NBA FINALS: BUCKS VS. SUNS

July 13, 2021

Cameron Payne

Phoenix Suns

Practice Day

Q. First off, you said you felt fine after the game the other night; is that still the case, and were there any lingering effects from that?

CAMERON PAYNE: No, I'm okay. I'm doing fine. I'm good.

Q. The two days off on a road trip, no travel day but you have two days off between games, do you like that or do you get antsy, particularly being in a road environment? How do you occupy the time? Do you like the rest?

CAMERON PAYNE: I'd rather go ahead and play. We've been doing that all Playoffs. Shoot, I'd rather go ahead and play, especially when you lose a game. You're ready to play 30 minutes after the game is over. It's just try to get it back.

I feel like it's cool, a lot of players get rest, a lot of players if they're feeling some kind of way feel better coming into the next game, so it's all right. It's cool.

Q. Other than obviously getting ready, practice, what are you all doing?

CAMERON PAYNE: Watching a lot of film, chilling with each other for real, playing video games. Just try to sometimes get your mind off basketball and then come back to it.

But we've been doing a lot of team dinners, eating together, and like I said, watching a lot of film.

Q. Cam, what's been your favorite part of this Finals run so far?

CAMERON PAYNE: Man, playing in the Valley. That's the best part to me. We've been having a lot of fun all Playoffs, and they finally get to get this experience back since 1993, so that's probably the best part. That's probably the best part for me, just being able to play in front of the fans and they're getting the ability to watch the Finals, and that's probably the best part.

Q. I know you've had a lot of support from back home in Memphis; wondering what your relationship with Penny Hardaway is like and if you've maybe talked at all with him during this run.

CAMERON PAYNE: Well, I haven't talked to him that much during this run, but when I was in Memphis after I came back from the G League during COVID, he worked me out a lot, and we talked a lot of basketball. He's a guru and he knows a lot.

We just kind of watched a lot of film. We worked out a lot. But that's really about it. We've got a great relationship. I played for his AAU team when I was younger. But that's really about it. We just have a good relationship off the court, and on the court we just talk a lot of basketball.

Q. Cam, what do you need to do in Game 4 to be the aggressors from the first minute of the game, and how important is it to turn the frustration after the loss in Game 3 to determination and motivation?

CAMERON PAYNE: Well, we lost, so that's the motivation. We can't lose any games, so that's the motivation right there. Everybody is locked in on Game 4.

But we've just got to come with a different kind of mentality Game 4. I feel like all the games we lost these Playoffs, we bounced back pretty well because we don't really like losing. We feel that. It's a long flight home, so we know we've got to come and hit them first.

It's tough because we're on the road, and their fans are doing a great job keeping them boys energetic and things like that. It's a tough road, but we've got to get it done, find a way. Just got to find a way.

Q. What will be the mindset for tomorrow's game, and what are your thoughts on Devin Booker's performance in these NBA Finals?

CAMERON PAYNE: We've just got to stay poised through the adversity. There are going to be ups and downs in the game, obviously on the road. But we've just got to stay poised.

Book, I still feel like he's playing well. I have no worries about him at all. I mean, he's been doing good all season to me, and he's doing fine now. I don't think anything has to change.

Obviously, they're planning things on him to try to make it tough for him, and that's what we're in the gym for today, to find a way to regroup and find ways to get him easier shots.

Q. When you see Book have a game, I know it doesn't happen very often, like he had last game, do you see a look in his eye that shows that he's going to come out and be different the next game?

CAMERON PAYNE: No. To me he's got that same look in his eyes every game, no matter if he played good or played bad or if he played outstanding. He's just got that same demeanor, just to go kill no matter what. I'm perfectly fine with Book's mentality. He's going to bring it next game. You just know that. We'll be looking forward to it.

Q. I was talking to your dad a little bit yesterday about your game, and he said that he thinks you have the most beautiful shot in the NBA. Wondering if you have a response to that.

CAMERON PAYNE: I agree with him, 100 percent. I mean, I just feel like for a lot of people, it's just the other way, I'm just left-handed. I feel like a lot of right-handers shoot ugly, too. They don't shoot that good, don't look good. I just feel like it's left-handed. It's just unorthodox. He trained me. He taught me how to shoot it, so of course he's going to say it looks amazing.

Q. How much does the physicality and the switching of the previous series help prepare you for the Finals?

CAMERON PAYNE: It prepared us a lot. The Clippers did a great job switching. That was their scheme. Like you said, it kind of ran us into this series with them because they do a lot of switching, and the physicality. The Clippers definitely brought that to the series, and also the Lakers brought it to the series, as well.

I feel like every test we had this Playoffs put us in position to be ready for this series.

It's just, you know, it's 2-1, just find a way to win in Game 4, and that's it.

Q. Jae Crowder's Finals experience obviously was a different kind of setting being in Miami in the bubble there, but how has he helped you by letting you know what to expect in the Finals? Or has he because the Finals was so different last year.

CAMERON PAYNE: He talks about it a lot, just like man, it's a part of the series. Every game has its own personality. Can't go in after we won Game 2 thinking Game 3 is just going to be easy. Every game has its own personality. He said we've got to come with our hardhats on Game 4 because it ain't going to do nothing but keep getting harder.

Him just being there, just being experienced, being in the Finals, I mean, it's awesome to have that voice in the locker room because a lot of us hadn't experienced it at all.

To have him have that voice, just get ready for the storm instead of just going into the storm blind, no umbrella. We've got our umbrellas. Jae Crowder has been doing an outstanding job just giving us a little feedback.