NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: LAKERS VS. NUGGETS

September 22, 2020

Frank Vogel

Los Angeles Lakers

Game 3: Pregame

Q. Second half, wondered what you saw on film from the Nuggets defense and your offense, just 10 points on paint and two fast-break points, a little bit atypical from what you've been. What did you notice in the second half?

FRANK VOGEL: You said it right there. We didn't run enough, and we didn't attack the paint. We were sloppy. When we did the paint, we turned the ball over, so we weren't efficient in scoring there. We had one of our worst finishing games of the year at the rim. But we've got to make sure we play with pace for four quarters.

Q. If you bake in the turnovers, 24 of them, were you able to treat that like a loss in the film session, if that makes any sense when you think about improvements you can make for Game 3?

FRANK VOGEL: Yeah, our guys are well aware that we dodged a bullet with having a game with 24 turnovers. Usually that equals a loss in the playoffs, also combined with fouling 30 times. Thirty fouls and 24 turnovers usually equals a loss. So we dodged a bullet and we've got to be better tonight.

Q. I'm asking, fully aware, that all the games you've been playing in the playoffs are in the exact same arena and city, but you're 4-0 on designated road games. Is there any difference in the feeling? Obviously different intros and I think the crowd noise is different. What's the experience like for a road game versus a home game down in that arena?

FRANK VOGEL: There's really not much difference. The other team's colors are flashing around us, but without the crowd, you don't really feel it.

You know, I did make sure our guys did whatever they needed to do to adjust to the altitude of playing in Denver tonight because Game 3, you've always got to account for that altitude. Maybe we don't have to account for it tonight in Orlando.

It's not much different. There's not much difference here. Your bench is on the other side, so it feels a lit bit different from that perspective. That's about it.

Q. Are you changing the starting lineup?

FRANK VOGEL: No.

Q. You're not?

FRANK VOGEL: No.

Q. Was there consideration given to that move?

FRANK VOGEL: Yes.

Q. How do you know, like how much is the right amount of a player like Dwight Howard, a guy who is really energetic and seems like in those shorter stretches of play at a hundred miles an hour, I imagine there's a threshold where he crosses over and is no longer to give that same energy. How do you kind of find that?

FRANK VOGEL: Dwight’s used to playing starter minutes throughout his career. I feel like we can get more from him. The fouls have been an issue. A couple of fouls weren't fouls last game, but you know, we've just got to make sure he plays with that energy without fouling. If he does that, we can get more minutes for him.

Q. Physicality, seems likes it's really mattered in these two games, obviously fouls notwithstanding, how important is that part of the game against Denver, to be the more physical team?

FRANK VOGEL: Well, we want to be a more physical team no matter who we're playing. That's been our mindset all year, and Dwight has really set the tone and led the charge for us with that. So whatever series we're playing where he's a factor, you know, he brings that element to our team. You know, certainly against this big team that we're playing against in Denver Nuggets, that applies to them, as well.

Q. I know you obviously don't worry about LeBron and what he brings, but some of his numbers in the series have declined, I don't know if you feel that he's getting tired at all down the stretch or if you're looking to manage his minutes differently so that he could be a little more fresh, if you see it that way?

FRANK VOGEL: Yeah, I don't really feel like fatigue has been an issue with that. He and I have great communication throughout the game. He's playing I think a career-low playoff minutes from what he's accustomed to.

But all our guys, we're always keeping an eye on the potential fatigue factor but I don't think that's been the case with him.

Q. You've been pretty creative in the way that you've used all four of your big men in this rotation against Denver and you had to implement different ways to either use certain guys, not use certain ones in Houston. I know you're in the middle of the playoffs, it's an intense time, but are those sort of puzzles that you solve enjoyable in the moment, like the sort of solving those riddles?

FRANK VOGEL: Somewhat, yeah. You know, I like the flexibility that we have. You know, bringing three different, potentially even four different waves of big men at Nikola Jokic is part of our plan with this series. You know, to give him different looks and to have guys that all have different skillsets defensively but also present different problems offensively. It's part of what I like about our team in this matchup, and hopefully we can continue to mix our pitches and give him different looks.