BASKETBALL: NBA: Los Angeles Lakers post-game reaction (Reaves, Redick)

beIN SPORTS MENA

Austin Reaves says his game-winner over the Timberwolves felt like redemption for the Lakers' playoff series

Transcript

00:00That one felt good.

00:01I mean, for obvious reasons we won.

00:04But last time we were in this building,

00:07I had a shot to tie it in the corner in the playoffs

00:10with game four and missed.

00:14Let me tell you, that feeling sucks.

00:17And we had a comfortable lead in the fourth.

00:20I wouldn't say comfortable.

00:21Nothing's comfortable in the NBA anymore.

00:23But we had a lead in the fourth.

00:25And they did a good job getting back into it.

00:29You know, take the lead with 10 seconds to go.

00:31And it's easy not to, it's easy to be, you know,

00:36down on yourself and frustrated.

00:38There were some plays in the fourth that I wish, you know,

00:40I didn't make and that I made, a couple turnovers.

00:42And just to have that opportunity to get us a big road win,

00:49obviously with a lot of people hurt, it's special, I know.

00:53But like I said out there, you know,

00:55we wouldn't have been in that position if it wasn't for,

00:57you know, everybody that, you know, chipped in tonight.

01:01You know, Jake was monstrous.

01:04I think that's the best basketball game I've seen him play

01:06since he's been in the league.

01:08But you could go down the list, it wasn't just him.

01:10And even though I struggled offensively, you know,

01:14putting the ball in the basket, you know,

01:17we didn't let that frustrate us.

01:18They kept hooping and they kept encouraging me to go do what I do.

01:23Even when they're playing, I put a big responsibility on myself.

01:26You know, there's, it's different responsibilities, obviously,

01:32because, you know, they do so much for our team.

01:34But when we don't have them, the responsibility changes.

01:37But it's not, I wouldn't say it's, physically it's a little more.

01:43But, you know, I'm always mentally trying to figure out how I can help

01:47with them, too, and without them, too.

01:50So it's definitely different in the sense of, you know,

01:54how I have to play and how I have to, you know, conduct myself.

01:57I can't get frustrated because, you know, at that time, you know,

02:01everybody's looking at me.

02:02And in those situations, you know, you have to, you know, be calm,

02:05be confident, and, you know, lead your guys through.

02:09Like I said, you know, they had a – we were up, I think, 10 or so,

02:13and they went on a run, and it's not hard to, you know, kind of crumble

02:17in those situations.

02:18But you've got to keep the energy high.

02:19You've got to keep the spirit high.

02:20But saying all that, everybody, not just them, too, please come back.

02:28I'll be honest with you, it wasn't much of an emotional roller coaster for me.

02:32I don't think it was for our guys, either.

02:35We executed against the zone.

02:36We got good shots.

02:37Had a couple, you know, offensive rebound, drop-off passes

02:42that we just bobbled around the rim.

02:44But we actually did a good job executing and missed some really good threes.

02:53There was no break in composure.

02:57There was no break in competitive spirit.

02:59There was no break in belief of whether or not we could win the game.

03:04You know, I thought – I thought the guys, those last two plays, because we – you know,

03:14they ran zone for four and a half minutes.

03:17So those last two plays, we – to drop two plays, one versus man, one versus zone,

03:22they ended up running man both times for us to get that execution, get it to the right guy,

03:27and create an advantage both times, really.

03:30You know, they – we had an advantage.

03:32Austin was easily going to race that and create a five-on-four or a four-on-three.

03:36So I thought that was huge from our guys.

03:39You know, we're – this is – I'm so proud of this group right now.

03:45Honestly, it's – from where we were, like, three weeks ago, where we're discombobulated

03:51and guys are missing training camp and guys are modified participants, we're starting to come together.

04:00And I've asked a lot.

04:03I've asked a lot of these guys.

04:05And I'm asking a lot of them while we're undermanned.

04:08And they're delivering.

04:10They're delivering.

04:11They earned this victory.

04:14That guy is going to show up in the big moments.

04:17I'm not surprised.

04:19He's done that many times in his career.

04:21He's done that many times since I've been his coach.

04:23I feel very comfortable with him making decisions at late game.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended