Billy Donovan Postgame Interview | Golden State Warriors vs Chicago Bulls – 3.7.24

Billy Donovan Postgame Interview | Golden State Warriors vs Chicago Bulls – 3.7.24

Billy obviously you got you got a lot of different contributions from a lot of different guys uh down the stretch what stood out to you about the way you guys closed this one you know I think I think the fourth quarter uh the the totality of that certainly you know last night

You know obviously was well documented the emotions the frustrations and I think I talked a little bit about some of that stuff um you know after the game about what we can control and listen they’re a great team they’re whole you know they got a lot of guys back they’ve

Kind of gone through a year with players in and out so you knew that they were going to obviously respond they’re at home they know what it takes they’ve been down um and they were going to respond and and I think the part to me

That was was good for us is you know we really focused on kind of the next play and channeled our emotion I think in a very competitive way um you know the game got very very physical on the offensive glass there was a lot of pushing and shoving I thought it was the

The game kind of got deeper into the fourth we started to rebound a little bit better come up with a little bit you know better loose basketballs you know obviously dear’s shot making you know down the stretch uh the three-point play he got um I thought we got a little

Crossed up on Clay’s three um that put them up by one uh but I just felt like emotionally we kept collectively competing through the good and the bad Billy you mentioned dear but Vu as well just what what did it mean for you to get those two performances out of

Your two vets tonight especially like you said out of kind of a crafty veteran team that had stuff that had clay that had Chris yeah I mean Vu is so smart I mean I thought he played a great game all the way around he he gave us a

Presence in around the basket he was able to help us stretch the floor you know making the free throws late were huge a couple big threes you know that kind of gave us you know uh took away some of momentum that they had uh um but

He’s just a smart player V he knows how to space he knows how to pass he knows where to be um I think we could have done a little bit better job finding him in the middle of the defense in the pocket there you know those times when

We did do it a lot of good things happened but I I didn’t think we found him enough um but both when you have two veterans like Vu and dear you know they they’ve been in a lot of these situations I think they can help the

Younger guys um I thought their both of their demeanors were great um you know Demar made free throws last night made free throws tonight V made free throws so you know a lot of uh you know a lot of really great plays by both of them on both ends of the

Floor off that uh sorry off that Billy that you kind of just said about dear and things he can teach young guys about the way he goes at the end of the game just what what do you want maybe specifically Kobe and IO but like what

What things does zamar do late in the game calming guys down that we kind of s what does you do that you want players to take away well you know I think you know like one of the things that was good is like those guys you know even on

The court a little bit were having it out you know on on certain things and I think dear’s point was you know there was things that were working and the game kind of got a little bit chaotic and we kind of lost our way a little bit

You know we had some turnovers we had some ill advised shots and momentum changes quickly and you know it’s not even like listen he’s an elite closer and he’s an unbelievable shop maker but the other thing that he generated tonight I thought was he generated and

Put their defense in rotation so when he threw it out whether it be a or coob you know or Alex or Vu they were playing against Closeouts and that’s when we had some really really good ball movement opportunities I mean Kobe got a wide open three he missed it but those are

The shots you’re going to live with and it’s not going to I’ve said this before it’s not going to always be that dear has to shoot every shot it’s got to be different guys stepping up in different moments and I think Kobe and I have confidence in those moments I think dear

And those guys work really really well together uh but I think it’s probably more for those guy okay what’s how are we being guarded what’s open what’s available what what’s the spacing need to be and I think those are you know to have a guy like dear on the team he’s

Going to help those guys but I like the fact that Iowa and Kobe both play very aggressively and fearlessly you know you want them to do that and and I think you know with the with the compliment of dear who’s a like a master reading of the game and manipulating

Defenses those guys can all learn from that last one Billy uh I think in Sacramento it was Alex kind of forcing two bad passes out of time outs and late at least and yesterday tip balls and and and then tonight you know with with the the the Char the the offensive foul on

Draymond it seems like yeah it’s Demar is doing his thing in the last couple minutes of the game but Alex seems to make something happen defensively late every time that that that helps you in these clutch situations I mean he’s incredible um I think you need like a full compliment of

Of of players to that can kind of play to their own identity and what he does is so unique and there’s nobody on our team that does that and there’s probably not very many players in the league that do what he does right so he’s just so

Unique in his own way and the thing I admire and respect about him is like he loves that and a lot of guys don’t enjoy that they don’t enjoy the things that he does and he understands the things that he does one it’s it’s his identity it’s

What he’s carved his career out of and I think I’ve said this before you he was a point guard in college and you know that’s kind you know he had really good anticipation he was a good steel guy but he wasn’t a Defender he is now and I

Give him credit I think when guys get to the league they figure out how they smart guys really figure out how they can impact winning in the team and he’s really done that so you know you you get a compliment of the way Kobe’s played this year offensively you know isle’s

Emerging she got Demar and vuer are veterans Alex kind of is this guy that you can put him on basically anybody across the league and you know you’re going to get a great effort out of him and he’s going to do amazing things and you talk about making quick

Decisions those charges and loose balls and slap Downs I mean the decision making by him in those moments is is unbelievable it’s such quick thinking and and and it gives us extra possessions and there’s times it looks like he’s beat he’s out of the play you

Know it’s a deflection it’s a tip you know what I mean it’s a disrupted play and it’s it’s really amazing what he does Billy I know there’s a lot of games left 19 games um but the way you’re getting multiple contributions from multiple players the way you’re pulling

Out clutch games do you think this team’s finally starting to understand the urgency needed to close out this season and make a playoff run yeah I mean I don’t like we we’ve been through a lot I think I’ve talked about it um and we’ve had different guys in different

Situations um you know since the injuries you know Vu had five games Zach’s obviously done for the year Pat Patrick’s done for the year you know and you feel bad for those guys not being able to play dear missed some games but and then Tory’s been out we finally got

Him back right so you you’re like you’re trying to find your way a little bit and the one thing I think’s been really good is I think Kobe and I have really really been able to kind of come into their own as players and as verbal leaders and as

Competitors and I give Vu and dear and even Alex’s veteran a lot of credit for giving them an Avenue and a Runway to go do that and not to say that iow and Kobe have not worked hard take anything away from that they put all the

Work in but when you have because I’ve been around situations where it’s like Hey listen stand over there and don’t shoot I got this and dear’s smart enough V is smart enough to understand that we need the group so the emergence of that where we just like I said you know

Dear’s a great closer and he’s going to take the ball going to read the defense and you know last night he threw the ball to iow was a wide open above the break three late in the game he missed it you know we’re going to live with

That and I give dear a lot of credit for having a confidence and and and feel feeling strong enough about those guys development young in their career to want to help them and I think when you have that that’s always something that’s really really special with a veteran

Like that and V is the same way you know he’s trying to always help those guys thanks coach than you yep

We call that a STREAK!