Los Angeles Clippers 117, Dallas Mavericks 97
Q. Your overall thoughts on some of the challenges Dallas presented and how you guys countered them throughout the series. Looks like their bench gave you a lot of trouble throughout the series. But you guys found ways, especially trapping Luka to make it difficult for them?
DOC RIVERS: Dallas, even though you never want to have a great opponent, they are the most efficient offensive team in league history. They are a hell of an organization. They have got a great coach and they have Luka and great scoring.
So for us, they presented all those challenges.
I thought we grew through the series. You know, a little bit of adversity early on was very good for us. We didn't have any of that all year. I look at that as good, positive growth. And then I thought our guys really started focusing in on the last two games, especially with the different schemes and time-outs. Rex and Ty did a great job, every time-out, we tried to show them a different look and I thought it was effective.
Q. How do you feel you guys are at, where you are in the second round, are you where you want to be at that point in the playoffs?
DOC RIVERS: It's hard to tell. We keep having these guys out. Hopefully we can get Pat back for Game 1 and we can get back to our normal rotations. But there was a lot of little guys. Kawhi was phenomenal throughout this whole series. I thought he was dominant and then PG picked it up greatly after the first two games.
But there's so many other little things that guys -- I thought that Marcus throughout was not only just a good player but he was an instigator. Zub had the playoff of his life. Sham and Reggie makes big shots. I liked how we looked in that way; that other guys contributed.
Q. Kawhi's performance in the second half today, 9 of 10 from the field but went beyond the shooting. How can you describe the way he helped you guys really close this out?
DOC RIVERS: You can tell he was the one guy that shoots to close out a series. He was calm. He got us in place. You know, during games you fall on a set and we fell on that low elbow set for him. We just took what was there. They didn't come; he scored. If they came, he made the right pass.
I said it before the game, I think I was talking to P.J. Carlesimo and I was telling him, the one thing I didn't know -- I knew he could pass and I knew he may be a good passer. I didn't know he was an elite passer, and that's something you don't know until you coach a guy.
Q. When you guys lost Marcus, JaMychal got a little opportunity there, and finished with plus 20 in 14 minutes.
DOC RIVERS: He was great. He was great. I mean honestly, we wanted to go back with him, but they stayed small, and so we just matched up with him.
But JaMychal has been our Swiss Army knife all year. You know, starts at the four. He started at the five. We've put him about everywhere.
Q. You touched on it a little bit, but to you, what are the best things that came out of the series for your team and what are things that maybe leave you a little concerned?
DOC RIVERS: Well, nothing concern, because everything that didn't work, we can get better. I think the adversity. I didn't think we played well, quite honestly, for the first three games, and yet we still were 2-1. You know, I thought we joined the series late. I thought our intensity joined the playoff intensity late. I thought our execution gradually got better.
So what came out of this that I loved is you could tell by the end how much our guys valued defensive and offensive execution. I don't think they believed it; that that's what you need during the playoffs, but I think Dallas got their attention for sure.
Q. You mentioned Marcus as an instigator and that being a good thing. Any thoughts on his getting ejected today and how that energy --
DOC RIVERS: Yeah, I don't think he should have been thrown out, but listen, I'm biased. I thought he made a play on a ball and he hit him on the head. It happens all game. I think it was a reputation throughout, but you've just got to live with it. I love Marcus's intensity. Yeah, he's a tough guy. He's not backing down and I love that.
Q. I'm curious, now that the series is over, what are your thoughts on Luka and just facing him in the playoffs at 21 years old?
DOC RIVERS: I think I was on board with Luka a long time ago, I think two years ago, his rookie year, I had a man crush on him. It's grown. He's just a terrific player. I love his toughness. We made it hard for him these last two games and he just kept going.
I was waiting for him to get tired, you know, but didn't. He just kept playing. Just crazy respect for him as a player. I love his play for the great joy, and I love that, as well.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports