Practice Media Availability | NBA Finals Podiums | June 12, 2025 | OKC Thunder

Practice Media Availability | NBA Finals Podiums | June 12, 2025 | OKC Thunder

specifically about the game three What do you think of As for the game four um feel like we have to get back to being who we are Uh you know especially on the defensive end being more connected Uh you know we have to close out possessions and then on the other side we have to take care of the ball and uh you know execute the way that uh you know execute to a level and the standard that that we expect from Marshalls You guys aren’t as connected as you’d like to be defensive What how does that show up for you um I’d say uh you know it can be a multitude of things It can be a different thing on every possession from uh being off of people’s bodies to uh not communicating through actions Uh you know not helping the helper having each other’s back on the backside not being at the rim when we need to help Uh not winning a close out Uh it can be any number of things And no game’s going to be perfect but uh we have to try and clean up as many of those instances as we can How do you guys usually follow up game when you’re not as good at uh we usually um make a point of it on film uh and show all the different areas that we need to be better and then kind of make those points of emphasis um you know coming into the next game to try and clean those things up Something about this game for how big is this for you guys because uh the the faces can make 3-1 in the series In the same time you guys can regain the important venue Yeah it’s it’s extremely important Every game is extremely important It doesn’t matter what the series uh score is Uh you know at the end of the day it’s it’s the first uh team with the four wins So uh it’s extremely important There’s no other way to put it uh you know we have a great opportunity here coming up uh you know to go out and win a basketball game and uh like you said take back home court advantage so you know we have to kind of understand uh the opportunity that we have and make a bunch of others there ability to kind of for quick take punch keep coming and then the fourth quarter they see sometimes that surprise you I wouldn’t say it’s surprising um you know that’s kind of been the I guess you could say their identity uh leading up to this series Uh you know it’s it’s what’s showed up uh in the games up to this point and you know we have to figure out a way to counteract that and um you know kind of change that and swing it in our favor Um because you know it’s not a winning formula to not be better than the other team in the fourth quarter you for sure having a quicker tighter rounds easting games like you have for game court change anything to your free pa something like that Uh I think it just uh it’s just different Uh with two days you have more rest but with one day uh you know you get to play quicker So uh I I guess it’s just kind of different after a loss like like yesterday that’s better on the port backer Uh I’d definitely prefer to only have to sit with a loss for one day rather than two for sure you know they’re a really good team They played really good Um you know we just got to respond to to the last game that we played Um you know we uh regroup we watched them and then we we saw some of the stuff we can get better at The fans how do you compare the fans from Indiana to the OKC uh OKC is the best one still I mean they they they were loud They were cheering for their team Yes for sure But uh OKC is the best for sure Going back and looking at the film a lot of guys are like there’s so many controllables that we can lean into going into game four What are some of those top top of mind control biggest one biggest one is taking care of the ball Um you know they are real aggressive Um you know their pickup points and all that So um we got to take we got just take our time and take care of the ball and then we do that we going to be in a good position You guys have Sorry Well you guys have done such a good job of responding throughout the entirety of this postseason what goes into that mentally for this group um regrouping I mean not every game is going to be perfect We’re going to make some mistakes and um you know we just got to regroup and then and see the stuff we can get better at which uh we’ve been doing a good job of of you know turning the page and then uh it’s going to be a different game Uh and then you know we going to be ready for the challenges TJ uh I mean he’s a big energy guy honestly um really smart you know he he’s in the right position you know to to to steal the ball a lot of time and he he plays at a a really good pace Um you know we just got to want to take care of the ball and then also stay in front of him I mean he’s a good player He’s going to make some good plays but uh you know we got we got good defenders to start So you got have to be more aware especially for sure I mean he’s crafty he’s smart um and he’s small at the same time Sometimes it’s hard to see to see him but um you know we just got to take our time and and see where he’s at to be able to take care of the ball Go ahead Which one do you describe as the the worst thing last night 19 or 18 points in the full quarter or using the same blanket I would say both Um yeah both