Kevin Durant, Devin Booker x Coach Williams React To Suns GM5 vs Nuggets | May 9, 2023

Say that again. Well, we didn't get off to a great start either. I thought the start. Um, set the tone for them. And then in the third quarter, it was nothing like we've put on the floor this year from our standards, translating, um, all the stuff that we built up going into halftime into the third quarter. Um, but I just felt like we played with great pace the last two games. They nullified that with physicality and we just, we stood still a lot tonight, didn't move them around enough. Um, and it started in the first and then in the third, they upped it even more. And, um, we didn't handle it as well as I believe we can. Well, one, we got to get more movement. We got to get the ball first. We gave up offensive rebounds to start the game. Um, once we got the ball in the second quarter, you could see one, we could defend better, but we were out in transition and playing and flow. Um, but we have to move them around a bit more than we did tonight. I thought we were somewhat stagnant, um, especially when we were playing in our pick pick action, which most teams called double drag. Um, they tried to keep it on the side and we stood a little bit so we can fix that. But we got to meet the challenge with the physicality. Yeah, I think he's okay. He had like a sore foot. Um, but we wouldn't put him back out there if we didn't think he was okay. Say that again. Well, we got down so early. I understand what he was thinking. He probably felt like we needed to, you know, we needed a boost. Um, so we just have to figure that out. I think our poise wasn't at the level that it should have been tonight because we had it in the second quarter and all we did was chip away from a defensive perspective and then it made the offense easier. I thought in the 1st and 3rd we tried to win the game with our offense only and you could see 35 and 39. That's nowhere near the standard that we we look forward to when we put our defense on the floor with those 74 points. What did you seek it away from you guys? They just moved us around a lot. Um, the screening action for yo kitchen to the pick and roll. That was something that, um, we didn't handle well, but we gave up back cut after back cut tonight. Probably more in this game than all the other games combined. I mean, kind of sort of. I mean, with the three ball, you can make a run in the league and you know, it was around 20. I felt like if we could get it to 15 14 with 89 minutes, then you feel like, you know, you can make them a bit nervous. We just couldn't get it around that that point total and with a bit of rhythm, you know, sometimes you can get it to a certain point total, but it doesn't feel right. And tonight it just didn't feel right. Just looking for a jolt. The beginning of that third was not good at all. So we're just looking for one spacing on the floor and to, um, just some solid play. I didn't think we were solid and organized. We had a lot of self inflicted turnovers tonight that, you know, gave them the ball and, you know, they they score. It doesn't seem like they scored a lot, but it seemed like momentum plays every time we turned it over. So we can correct these things so we can get back to one. We got to win when we go home so we can come back and I thought a lot of what they did was to make everything tough on us. Um, they ran two or three guys that Kevin and book tonight, and so that that can be hard. That means other guys gotta be able to knock down shots. I thought Terrence, um, he had a few, but we just didn't get enough production on the backside of our our offense to help Kevin and book. Um, but they tried to bottle him up and keep him on the sideline tonight, and we just didn't respond to that. Well, it's probably the same for everybody. And I mean, ask him. He's laughing at the question. You should probably ask him. It's probably the same for everybody. I mean, he's physical. He, you know, he pushes you under the basket. He's got great touch and he can pass and he can shoot the ball. So not many seven ft 2 80 guys can come off of pin downs and knock down jumpers. So that that's a challenge for everybody. Poise. You have to have a level of mental stamina in the playoffs. You know, you lose a game. It happens. You know, you have to keep your level of poise at a productive level so that no matter what happens on the floor, you can always run your stuff or rely on your defense. I thought that they had a momentum plays tonight that changed our poise or their physicality got into us a bit tonight, and we just didn't have the, um, the normal mental stamina that it takes to hang in there. So you have a chance to win a game. Just what I told you. It's just, you know, Chris did it a couple times, but I felt like in the first quarter when we got down, you could see her faces weren't as strong as they typically are, and they have to remind the guys that it's a long game. And then we did the same thing in the third. But give them credit. They did a lot to nullify our pace tonight. We just didn't play with the same organization that we had been playing with. Look, I'm just the league has to figure out all that stuff, man. There's just too much silliness going on in the NBA when it comes to that. Everybody does it, and this should be like a written rule that you shouldn't walk over to somebody's huddle. But everybody in the league does that. It's kind of silly. Yeah, you know, we have all the answers to the test now. Um, so all the game plan stuff comes out the window. It's just a dogfight. We have to be ready to go. It's about like, well, things clicked into place on offense and defense for you guys. But how difficult is it to maintain in the playoffs, especially going home? Um, you know, for me, I try to not play too much into that. You know, I like playing on the road, too. You know, I enjoy that. So, you know, I think typically role players play better, you know, at home. So, you know, just trying to limit those guys. I think Bruce Brown had it going today. 