to start the first quarter gave us a chance to settle in offensively and find our rhythm. We didn't really -- we weren't clicking with making shots early on. But our defense just really gave us an opportunity to kind of find that flow. And that's what you need in the Playoffs to really assert yourself and get the momentum on your side. Eventually we started to make some shots and open the game up. Our second unit, the unit that starts the second and third quarter did a great job defensively. Forced them into tough shots and started those quarters off great too. So all-around great effort. Q. The Jazz obviously like to slow it down a little bit. Do you feel like you guys dictated the pace of this game? STEPHEN CURRY: Yeah, we did that with not turning the ball over. We only had seven turnovers tonight, and if you take me out of it, we only had three. So that is huge for us to win the possession game against a team that loves to slow it down, and you're methodical on offense. We had to value each possession offensively on our end, make them work, but not give them any freebies. I think I could do a better job, as a team, we could do a better job of that tonight. Q. Kevin, Gordon Hayward had a great series in the first round, but you held him to 4 of 15. What were you able to do to shut off his game for tonight? KEVIN DURANT: He's an All-Star, so you’d expect him to come back next game very aggressive. He missed some shots tonight. I think we did a good job of putting bodies on him and making him shoot over and contest. He's a great player. Some of those shots might go down next game, but we can't get discouraged. We've got to continue to do it together. It's a great team effort. Q. You had the highlight of the night spinning Gobert around there. I know he had the knee trouble in the last series. Was that part of the game plan trying to get him isolated on the perimeter tonight? STEPHEN CURRY: We wanted to try to get him out of the paint because that's where he's most effective. He's protecting the rim. So if you can get him out on the perimeter and try to get him to defend pin downs or pick-and-roll situations. Honestly, we didn't have many iso situations going in. It's just the way the game went. But obviously his strength is to protect that paint. So if you can get him out and make him guard some guards and some wings and try to make him uncomfortable in those situations, I think it's to our favor. Q. I'm wondering how much spark you think transition gave you guys tonight? And in particular, I'm wondering what you thought of the play where Draymond was able to strip Hayward? I think you finished that with a dunk off the long pass? KEVIN DURANT: Well, it all starts with the defensive side of the ball. You get stops and rebounds, you can run out. But if we're taking the ball out every time, it's hard for us to get into rhythm in a transition game. So just getting stops. That play was a big play. I think we might have turned it over. But Draymond hustled back and got his hand on the basketball and just made an end-to-end play. Definitely got our crowd into the game. Q. Just what does this Game 1 win do for you guys as far as setting it up for Thursday? KEVIN DURANT: This gives us something to think about for the next game. We want to come out with energy. Game 2 is tough, especially a team coming in and trying to steal one on the road. So we can't be relaxed. Relaxed teams and happy teams get beat. So we have to come out with the same energy we had tonight and just take it up a notch. I know it's easier said than done, but we'll watch film tomorrow and see where we can be better. Q. Did you see Gobert twirl? What are you thinking when you see a 7'1" guy spin as you're making a move like that? STEPHEN CURRY: You just try to finish the play. Whether you see an opener and the shooter jumper or go to the paint and finish it under the rim, you just kind of make those reads and find a way to take advantage of that mismatch there. Thankfully I was able to finish. Q. Also, Chelsea was working on your ankle and you took your shoe off. What was going on there? Was there any issue there? STEPHEN CURRY: No, just routine maintenance I get down whether it's in the back or on the bench or in between quarters or whenever it happens. It's nothing to worry about. Q. Normally the formula to beat you guys is when you don't make threes. You only made seven tonight, but the game didn't seem like you were ever threatened. What did you guys have going since the three-ball wasn't working? STEPHEN CURRY: It started with our defense, but I think we found ways to move the ball and get good shots whether it's pin-down twos or swing-swings and driving to the basket. We're happy. We created good shots just by moving the ball and setting good screens for each other. Got up 29 threes and hopefully we'll make a few more next game. But the ones that we did create, and the shots that we did finish, all were promoted by our ball movement, and that's what we preach all year. Against this team especially, they're great defensively, so you can't get bogged down on one end of the court. They feed off of that, so make them work, make them move side-to-side, and make them make decisions defensively and it should work out.