Um you know we got to take care of the ball and then you know we we we got it stuck I mean 19 was a lot of points So um you know we got to take care of that and um playing defense against a guy like Teres yesterday almost a triple goal handling the the rhythm for for the guys How difficult is it or what can you describe play defense on yeah Uh he’s a good player has the ball a lot He’s going to make a lot of good plays for his teammates uh and for himself So our main job is to make everything tough Um I feel like he kind of got loose yesterday last night Um you know we just got to take care of that you know make everything a little more physical My last one about because I’m a fan of your business My last one is it more difficult to reach than the other ones the size of the handling or for you is the same You have to to do something for everyone Uh I mean it’s the same I mean every player is is different the way that u their style style of play but uh um the preparation is is the same you know watch film see the stuff that I can do to or he can do the stuff with the main guy like that and then um you got to do it on the court It seems like sometimes um Shay and Andrew can get spicy with each other a little bit I’m not asking you to gas up an opponent but you know him as your countryman but is it about them part um I guess you the junction to try to really go at and stay with the MVP yeah he’s a he’s a competitor Um got to give it to him I mean he’s he’s been like that since high school That’s not new but uh you know if he takes a challenge every time and then he’s a he’s a tough player and then knowing that he’s going against the best player in the league you know he’ll give his best shot and then give a lot of credit to him Luke do you think that having just one one day in between game three and four can help you guys let’s say respond fire you guys up to to have a chance to respond right away uh honestly I don’t think it really matters I mean the game plan is still the same if we have you know two days three days whatever days off between the games but yeah the game plan is still the same and then you know whenever it’s game day we’ll be ready to go Did you describe the finish from the team right now in the locker room i don’t know and then disappointed concerned reset Um I don’t think we’re ever concerned I think it was more we rewatching the film there was a lot of stuff or we just didn’t which be who we are It’s my fault literally we just weren’t who we are and I think um yeah I think they they took that game I mean yeah we didn’t control a lot of stuff that we could control but um they did a good job of just kind of playing more how we play and and yeah we just got to get back to our stuff The 18 points for quarter the 10 turnovers between Shay and Jaylen the turnovers in general which one should be the first adjustment for tomorrow um I mean again just coming out being ourselves I think that’s that’s a bigger thing I think we came out we we started off good but I think throughout the game you saw that it was a little loose I think there was times where we weren’t defensively playing our game and then I think I think this was like the first time uh throughout the playoffs that a team had more um mean that we had more turnovers than another Yeah So um again it’s all controllable stuff and I think that’s that’s where you’re up optimistic where it’s like hey if we change these things um we get back to where we want to get to My last one um you’ve been here before remember two tied again kind of 32 You’ve been these situations is you never lost two in a row especially in Kyos Is that the the sense of first have yeah we’re going to have a sense of urgency for sure I think that’s that’s the kind of group we are That’s the organization we are And so um if we’re going to come out and be ourselves you know we know what we need to do Thank you A lot of people talk about the atmosphere in Oklahoma with the Thunder fans How was for you guys here with the Facers fans with the same atmosphere uh it was good I mean it was good I mean I think um I think especially as a player sometimes you get into get into the game you’re so in the present moment that you kind of just blend it out Um to me OKC have the best fans uh in the playoffs so far So uh I think it’s always it’s hard to hard to be better than that but again um in the end it’s a basketball um basketball state and so I think they did a great job Isaiah is it kind of nice to be able to play this game tomorrow versus have two days off in between last week yeah I think we were talking about like we’re it’s a lot better just to get to it I mean I think we’re excited um excited to get back to it Um again looking back at that game there was so much that we could have done better M and I think that’s that’s where your confidence kind of comes from where it’s where some games where it’s like you just lost that game you couldn’t fix anything but you looking back at that game there was so much we could fix if it’s from turnovers um turning them over I think we just didn’t do a good job of doing what has been has made us great all season You guys have done a great job of responding after losses like this and coming back all season long What is it about this group mentally that you guys have been able to