duncan228
03-27-2009, 11:16 PM
Post Game Quotes (http://www.nba.com/spurs/news/quotes_090327.html)
Coach Pop
On the game - It was one of those nights where we took advantage of the fact that L.A. was a little beaten up with Baron (Davis) being out and Marcus (Camby) getting hurt. We kept our focus and played hard; we did a good job tonight.
On Tony Parker - Tony got us off on the right foot in the first and third quarters. He continues to play great. I thought everybody did a great job. It was good to rest some guys down the stretch. It was also good to get Manu (Ginobili) in the game and give him some minutes and let him get his rhythm back.
On Manu is back to being Manu - He is Manu Ginobili and he’s not going to play any differently then he played before. So, I have no shot at tempering him at all, that’s why he’s great.
On Drew Gooden and the bench playing more minutes tonight - He's been chomping at the bit to get into the game. He’s getting used to what we’re doing and he’s getting used to playing with his teammates. So, again that was one of the good things about tonight, to get some of those guys some minutes.
Manu Ginobili
On how his ankle feels - It’s better. I felt better about myself. My legs adjusted a little bit and I felt no pain so I can’t complain.
On if he’s got his explosion back - Sometimes I tried to jump and sometimes I don’t have the explosion or when I want to stop and take it out again. I wasn’t expecting it to be the same as a month and a half ago. It’s something that is going to come back slowly. I know my body and it’s always like that.
On nearly going in to the bench after a loose ball - During the game you want to win and you’re going to do whatever you can to help the team win. I try not to think about those things.
On not thinking about the ankle during play - There are some plays where I want to stop and make a change of direction. It’s a process; it’s going to take a while. I am just very happy that I am playing again and that the team has two wins. Like I said before, I can’t complain at all.
Roger Mason Jr.
On having Manu Ginobili back - It’s encouraging. Any time you’re off for a while it takes some time to get your timing back. It’s good to see him hit some shots and get some crazy lay ups and crazy passes.
On whether there will be an adjustment period playing with Manu again - Well it’s good to have a playmaker with that second group. Obviously, we’re that much more dangerous with him out there. It’ll take a little bit of time but hopefully it’s enough time.
On how potent the Spurs offense will be with Manu back - It looks like it could be a dangerous squad. To get deep in the playoffs, obviously, you need to have depth and right now it looks like they can be good.
On having a game without it coming down to the wire - At the end of the, it’s not about where you’re playing. Right now we’re preparing for something bigger and every night we need to come to play. It was definitely encouraging that we got some rest for Tim (Duncan). Tony (Parker) got some rest and a lot of the other veterans got some rest, so it was good.
Coach Dunleavy
On the game - The Spurs, they just make shots at such a high percentage. They always seem to find the open guy. You have to try and contain Parker while at the same time stopping Tim Duncan. Then Ginobili comes off the bench after those guys set the table. With a formula like that kicking they are one of the top three teams in this league.
Tony Parker is just so good and so quick. He’s tough to keep up with. Tonight we didn’t do such a good job of containing him. The bigger problem is he’s just part of a larger group with so much experience. They know how to take care of the basketball, shoot well, and execute. That’s tough.
On Mike Taylor - He’s looking great. I like what he’s doing. We got a pick just we could draft him when we did. Rookies really have to work their way in and he was doing that and then had to sit out six weeks. These last few games he has returned and is playing at a really high level. He is getting his timing down and starting to get confident. I told him to get that 17 to 18 footer going and don’t worry about long range right now. Let the game come to you. And he is doing just that.
Mike Taylor
On his last two games - It was just opportunities. The opportunity to play and contribute and help my team out. That’s probably the biggest difference.
On Tony Parker - Most definitely he’s been in attack mode from what I’ve been able to see his last couple of games. He’s one of the players that I watch and take a lot from. He’s in attack mode getting ready for the playoffs and trying to stay sharp. I played him before, earlier in the year. He’s tough to stay in front of. He’s quick and can get to the basket and finish layups. I just tried to do my best.
It’s definitely hard trying to stay in front of Tony. He’s quick. He’s real precise with his moves. He can get to the basket. On the pick-and-roll it’s real hard to defend him.
On the Spurs getting out to a big lead early - That’s the San Antonio Spurs for you. Once they have their foot in the door, their going to try to put their other foot in and walk away with it. They’re a great, experienced team with a lot of veterans over there. They’re used to doing it and know how to get it done.
Eric Gordon
On containing the Spurs’ guards - Well the thing was that their energy was a lot higher than our and they were hitting their shots from everywhere. They got off to a hot start. We just couldn’t execute and they were making us miss a lot of shots in the first half. We brought it kind of close at halftime, but they had it going throughout the whole game.
