Thunder Practice Report: OKC Focused On Game 4

We’re three games into the Western Conference Finals, and it’s safe to say the series between the Thunder and Warriors doesn’t lack plenty of intrigue as OKC holds a 2-1 lead after a dominating win in Game 3 on Sunday night.

With a night to digest everything that happened, Steven Adams, Russell Westbrook, and Billy Donovan talked with reporters after Monday’s practice. The video can be seen above, but here are some of the highlights:

Steven Adams

On talking with trainers about wearing any special equipment in the future due to recent hits to his groin area: “Not yet, probably going to consider it though due to the consistency of the hits”

On if he had any incidents like this playing rugby: “Yeah all the time, there was some really brutal ones because they have cleats. I’ll leave rest to the imagination on what actually happened.”

On if the Thunder has shown its versatile by winning games with a big and small lineup: “Yeah we’ve got a lot of players that can do a lot of different things that most of the people at their position can’t do, for instance KD can guard one through five. Players like that really help with a team like this.”

On if it would be more meaningful to beat the Warriors with Draymond Green playing: “Regardless I think we can beat them with or without him, but in terms of meaning, no, they have plenty other players who are just as capable. They’re a great team.”

Russell Westbrook

On his future induction into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame: “That’s a blessing, anytime you’re able to say you’re in the Hall of Fame anywhere I think it’s a blessing in itself, especially for somebody like myself after not ever thinking I would ever play in the NBA and to be in the Hall of Fame is a blessing and something I’ll never take for granted.”

On Andre Roberson playing well: “He put in the work every day, every single day working on his game, so to see it come to play is a great thing. Our job is to reward him and find ways to make sure his confidence stays high in everything he’s doing.”

On Adams’ physicality and what it means to team: “It’s very important. With his size and his ability to use that to his advantage is very important. That’s the strength of our team, our size and physicality, I think it’s important he uses that every night.”

Billy Donovan

On Draymond Green and Steve Kerr deflecting the negative attention to Westbrook: "I think the biggest thing for us is not to be distracted. We've got enough to worry about playing against a great team."

On the Thunder's free throw advantage over the last seven playoff games: "I think so much of the league, there is a high premium on the three-point line. I think there is a high premium on trying to get to the free throw line and most fouls in the league are going to take place around the basket. If you're playing around the basket, you have more of a likelihood and opportunity to get to the free throw line."

On the improvement of Steven Adams: "Well, I think Steven -- one of Steven's challenges, I think, as a player has been he is such an unselfish team guy, and he, I think, thinks of himself last all the time. As time has gone on I think this season, I think he's slowly evolved into different things that he can do that have been very, very impactful. He's been a really good roll to the basket for us. He's been a good rebounder for us. He's been a good rim protector. He's a smart defender. He's a good passer. I think you're starting to see little glimpses of different things he can do."