do that so consistently i think we all have that same mental mindset of um we try to stay in the present moment Um push our emotions aside but then also come in with that little little edge to us Again you’re going to you’re human You’re going to have emotions after the game I don’t think anyone was satisfied or happy after the game but now I think we we’re back to back to zero and um yeah you’ve won in tough environments before Denver Minnesota Memphis Now that you gone through it from game three does it help you at all going into game four kind of what to expect yeah I mean again I think I think yeah atmosphere is always good but as a player you get so like I said before in the present moment that kind you kind of just like blend it out So I think it was more just it was more on us not executing what we needed to do that rather than a atmosphere type of thing So um again they had great fans here but I think as a player you blend it out at times you know how the game wanted wanted to be and and how the game wanted to flow and um you know I think that was apparent just with you know the runs that they when that they went on when they played well were you know 9 10 12 point runs and ours were like six seven point runs So um I think that’s probably the thing that stood out the most Alex Kel you’ve been in this position in one down You tied the series in one final Which one you should say should be the one two first just before tomorrow yeah I think just the the competitive greatness for this team has to be an alltime high You know to be able to go on the road and win a game um is a difficult thing in the playoffs but especially you know being down and staring um 3-1 down in the face You got to you got to really get your mind right and get get ready for the the preparation that it’s going to take to go out there and compete for 40 minutes and get the win It’s easy to handle this situation between Shay and Jay and they lost the ball to turn turnovers 10 between them It’s weird Um it’s easy to correct that talking about them Yeah I I’ll have to go back and actually look at the actual turnovers I’m not sure where they where they came from in the specific plays but yeah I think I mean I think that’s an abnormal game for them I think you know their norm all year has been to take care of the ball and to get us great shots in the team So yeah I expect them to find that form And my last one very quickly did you surprise when you were playing the game with the level of intensity of their defense no I thought like I said I think there were stretches where we you know kind of dominated the game and played the way we wanted to you know particularly on the defensive end Um I think that you know they just did a better job and maybe that’s you know coming back home they had a little more juice a little more pop Um but I think for the most part you know I think we did when we did what we wanted to do when we executed how we wanted to play it was good for us Alex um you know obviously you were the only one with NBA Finals experience on your team and besides the obvious five years ago the bubble versus now um what would you say uh has the experience of being in the finals kind of been similar to what you felt in the bubble or has it been completely different yeah I think I think the real difference is just that like I was in my I was in my third year in the NBA and and two of those were two-way So like I was still learning a lot at the time whereas now I think you know um like that was my first playoff run That was the first time I’d been to the playoffs was ever won a championship So um I think going through a couple of seasons in between that and losing the playoffs losing getting to the playoffs and now here you know being on this this stretch run again and getting here and having a chance to win it Um just my knowledge of the game and my understanding of the situations you know like I relied a lot on the veteran team that we had the year we won the championship and we had multiple guys 10 15 years in the league That’s it’s an astounding number So um I think being on the other side of that now being the guy who’s had the most experience and and you know trying to give the guys the you know the right mindset and the right course corrections um is probably the biggest difference What makes them such an effective defense yeah I think it starts with their offense you know I think they do a good job of putting teams behind the ball putting teams um in actions where they’re they’re chasing and maybe not influencing And then you know from there they usually get good shots and efficient shots And even then if they’re not they they have you moved around to where it’s not an easy it’s not it’s not the same scenario where you’re breaking out Um some of that also is you know they do a good job of getting back and loaded to the ball just a couple times last night and bringing it up Um and there’s a guy on each gap and there’s no there’s nowhere to really you know find a crease early in the possession But um yeah I think it probably starts with with their offense and you know people not influencing enough on what they’re doing Yeah guard him better Uh that would that would be a good start Don’t give him the ball 90 ft away from the basket on on offense Um TJ played you know