I mean, you were like they couldn't stop you out there.

What, Did you turn it on at any point, or did you just come out tonight knowing that you needed to be aggressive for the same?

No one.

Uh, well, we just need to respond.

Um, you know, every single night, it's gonna be different.

What's needed out there on the floor of the game.

So just trying to give what's needed on both ends of the floor.

Like I said, You know, the other night I took that personal, just not being able to guard anyone.

So tonight I gave up a few drives, but I feel like defensively as a team, including with my effort.

You know, we just matched it tonight, and we knew that they were going to bring it.

Eso It was just exciting game.

You know what's today?

Monday or Tuesday?

Monday, Tuesday.

Excuse me.

Losing track of the days.

But, uh, it was great competition for the top players in the world.

Some of the top players in the world to go against each other on TV, so grateful we get the fans what they wanted.

Greg Logan News Day.

Ah, Kyrie, Can you just describe in those last two minutes when you saw all but one point of that 10 point lead disappear?

How nerve racking was that?

And And you feel like everybody just kind of dug down because it meant so much coming after that last loss.

Well, I mean, every game, it means a lot to us.

We just got to come out and show it.

And I feel like tonight it was easy to go out and do that.

Um, and after the game, we talked as a team and just about collectively coming together against, you know, teams that you know may not have the record that show it.

And we're just not we're playing to their level or we're not playing to exceed.

Um, you know, the effort that's needed.

So we just wanna continue toe make consistent habits of, you know, just playing the right way every single game.

Brian Lewis, New York Post.

Okay, I wanted to follow up on that and drill down.

I mean, we're only a third of not even a third of the way through the season, but I mean, you guys have proven that you can play exceptionally well against the best teams.

How do you get to that point?

As a team where you're taking, I'm not gonna name and team, but those with lesser records or losing records where you're taking those is seriously and putting in the same effort in those games.

How do you get to that?

Well, first of all, I don't I don't think it's about taking it serious.

I mean, way show up.

Every single day we prepare best became I won't use anywhere is an issue.

But I think you know, for us we just have to take pride in coming out and understanding that every team is gonna give us their best shot.

We are one of those teams in the league, but we have to continue to earn that respect.

And we do have a great collection of individuals.

I say that on a day out and they, you know, day in day out basis.

But as a team, you know, we just got a match, each other's efforts and exceed the other teams.

And I feel like, you know, teams make so many shots against us, so many magical things happen against us, and I know we're not the only team in the league that feels that.

But it seems like over the last week there's been some crazy comebacks and some crazy things that have happened.

So, you know, we just gotta get used to it and finished the games.

That's the big thing.

That's the phrase finished.

The games were up by 10, were up by eight, were up by five with a minute to go.

Finish the game.

Mike Andrews, ESPN.

Harry, You, James and Kevin combined for 90 points tonight.

When you look at your complete game, is this closer to where you guys want to be?

As a.

I know there's there's other guys, but as a trio, is this closer to your ideal?

Well, you know, when it was just the team that we hadn't begin the season now evolving into this, we we don't want it to just be about us, and, you know, I always make that clear.

You know, we have other guys in our locker room that collectively give something Thio to every single game, and we want that continued effort.

But obviously the demand is going to be primarily on us on the offensive then and we gotta put guys in the right spots, including each other.

You know, it is great to have Kevin Durant yell at you to get in the right spot or have James Harden, you know, kind of give you a queue with his eyes toe, you know, being the right spot because they're so great.

So sometimes you get caught watching and, you know, we just got to stay active and do the little things for those guys to complement them.

That goes back with sacrifice and compromise all of us.

You know, sometimes it's not gonna be a 39.9 for me, and I'm okay with that.

Um, sometimes we're not.

We're not gonna shoot well, as you see over some of the games, but we just want to continue to get better with limited practice time.

Wait, You get caught watching even now, at this point in your career?

Yeah, yeah, there.

That great.

I mean, it's it's pretty easy just to kind of just sit there and be a fan of those guys.

Um, there's just such a deep admiration that we've had since we were kids as well, growing up in the same, you know, kind of high school classes or them above me.

I've looked up.

Some of them looked up to them for so long.

Now that be teammates.

Because sometimes you can get called watching.

It's okay.

That's great news.

Right there.

Thank you.

Burst back, NBC, New York Kyrie Do you sense that those guys were watching you two?

When?

When you're having a game like this?

Yeah, I feel that as well.

But you know, as as we continue to progress, I think that the beautiful thing is that we're interchangeable.

So some guys, you know, one of us can have a big night.

Other guys could have multiple assist, multiple rebounds.

And we like I said, we just want to complement each other.

Well, as a group, I don't wanna get too stuck on talking about us three, but way Do lead this group with other guys.

That's in goodwill.

Yahoo!

Kyrie!

I think you mentioned it a little bit earlier talking about how you guys have perceived around the league.

Do you think you guys are fighting for credibility when you're playing games against the Clippers as opposed to playing against.

You know, some of the other teams.

Do you feel like this is just like an internal thing where you want to get respect from your peers even before you go up against them?

Well, that that's one of those things that's in competition.

That's, um you know, the separation between the good and the great is continuing to come back every single night and do the same thing over again.

You know, things may not go well.

Um, you know, things may go well that game, but you got to come back as a competitors and live up to the challenge.

You know, show everyone why you are who you are.

And, um, toe echo my statement a little bit ago.

It's just we have to earn that respect.

You know, we could have a great collection of guys on paper, you know?

God, I know teams were, you know, looking at the paper like Okay, they got these three guys.

Great.

We gotta get everybody else.

But we want that team morale to be.

That is every single game we are going up against the best.

Any MBA player, any team could be beaten on any night, and we just got to be more prepared for that.

And I think we're doing a great job of just staying resilient and not getting are not going to hire too low and not keeping our heads down when we do run into some teams that are giving them giving us their best effort.

You know, some teams were not necessarily playing well going into games, and they play against us and they start playing well.

So it's the opposite.

Um, and we want Thio relishing that challenge as a group.

Last question.

Rachel Nichols, ESPN, Kerry.

I don't want to call what you guys do on offense.

Effortless, because I know there's only so many people in the world who can do what you guys can dio.

But what is the difference?

And I don't want you call effort or focus or concentration of what you have to do.

The way you guys did is a group tonight on defense, compared to maybe games where that isn't there.

Just consistency is consistent gradually, that that's really what it is.

We, um, you know, have the desire to go out there and do it.

It just has to be for.

But as all NBA players say, collection of 48 minutes, anything can happen.

And, you know, we've We've been up in some games where, you know, we've lost the lead.

And, um, we gotta take accountability for those losses, see where we can get better and move forward.

But yes, we just take it one day at a time, Rich.

Honestly, we just gotta build that.

Consistent.

We don't have any practice.

None.

We have no practice.

Now.

We have the most games in January.

Like, what else do you like?

We're doing our best here.

Trying toe.

Put something great together in a matter of a short period of time.

So get be patient with us.

What work tonight?

Appreciate it.

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