25 points. Michael Porter hit some early ones, and I think that 20 transition points in the first quarter. So, you know, that's tough, tough to deal with. You said what? Yeah, I mean, I've been in here a couple of times now. And, you know, I love it. You know, like I said, every game has its own character. Every game has its. It's just every game is its own movie, its own own different preparation and everything to go with it. So, you know, we're gonna watch over film, see how we can be better for Game six. At times, it felt like you guys were trying to overcome Yeah, I always say our best offense is, you know, when we're getting stops and getting out in transition, have, you know, cross matches and are able to play fast. You know, but once we slow it down, you know, it allows defenses to do their game plan. And, you know, even if we make a shot, it's usually a tough one. This is working his way. I have no idea, man. But, you know, that's not that's not the one to rush. You know, I had the same incident here in Denver trying to come back early for that one. So, you know, it would be nice if we could have held it down for him tonight, but that's over. And, you know, I haven't really checked on him. I don't know if he's ready to go at full tilt yet, but I see him out there shooting and getting ready. What did you see on the sideline? The sideline steal? And how did you feel right after? Uh, which one? Uh, third quarter, you went from, like, left sideline, right half court to go for the steal. Everybody's dealing with something, man. You know, it's that point of the season. Um, so it's a little bruised. I'm trying to win the game, you know, just whatever, whatever it takes at all costs. Um, if it's not scoring, defending, if it's not defending, leading, being a vocal leader, putting everybody in the right spot. So, you know, it might not be 40 some on the best shooting percentage, but, you know, anything to get it done at this point is what I'm trying to do. I have to look at it again. Um, I liked him. I think, um, you gotta get credit to Denver. They came out and made shots to start at third. I think, you know, we're gonna come out and start the game with energy. I like how we fought back and got back to the game, took the league, got up one or two and they made shots. They made timely shots after that, but we're down three going into the half. Um, started third quarter. They just, they just got it going. They made shots and a little bit of both. I'm in making shots. We got out transition. They got some easy baskets, so we gotta give him credit. Yeah, I mean, we want to, we want to, yeah, I mean, try. We want to see the ball going around, especially when you're struggling and shooting the ball and down 10 11. You know, you want to get that. You want to get it all back. But I think, like I said, in the second quarter, we held in the 17 points to the solid job. We get back into the game with our defense. So coach was right. We lean on defense and we can't make shots. So we're struggling a bit. And, uh, tonight we didn't lean too much into it, you know, as much as we're supposed to. Um, but you gotta give Denver credit to the box for after game four. You saw the 19 shot attempt for you. You said that you like that number. It represents you being in the flow of the offense. You were 16 at half. Did you feel like you were pressing a little bit too much? Uh, I wasn't even thinking to be honest. I mean, I just wanted to help close the lead. I feel like I got better looks there in the second quarter. Uh, starting all slow. I think I went for 81 for nine. I started the game off. I like how my teammates had my back throughout that, and I was able to get it going there in the second quarter to help out. So yeah, it's just all about helping out and playing and taking each possession at a time. And, you know, obviously want to make every shot I take. That's just my mentality. But, uh, I definitely could have took a couple better ones there in the first quarter. Absolutely nothing. I don't think it was anything serious. Uh, they were excited. They were up big, and we was trying to draw some stuff and you know how that goes. So I don't think it was nothing. It was nothing. I was just about going out there and playing every possession like it's your last. Really, you know, we've been seeing this team for five games now, and they've seen us. And so it's all about who wants it more. Is there anything that I'll just keep stuff simple and play hard, man. Just try not to complicate it too much. It's a basketball game at the end of the day. So go out there and play as hard as you can. Stay disciplined with the game plan and let the chips fall where they may. So I'm excited for game six. No, I don't think so. I think every great player in this league is playing around the same amount of minutes as we are. But it's always a topic with me and him for some reason. But everybody's playing 40 plus minutes in the playoffs. Um, so we just gotta dig deep.