the way that he plays last night and he he impacted the game I’ve seen that from him for you know a number of years now Um we know we know what the scout is on him and he does a good job of finding ways to impact the game still Um but yeah I think just you know keeping him out of the paint and then obviously don’t throw the ball under the basket 90 ft Is he even more aware of where he is on the court yeah I mean at least in the scenarios where you know you’re taking the ball out because he does have those you know him and Jos Alvarado they have those those kind of sneaky ability to to come back and steal some of those inbounds passes Um but but that’s for the most part I mean that’s that’s you know kind of his brain That’s his staple So um you know some of that’s just mental error on our part too It’s playing a little too quick Maybe you know take a second read the floor What makes you good at it even when you know that’s coming i mean like you obviously know know that on film when you’re playing TJ you know that’s the thing he does What makes him as effective at is even as everybody knows he’s gonna do it Well there’s a lot of stuff going on in a basketball game at the same time And if you go through a tough possession and then they make a shot and all of a sudden you know there’s three guys in the paint it’s a little crowded There’s a lot of stuff to look at rather than just like you know trying to find the one guy running the ball In game two Ben scoring was like the X factor that kind of helped in the victory Is that going to be like a priority that we see in game four because in game three maybe the rotations were like the French guys didn’t get as many minutes as they normally would in game two That be something that’s a priority in game four Um I don’t know that’s a mark question I don’t have control over how many minutes we get to play Um more of like the priority of scoring off the Yeah I mean that that’s kind of like we don’t have we don’t run set plays for most people on our team most people on our team we get set plays out of the actions and we get shots out of the actions and off of the uh you know the coverages of teams with you know engine guys So um some of that’s just the ball finding you like I think I only had five shots last game or the other game I had you know I got eight threes up just through the flow of the game Maybe I missed one or two that I could have taken last night but um for the most part it’s not like a concentrated effort to like make sure I get in the game of school or like waits get in the game of school or whoever it is um we do a pretty good job of letting the game tell us what to do after after the turnovers and how do you how quickly do you forget those two situations and do you sometimes feel have guilty feeling about the result of the game sorry what was the second question if you have guilty feeling guilty I mean anytime you lose you think about it play that you know could have gone a different direction um and that you were involved in a game that’s just normal for basketball If you don’t think about it like that then you’re probably not trying to get better probably don’t hold yourself to the standard that you need to Um but yeah in the game I mean that’s that’s the biggest thing with with basketball especially just because the possessions turn over so quickly is getting to the next one Um if you don’t do a good enough job you know getting over the the mistake or the turnover or the missed shot then you’re probably lingering into the next possession and now you’re rendering yourself you know in a bad position there So um that is a skill to get over and I think I think for the most part we have guys that do a good job of getting through that media practice in Thailand What is your mentality of playing defense um just trying to make it difficult for the other team Um I think the biggest thing is just you know having them play on your terms and being competitive and trying to win each position You have a lot of could you say anything to try yeah Tell them thank you for the support Yeah Thank you guys Appreciate it Hey Alex We talked to Chad about the off the court bonding that the team has done You said one of his funny or favorite moments is being on the plane and just all the focus of everything on the court What can you say about this team off the court and any standout moments guys behind yeah I mean it’s a tight-knit group Uh I think any team that gets this far in the postseason has to have that and I don’t think anybody really finds success in this league without having that And uh and I think that’s one of the things that you know makes navigating the regular season especially regular season but um you know postseason and difficult times is just being able to have guys that you know you can lean on that can you know get your mind off the game when you need to but also help you re lock in and focus on when it is Um and we got 17 guys that all enjoy doing that helping each other out Last question TJ walked into They might not assume that about you Yeah same But the fact that you guys have been able to affect these first three games Is it is it primarily about effort you know giving like we’ve talked about you sort of have to be protected from yourself because the effort that you want to give all