Q. You guys play a really fast-paced game. Are you starting to feel like a physical limit to it or do you sense you're okay with it?
STEPHON CASTLE: No, I think we're fine. I think we're a pretty young team. That's probably our strong suit, is to use our youth and play fast.
Yeah, I don't think it really matters.
Q. Nothing compares to the Finals. In a way, spending the last couple years traveling around with the circus, with Victor Wembanyama, has that prepared you in a way for the attention here and the glare and the spotlight?
STEPHON CASTLE: I mean, yeah. I think so. Especially coming off the year I had in college, I was kind of around it, obviously being in the natty [National Championship Game]. Coming from that to playing with Vic, obviously a lot of eyes on us, even though we didn't have a great year.
Coming into this year, I felt like we came into our own. I don't think it's something that we're not used to.
Q. You know the history, no team that's ever lost first two games of a Finals at home has gone onto win the series. This town is ready to go crazy and potentially crown a champion for the first time in 53 years. What is the psychological play from you guys to stay encouraged as you move forward just trying to get one and maybe two?
STEPHON CASTLE: Yeah, I mean, at the end of the day it's first to four. I mean, at this point in the season it doesn't really matter whether you're playing at home or away, teams are playing their best brand of basketball.
Trying to figure out how to win basketball games is the most important thing.
I mean, yeah, going down 0-2 at home is something we definitely didn't want to do. Going back and watching it, those were very winnable games. I think the next two are very winnable games, too.
Q. You guys did a lot of good in that fourth quarter, then down the stretch didn't go your way, especially with Victor throwing the ball off your back. How long did that last play stick with you? Do you feel there were little things you could have down the stretch to change the result of the game?
STEPHON CASTLE: I mean, yeah. Probably stuck on me for the rest of that night, next morning. Once you realize the next game is more important at that point, you got to let it go.
I mean, I don't know what we could have done differently at the end of that game to pull it out. It didn't happen, so on to the next.
Q. That level of pressure, now bigger stage, what's it been like on a day-to-day basis, having all this on you guys, knowing everyone is watching, but this is exactly what you worked for?
STEPHON CASTLE: Yeah, I mean, like you said, this is what we worked for. This is the spot we dreamed of being in. We're here now, we're trying to take full advantage of that.
Like I said earlier, once you get past the fact that we're playing in the Finals, you're on this big stage that you dreamed of, it's still basketball. We got to lock back in and focus on our details and try and win the next game.
Q. You have a lot of people on the Spurs who have been to the Finals, Gregg Popovich, R.C. Buford. Did some of them talk to the team after the first two losses to try to give a message or help you rebound from those losses?
STEPHON CASTLE: Yeah, we talked to Pop before we flew down here. Pretty much his message was just let the last two games go. It happened. They were very winnable games. We feel like we gave them those games. We got to let those go and focus on the next one.
The next game is the most important game of the series. Try to come into that and win it.
Q. What's kind of the latest with your ankle? Have you had to do anything different treatment-wise?
STEPHON CASTLE: No, it's been feeling good. Yeah, I've been feeling good. It feels a lot better than I thought it would initially. Obviously I had some adrenaline running, kind of once I settled down, I started to feel it.
Waking up the next day, actually felt really good.
Q. Obviously the emotions of that last game was a whirlwind, it was tough. Saw a clip of Devin telling Victor to keep his head up. What are the conversations like internally for you guys after that in terms of just staying together?
STEPHON CASTLE: Yeah, I mean, like I said earlier. We feel like we gave them that game on self-inflicted mistakes. Not just talking about the last play of the game, last couple plays of the game. I feel like throughout the game we gave them life in areas where we could have took a lead and extended it.
I mean, yeah, we've always had the next-play, next-game mentality. We weren't able to close that one out. Like I said earlier, it's first to four. I think we're confident we can go get the next one.
Q. What was the biggest adjustment from year one to year two?
STEPHON CASTLE: Biggest adjustment? I think just trying to find things on the court that you're good at, not really chasing numbers or getting too high or getting too low. I think just trying to find the things you're good at and master them first. You realize what kind of player you'll be in this league very early.
I think if you just help your team win, regardless, and you do the things you're good at, you'll be successful.
Q. Wemby is obviously the face of this team. De'Aaron's leadership behind the scenes has meant a lot to you guys. What has he meant to you personally and what has been his message heading into Game 3?
STEPHON CASTLE: I mean, just being around Fox, he's a very confident person. I think the message that he tries to instill into us is always the next-play mentality, like I said. Right now we have to go win the next 48 minutes. I mean, that's pretty much what he's been preaching in our locker room for the last 48 hours.
Q. You guys proved to be a pretty resilient team, coming back from losses these Playoffs. How is that process basketball-wise to improve, to be better after a tough loss?
STEPHON CASTLE: Yeah, I mean, I think it's just human nature to come out with a certain sense of urgency, especially after a loss. I probably shouldn't go that way realistically. You should come out with that same urgency whether you win or lose.
Yeah, now being down 2-0, our sense of urgency is probably the highest it's been all Playoffs, especially it being the Finals.
Yeah, I think I'm ready to see how we'll come out next game.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports