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NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: CAVALIERS v HAWKS


May 24, 2015


Mike Budenholzer


CLEVELAND, OHIO: Game Three

Atlanta Hawks111
Cleveland Cavaliers114


COACH BUDENHOLZER:  I'm very proud of the way our group competed.  They gave us chances and opportunities, and if we compete like that every possession‑‑ that's how we're built.  That's the character of our players, and we'll expect the same thing going into Game 4.

Q.  Bud, I'm just wondering your thoughts on Al's ejection.  Do you think he should have been thrown out?  And kind of how the team responded after that.
COACH BUDENHOLZER:  I'll answer the second question first.  I think the team responded well, obviously competing and giving ourselves a chance.  I think Al is very, just like all of us, proud of the effort of his teammates.
I've looked at the play, and officiating in our league is very difficult.  From the replays, for me, it's somewhat difficult to see whether his elbow hits the shoulder first or hits the head first.  If he hits the shoulder first, then I think it's not something that's an action that deserves ejection.  If he hit him in the head, then it's an action that deserves ejection.

Q.  With LeBron starting 0‑for‑10 and them shooting only 31 percent, I think, early on, what did you say to your team?  Even though you were up and could have had a bigger lead, didn't really extend that lead when they were struggling.
COACH BUDENHOLZER:  I mean, it's the playoffs.  It's going to be difficult.  I thought our defense was excellent.  We wanted to maintain our defense.  If we took care of the boards, it would give us a better chance to either extend or maintain a lead.  That's the challenge every night, every game.  Of course, we'd love to have a bigger lead, but we were pleased with our defense, and we were pleased with where we were at that time.

Q.  Coach, before the game, I asked you about Jeff Teague.  How do you think he responded during this game?
COACH BUDENHOLZER:  I thought Jeff was great.  His aggressiveness, his ability to get in the paint, make plays in the paint, make a few threes.  He was very good tonight.  A lot of good plays by Jeff.

Q.  Coach, forgive my tardiness.  You may have already answered that question:  What was your vantage on the Dellavedova‑Horford play, and should Horford have been ejected?
COACH BUDENHOLZER:  I've already answered that question.

Q.  Just wondering why Pero Antic didn't play until the final minute of the game?
COACH BUDENHOLZER:  You're always having to make difficult decisions with who plays, and Pero has been a huge part of our team and our success.  It's great to have him there ready.  I think with Mike Scott, it spreads the floor, gives us more three‑point shooting, and I felt like that was important.
Pero's ready, and we will use him whenever we feel like it can help us.

Q.  You used Schröder and Teague pretty readily as a backcourt combo.  Dennis didn't see much time tonight.  What was your thinking?
COACH BUDENHOLZER:  Similar.  I think that the ability to make some shots and some perimeter shots and just keep him spread out, play with a little more movement, ball movement, motion.  I thought Shelvin played well tonight.  So we justkind of went with Shelvin.  Jeff played a lot.  So it's just in‑game decisions.  You have to make hard decisions like that.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports




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