the time and he obviously put a high level Is that the easy answer of why you guys are able to do this or are there other aspects that you know maybe go underappreciated positively yeah I think it’s a mix of both I think I think you know both of them I don’t think people know that me and him were on the same summer league team my first year in uh in professional sports We both played for the 76ers and that was the year that drafted Ben Simmons and um spent a lot of time with TJ and uh still you know friends with him today and I’ve gotten to see him grow his game develop figure out how to stay in the league And uh I I’ve done a little bit of that myself in and following those footsteps And you know one of the things that stands out a lot is obviously the effort but you know he he has you know the people in the league that are given this stigma of oh they’re just a hustle player and they play really hard It’s like to be in the NBA you have to be great at something You can’t be in the NBA if you’re not great at something And if you’re great at one or two things you probably have to have great hustle and play hard to make up for whatever the other areas are So you know him being a smaller guard that doesn’t shoot a lot of outside shots he has great speed Um he gets to the paint well He’s pesky on defense He finds steals and then you know he’s an elite competitor And uh I mean a lot of those things you know I I have a different offensive game than him maybe At least I’ve I’ve transitioned into that in my career But you know a lot of the other things that guys like us have had to do to get into the league Um you know sometimes that that stigma or that reputation sticks and people overlook you know the actual skill that we have to stay in this league Hey how you doing how are you so how’s it feeling this morning i’m feel good man How you doing good good good Is it time to reset how do you how do you describe the humor in the locker rooms for you guys um we know that this isn’t the last game you know so it definitely hurt for sure and we got to we got to get back to the 00 mindset and get ready for the next one Situation back on retired it should be similar Uh definitely like you said we’ve been here before so know we got to bounce back get the car back on the road Let’s ask the guys uh about the first adjustments for tomorrow Which one should be the turnovers because it’s weird that between Shay and Jayen they lost 10 balls So that that one should be the first one I know they play big defense because um yeah we all got to take care of the ball not just them two Um but yeah we we we turned the ball over at a high rate last game and you know we got to got to turn that over Talking with Aaya and Shaft they said the same thing You guys need to be yourselves to to should to tie the series specifically any point to be yourself to should to should the series Uh yeah our physicality wasn’t there um for a lot of points in the game Um our force wasn’t there for a lot of stretches of the game So just those those two alone is kind of you know who we are That’s our identity and we lacked that last game What makes them such an effective defense to score on a transition you just how much of a point of emphasis is it is it for you guys to score in the open floor against them uh it starts with us getting stops You know we we taking the ball out a good deal of the game So once we get stops it it um it gives us better uh transition opportunities How do you clean up the turnovers they were uncharacteristic especially on the inbound pass you know just what was was Indiana something that you hadn’t done before or just you guys just not focusing on the ball game um I I’d say it’s just us not being locked in you know we we haven’t made that mistake all year and you know yeah they they had more pressure and they were more they were flying around a little more but we just got to be more locked in Has their has their stamina surprised you at all how they see you when you get a little stronger compared as the team that was on they could take a punch in their work quarter was the season they’re starting to refresh that that’s does not surprise you at all uh not surprising at all you know we we’ve seen them do it all year um that’s what got them to this point here today so um no it’s not surprising from Tai you know you got lots of say to uh appreciate y’all for tuning You have to wake up early like sail back in the morning Yeah Too much Ah as well Thank you Saints Thank you Or um Alex obviously kind of know such a a high energy guy Do you think guys like him that are that way people sometimes overlook some of the other stuff about their Hanks uh definitely You’ve been a offensive threat for us this whole series as well um his defensive intensity on like I said his intensity on defense um might overpower you know the fact that he is a threat in the NFL as well What’s I mean the fact that he’s I mean you could come off the bench and have a big head too but fact that like last game he doesn’t have as big impact next bon I mean just how important he is to your team how would you sort of characterize DF and just the role that he plays it’s huge for us you know he’s always flying around always trying to you know make impactful plays and you know that’s just who he is we’re we’re