LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS MEDIA CONFERENCE

August 19, 2020

Doc Rivers

Postgame Press Conference

Mavericks 127, Clippers 114

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Doc.

Q. After Game 1 you talked about discipline defensively in the pick'n roll coverages. What did you think of it tonight?

DOC RIVERS: Really more just individual defense than pick'n roll defense. I just thought they got matchups. By the end of the game, everybody was a matchup. They were just looking us in the eye, taking us off the dribble, playing (indiscernible) basketball. They played together, moved the ball. I thought that stood out.

I think at halftime we had seven assists. I think our starters had two assists at halftime. I think we ended up with four assists from our starters. That's not how we've played all year. If we play like that, we can't win.

Q. How far would you say this team is from being the defensive team that you've envisioned them being in the post-season? How frustrating was it to see Paul get into foul trouble?

DOC RIVERS: It happens. Luka got in foul trouble as well. They responded when Luka went out. We didn't respond well with P.G. His third foul he just can't get, but it happens. It happens all the time.

We needed more from him offensively. But we got to get him in the right spots.

Q. The stretch in there in the fourth quarter when Luka goes to the bench, seems like there's an opportunity, yet their bench unit held you off. What went into that?

DOC RIVERS: I just thought their bench outplayed our bench and our starters. Between Seth, Bobie and Burke, I think they missed like three shots, four shots. Their percentage was insane.

A lot of it was just beating us off the dribble, making plays, running pick'n rolls, switches. Bobie played fantastic for them tonight. You just give them credit.

Q. This team knows how to score, and knows it. Does winning a game like this bolster their confidence and make them more dangerous?

DOC RIVERS: I think they were dangerous, pretty confident coming into it. They showed that in Game 1. We jumped on them and they came right back.

I don't think there's anybody getting more confident or less confident. I just think they're playing well. Honestly they're playing better than us right now. We have to pick our play up.

Q. You used played a 1-3-1, maybe a 2-3. Were you searching or was the plan to try all that?

DOC RIVERS: No, but we ran it all year. We come into the game thinking we're going to do a little bit of it. To be honest, they were just doing it to throw them off rhythm. They had such a great rhythm against us. Every single guy on their team had confidence with the basketball. They attacked us.

I just thought they were the more physical team. They played harder. They attacked us. We didn't respond well.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Doc.

DOC RIVERS: Take care, guys.