Q. Draymond, what can you say about the job that the defensive unit did in the start of the second quarter and the fourth quarter? DRAYMOND GREEN: That was huge. Just being locked in on the defensive end. We really turned defense into offense, and that's what we've been talking about leading up to this series was just trying to push the pace and really using our defense to do that. That second unit did a great job of that. Guys came off the bench ready to go, and it helped turn the game for us. Q. Your three-point percentage this season dropped from 38 to around 33, but in these Playoffs you're 13 of 25 in five games. How is your three feeling? How frustrating was the drop this season and how is your three feeling right now? DRAYMOND GREEN: It was pretty frustrating. I had games where it felt good and just didn't hit them, and then I had -- early on in the season my shot didn't feel good at all. I just really didn't feel used to a ball. As the season went on, I kind of feel like I was getting the rhythm back, and then all of a sudden it felt good, but they weren't falling. So I knew it was going to come back. My guy Travis Walton has been out here with me since a couple weeks before the Playoffs and we've been in the gym every day. I've gotten that confidence. Riding high on the confidence, but also just that feel, the rhythm. I've been in a great rhythm and my teammates found me in great positions. It's up to me to knock them down. Q. Near the end of the season Steve said you need stakes to play well. You couldn't play meaningless games. Seems you're particularly locked in here in the Playoffs so far. What about the playoffs how do you change during the Playoffs? DRAYMOND GREEN: This is the best time of the year. Every game matters. Every single possession matters. I love to play that way. When you're just out there playing and it doesn't mean anything, and whether you're good or bad, it does not matter, it's kind of boring to me. But every possession matters in the Playoffs, every little detail. I love playing that way. The stakes are higher. You're chasing a championship. That's the funnest time of the year for me, so I'm always excited to be in this time of year and try to play my best. Q. How hard was that shove from Gobert? Did you sell it at all? Did you sense frustration on his part at that time? DRAYMOND GREEN: No, I really didn't need to sell it. He pushed me pretty good. But, I mean, life goes on. I don't know if it's frustration or what it is. It really doesn't matter to me though. I actually try to get the refs to just play on and let's just go. But they did their job, and came up with a Flagrant 1, but really it means nothing to me, honestly. Q. Gordon Hayward played very well in the fourth round, and he was 4 for 15 from the floor. What was key to his defense? DRAYMOND GREEN: You know, it was just trying to keep a body in between him and the rim. Not give him anything easy and make him take tough shots. I think we did a great job of that tonight. But it's not just one guy. Klay did a great job of guarding him. When Kevin was on him, he did a great job. Andre, and even Zaza and David pushed off of him a couple times and did a great job. It's important, just like I said, try to make him take tough, contested shots. The same time, he can hit those shots. So your job as a defender is just to get a contest. You get a good contest, you did your job, and hopefully we'll get the results like we did tonight. But you can't expect to held him to 4 for 15 every night, and 2 for 9 from three. He also missed some easy open ones that we got lucky on. Q. Only six or seven turnovers tonight. Was that concerted, and how big is that? DRAYMOND GREEN: It's huge. We always said we can win the possession battle, you know. Just get a shot at the rim. We have enough great scorers. Guys who shoot the basketball enough playmakers, that if we can just get a shot up, I like our chances. Tonight we did that with seven turnovers. Matching a playoff low for this franchise is huge. Obviously coming off the layoff, if you will, you would think it usually takes a while to get that rhythm and it's usually a little sloppy. But that says a lot about this group, a veteran group to stay locked in and dry to keep those turnovers low. Because if we can do that, we have a great chance of winning.