leaning on him to you know be who he is and that’s disruptive So whenever he does that and he does it night in and night out you know he’s a he’s unbelievable piece for us This playoffs coach has talked about like winning the days between the games What’s like the biggest goal today going into tomorrow um getting focused on getting the car back on the road Um washing that last one out learning from it and just being ready to be better And if what’s it like coming from Pome Center playing here what was the atmosphere like in a you know uncharted territory to the ice um yeah I mean it’s a it’s a finals game so the opposing team definitely had their crowd going Um but yeah we got to we got to weather that storm uh handle that adversity and and just come out with the rain Aaron after just being able to go back watch over the film from yesterday how much of yesterday do you feel like were controllables that you guys will be able to repair and game for yeah I think a lot of it was um the little runs and spurts that they had um especially towards in that second half Yeah they took the lead in that fourth quarter Um a lot of things were just us um and and things that were kind of uncharacteristic of us um at certain points in the game Um and you’re not going to be perfect Um but we’ve got to do a better job just you know being who we are Um as many possessions as we can Yeah we don’t typically see that many turnovers from you guys Did you sense anything from Indiana’s defense that they might have done differently in game three there yeah I mean they just brought you know the physicality and and you know pressure um and we just kind of allowed them to to do so Um but like I said being who we are and who we’ve been all season um you know it was uncharacteristic just got to get back to um you know the way that we you know always played and you know had that force on a consistent basis So you just hinted at it but I keep seeing the stat about how your two losses in the finals have been the fewest passes thrown games by you guys like all season What do you think they’re doing that is causing that to be a sympto um I wouldn’t say there’s necessarily anything they’re doing I would say you know some part of their pressure Um it’s just kind kind of you know affecting in the way that we’re you know sometimes making maybe making reads Um but that’s more so in our control We’ve got to you know play at our pace play that we want play the way we want to play and play our brand of basketball which is um sharing the ball and and finding guys um to create good opportunities Aaron uh going over film what were some of the things that stood out for you um a lot of controllable things um turnovers um you know defensive lapses where we weren’t you know making the right um rotations and um you know winning you know the the coverages that we kind of had um and then offensively just execution wise um you know making it easy for each other to to find open shots and get good looks So um just some controllable things that we didn’t do great How did you see that change the way they attacked you when they had the ball offensively like seemed like they were trying to mix things up a little bit more in terms of how they came at you playing off the pitch a little bit Um like I said a lot of it was us and things we could control and I think we just allowed them to be too comfortable um and their comfortability allowed them to play um you know at their pace and and get to you know you know find their rhythm and play you know the way they wanted to play So um like I said it was more our control controllable thing So good at playing in front of like a great home crowd back in Oklahoma Was there anything like playing against a team that involves the crowd in their momentum that really surprised you uh no nothing that really surprised us Um you know the crowd was great Um and they were playing well Um and you know it makes a difference You’re not playing at home but um I thought we still were in a good position going into that fourth quarter Like I said some controllable things in the fourth quarter that we didn’t do a good job handling Um and we’ve got to be better with but um I mean yeah the crowd was great It It was nothing that you know completely affected us and kept us from winning How you doing this America how are you doing well uh it’s it’s in the in the same page right the linkage the 18 points in the fourth quarter the a lot of turnovers they they they did a terrific job on defensive end That should be the first adjustment for tomorrow Um yeah Yeah I mean for the game just got to be a little bit better Um like I said controllable things They were comfortable Um they played at their pace and they got to the things they wanted to get to Um and we just didn’t do a good job uh you know trying to make them you know have to play to something else Okay one more You’ve been in this position in Denver one two you tied was an ugly game but you tied and then you win and then you come back home etc How do you describe that feelings in the locker room right now with you with you guys um not phased you know ready for the next game Um it’s a series first and four Um like you said we’ve been here before so just got to be ready to go for the next game and and you know try to come out with a win