Al Horford, Boston Interior
It was your first NBA Finals game, at 35 (he turns 36 this Thursday), how did you approach it?
AH: I was just grateful for this opportunity. In the end, we just have to play basketball, that’s all (he smiles). I’m excited to be here, to share this scene with this group of guys. This group has really bought into what we’re trying to do here. It’s really nice to see our efforts pay off.
How might you get all those 3 points at the end (26 points including 11 in the 4th quarter, 6/8 behind the arc, 6 rebounds and 3 assists)?
Thanks to our ball movement in attack, I just found myself in the right positions. They found me several times in a row. Take the shooting positions, return them, period. Derrick White (21 points off the bench) made difficult baskets too… And the way Jaylen Brown (24 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists) started the 4th quarter, his energy, his shots… That’s where it all started.
You were in the group when Jayson Tatum (just 12 points at 3/17, but 13 assists to make up for it) started his career. Did he already have this ability to organize the game?
Only at times. It’s a challenge for guys like him, at the top of the NBA (he was elected in the five-type) to do it all: score, pass, defend…and Jayson does it all. His ability to organize the game has increased. This (Thursday) night he was just brilliant. He didn’t really score, but he read the defense and found the assists. This shows his maturity (he is only 24 years old). Even compared to the start of the season, you can see his progress. We ask a lot of him, but he delivers. And he always finds a way.
Boston fullback Jayson Tatum
How have you progressed in passing since the arrival of Ime Udoka on the bench?
JT: That was his message from day one. We watched a lot of videos, to see where I might improve, and that was a major aspect. He did a great job giving me this challenge.
You don’t score in the 4th quarter but the team puts 40 points… what is the feeling at the final whistle?
Ecstasy! 40 points in the last quarter? Jaylen Brown assured, Al (Horford), Derrick White, Payton (Pritchard)… they took in big, crucial shots. And we won! I was bad at shooting, so I tried to do something else. We are in the final… All I wanted was to win. I don’t expect to shoot so badly once more, but if that means we win, I take it.
Ime Udoka, coach of Boston
Despite nervousness in the first half, your team recovered. What lesson do you draw from this?
IU: It gives us confidence. We weren’t playing our best basketball at all. But at the end of the first quarter, 32-28. At half-time, still only 4 points behind… But we hadn’t played well at all. We knew they still have a big third quarter, so there we are at 92-80. Behind, we made a huge last quarter (40-16). Knowing our defense, we just had to take away the nervousness of this first match in the final (no Boston player had played, once morest 123 cumulative for those of Golden State), and this is what we observed at the end.
We don’t expect Jayson to shoot so badly once more. It might be the defense he faced too, from the “box”, some areas… But it proved who we are, that is to say a team. We saw Brooklyn focus around Kevin Durant, Milwaukee with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Miami with Jimmy Butler… We take pride in being able to respond on both sides of the field together.
Jaylen Brown, ailier de Boston
Jaylen, you often talk regarding resilience regarding this group…
JB: Clearly. In this locker room, we went through a lot of battles. We have experienced a lot of defeats and we know what it takes to win. I give credit to the whole band. Here, everyone comes to work, every day. Not just the players, but also the coaches, the medical staff, the physical preparation, everyone! It is a collective effort. We knew what to expect at halftime. »