Q. Those two runs at the beginning of the second quarter and fourth quarter that really changed the game. What was that, and is there anything that you can do to get that bench play going a little bit better? QUIN SNYDER: Yeah, think one of the things about Golden State is just how quick they think. Just mentally, they're able to get, not just from possession to possession, but within a possession. During that time, I felt like that was on display. They changed ends quickly. They back cut. I'll just have to look at the film, but I thought they just were smarter, yes, but just more urgent and quicker thinking, more reactive. If you have those moments where you're not urgent enough, they just punish you for it. And that's to me, there were a lot of things in transition defense, not finding Klay Thompson in transition, lot of things like that. But that's kind of the common theme in my mind is how quickly they think. How connected they are. Q. Obviously, tough shooting there for Gordon. Was that just them taking him out defensively or what did you see from him tonight? QUIN SNYDER: I think both teams can shoot better. I didn't feel like Gordon was hesitant to shoot. There were a couple he didn't make. They did a good job trying to limit his looks. But the couple clean ones he got, he was making those, and I would anticipate him making them. There's more there than that. Shooting is a little bit of an equalizer, but we were outplayed. Q. You talked about not being able to find Klay Thompson in transition. How costly were those rushed turnovers in the first half to let the Warriors get out and run? QUIN SNYDER: Constantly. It's hard to overcome those. I mean, you can, but you've got to play really well. There was pressure on you all the time. So you're going to have a breakdown in basketball. People make mistakes. You just can't have them consecutively or that many of them. During that time, I mean, he's a great player. If you give him space and opportunities, he'll make you pay, and he did. Q. Can you just talk about usually you have one or two guys that step up and play well like Joe or Gordon. But tonight you just didn't have anybody. Leading scorer only had 13 points. QUIN SNYDER: Yeah, they're, you know, one of the top defensive with the top or second best defensive team in the league for a reason. They switch a lot, they switch a lot of pick-and-rolls. They switch a lot of screening actions. It gets back to what I was saying about how quickly they think and connect. So if there are windows where you're open, they cover those. Those are moments, and you have to be very, very ready to make plays or it gets harder. So, hopefully we'll continue to get more aware of that and get better at attacking that. Sometimes good defense has as much to do with anything. Give them credit. They're a terrific defensive team, and we've got to be better offensively to attack them.

Q. Talked about how much of a defensive team they are. But did it ramp up, do you feel like in the playoff game versus what you've seen in the regular season against them? GORDON HAYWARD: No, I think it was very similar, kind of what we expected. We just didn't execute like we wanted to tonight and missed some shots. So definitely not the way we wanted to start, but just one game. Have to figure something out and be ready for the next one. Q. Gordon, they had a significant advantage in the fast-break points. Was that more of a reflection of the 14 turnovers or an inability to stop them on the transition? GORDON HAYWARD: Yeah, I think a lot of it was just our offense, whether it was missed long shots that led to the break or turnovers, like you pointed out, they were really good in the open court and capitalizing on that. So we're going to have to be better. Q. The Warriors throw so many different looks at you, how difficult is it for you to adjust on the fly during the game? RUDY GOBERT: It's a very good team. You know they can shoot and they can move the ball pretty well. So just try to execute the game plan and make them make the toughest shots possible. Q. You got switched out on Steph a couple times tonight, and one occasion actually from the basket. What's going through your mind when you're in that position against him? RUDY GOBERT: We're just trying to make them drive. That's been our thing. Just trying to make them drive and make him hit a tough shot at the rim. That was the goal. He's a very good finisher, so just trying to make it tough on him. Q. Gordon, coming off that tough seven-game series and a slow start a little bit, how much did it have to do with fatigue maybe? GORDON HAYWARD: Yeah, I don't want to blame it on fatigue at all. I think they just came out firing and knocked us back a little bit. So, I don't think it has anything to do with fatigue. We'll be ready to go. Q. How frustrating can it be playing against Draymond Green where he's poking away steals and doing some of the stuff he does defensively and letting you guys know about it at times? GORDON HAYWARD: I'm not too worried about it. Trying to focus on executing our game plan. You know, he's a good defender and, you know, he's going to have -- they're going to have some steals, we're going to have some turnovers, but I'm not too worried about any of the other stuff. We're just trying to execute, like I said.