Thank you Thank you Aaron Is there any benefit to the fact that you play tomorrow versus having those two days off in between games after a game like yesterday um less time to think about a loss Um but more than anything um I mean I guess just the anticipation you know you kind of have a feeling coming off of the game we just had where you know you’re ready to get back going you’re ready to play again and you’re ready to you know try to correct whatever it is that you know may may not have worked in your favor the game before Um so after watching film and you know having time to you know get shots and and just kind of talk about what we can do better um I think guys will be ready to go with shorter darn be you know highly anticipated for us TJ and Benedict had some really big games last night Just curious to know what your thoughts are on the whole role players to play better at home thing You put any stock into that at all uh I don’t know I think especially for like guys who aren’t first options for teams Um so much of it just varies on the game kind of the flow of the game and the rhythm of the game Um those guys came into the game and just kind of changed it and added a certain sense of energy Um but those are two great players who could do the same thing on the road if you allow them to So um I think it’s more so rhythm of you know the game And if you’re not that first option it’s it’s solely game to game You know it’s not always going to be set out for you to be great as you were Um but they were good yesterday We got to do a better job you know limiting them and not allowing them to be um as big of a factor as they were last night Say um you guys have had two day breaks but situation like this it almost good to be able to get back out there and play tomorrow Oh yeah for sure Um the quick turnarounds they help especially uh when you’re fresh off of a loss you know just being able to go out there and uh just take the game back again have opportunity to go out there and win uh play hard Um I I almost prefer like the one day in between rather than the two TJ and Benedict had big nights for them last night You hear the phrase role players play better at home all the time Just curious to know if you put you know stock into that what your thoughts on that are Um we know that they they’re a team that plays with everybody that’s out there on the floor Um I don’t know if it really plays a part being home or away Um we know that what they’re capable of and they they definitely had you know tremendous games last night Um and it it helped them get the win Uh so but we we do know that they’re very deep in their bench just like we are How do you guys feel about slowing down or rendering less effective a guy like TJ McConnell say that again How do you guys go about slowing down or rendering less effective a guy like TJ i think we just have to meet their force with a lot more physicality Um they were the hard-nosed team getting downhill Um basically just getting what they wanted on the offensive end I think we just have to take more pride on the defensive end Um from each and every guy you know just owning up and uh winning your matchup It was a big bench game for them yesterday What do you kind of attribute that to i mean you guys got out to that nine-point lead and their bench came in and really just stormed back Yeah just guys being ready Um they’re ready at all times Uh the same way we try to be ready at all times Uh we know that they like to play with um a lot of the guys on their bench And so they they made a difference in the game Um but you know it’s it’s no surprise we we’re here and they are here just like we are And so they’ve been able to do that for the course of the season for throughout the playoffs um to help them get to this point So we know that they’re capable of that What makes them such an effective defense in transition and just how much of an emphasis is it for you guys to get going and open the floor uh they really try to impose their will especially like picking up full being more physical Um I think we just need to attack that with more aggressiveness um and try not to you know succumb to that and play slow Um I think that that also comes with us you know being able to get stops and get rebounds and try to push in fast breaks Um but yeah whenever whenever they’re able to you know make baskets and pick up full they just kind of they try to slow us down any way that they can with that How important is Isaiah Harshan to you personally in this series um and then just generally for the team Uh yeah I mean he’s been a big piece you know ever since he’s been playing Um as far as like rebounding defense the stuff that he creates offensively his screening and all that Um I think everybody else on the team you know sees that as well knows that as well that he brings just more size whenever he’s out there on the floor Um more versatility Um and he he does a great job at

Hear from Chet Holmgren, Lu Dort, Isaiah Hartenstein, Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe as they speak with the media in Indianapolis at 2025 NBA Finals on the podiums.

0:00 Chet Holmgren
3:38 Lu Dort
7:44 Isaiah Hartenstein
12:14 Alex Caruso
22:49 Cason Wallace
27:47 Aaron Wiggins
33:32 Isaiah Joe

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