On going up against Tony Parker all night - This is the most aggressive I’ve seen him. He knows how to use his body because he’s a smaller guy. He’s able to create fouls and make shots now. It’s pretty hard to stop him because he’s real fast
On Mike Taylor’s performance over back-to-back games - It’s good for us. He had to step up because Baron didn’t play tonight. He was on a roll. He was on a roll the other night. We just need him to keep on playing at a high level like he is.
Coach Pop
On the game - It was one of those nights where we took advantage of the fact that L.A. was a little beaten up with Baron (Davis) being out and Marcus (Camby) getting hurt. We kept our focus and played hard; we did a good job tonight.
On Tony Parker - Tony got us off on the right foot in the first and third quarters. He continues to play great. I thought everybody did a great job. It was good to rest some guys down the stretch. It was also good to get Manu (Ginobili) in the game and give him some minutes and let him get his rhythm back.
On Manu is back to being Manu - He is Manu Ginobili and he’s not going to play any differently then he played before. So, I have no shot at tempering him at all, that’s why he’s great.
On Drew Gooden and the bench playing more minutes tonight - He's been chomping at the bit to get into the game. He’s getting used to what we’re doing and he’s getting used to playing with his teammates. So, again that was one of the good things about tonight, to get some of those guys some minutes.
Manu Ginobili
On how his ankle feels - It’s better. I felt better about myself. My legs adjusted a little bit and I felt no pain so I can’t complain.
On if he’s got his explosion back - Sometimes I tried to jump and sometimes I don’t have the explosion or when I want to stop and take it out again. I wasn’t expecting it to be the same as a month and a half ago. It’s something that is going to come back slowly. I know my body and it’s always like that.
On nearly going in to the bench after a loose ball - During the game you want to win and you’re going to do whatever you can to help the team win. I try not to think about those things.
On not thinking about the ankle during play - There are some plays where I want to stop and make a change of direction. It’s a process; it’s going to take a while. I am just very happy that I am playing again and that the team has two wins. Like I said before, I can’t complain at all.
Roger Mason Jr.
On having Manu Ginobili back - It’s encouraging. Any time you’re off for a while it takes some time to get your timing back. It’s good to see him hit some shots and get some crazy lay ups and crazy passes.
On whether there will be an adjustment period playing with Manu again - Well it’s good to have a playmaker with that second group. Obviously, we’re that much more dangerous with him out there. It’ll take a little bit of time but hopefully it’s enough time.
On how potent the Spurs offense will be with Manu back - It looks like it could be a dangerous squad. To get deep in the playoffs, obviously, you need to have depth and right now it looks like they can be good.
On having a game without it coming down to the wire - At the end of the, it’s not about where you’re playing. Right now we’re preparing for something bigger and every night we need to come to play. It was definitely encouraging that we got some rest for Tim (Duncan). Tony (Parker) got some rest and a lot of the other veterans got some rest, so it was good.
Coach Dunleavy
On the game - The Spurs, they just make shots at such a high percentage. They always seem to find the open guy. You have to try and contain Parker while at the same time stopping Tim Duncan. Then Ginobili comes off the bench after those guys set the table. With a formula like that kicking they are one of the top three teams in this league.
Tony Parker is just so good and so quick. He’s tough to keep up with. Tonight we didn’t do such a good job of containing him. The bigger problem is he’s just part of a larger group with so much experience. They know how to take care of the basketball, shoot well, and execute. That’s tough.
On Mike Taylor - He’s looking great. I like what he’s doing. We got a pick just we could draft him when we did. Rookies really have to work their way in and he was doing that and then had to sit out six weeks. These last few games he has returned and is playing at a really high level. He is getting his timing down and starting to get confident. I told him to get that 17 to 18 footer going and don’t worry about long range right now. Let the game come to you. And he is doing just that.
Mike Taylor
On his last two games - It was just opportunities. The opportunity to play and contribute and help my team out. That’s probably the biggest difference.
On Tony Parker - Most definitely he’s been in attack mode from what I’ve been able to see his last couple of games. He’s one of the players that I watch and take a lot from. He’s in attack mode getting ready for the playoffs and trying to stay sharp. I played him before, earlier in the year. He’s tough to stay in front of. He’s quick and can get to the basket and finish layups. I just tried to do my best.
It’s definitely hard trying to stay in front of Tony. He’s quick. He’s real precise with his moves. He can get to the basket. On the pick-and-roll it’s real hard to defend him.
On the Spurs getting out to a big lead early - That’s the San Antonio Spurs for you. Once they have their foot in the door, their going to try to put their other foot in and walk away with it. They’re a great, experienced team with a lot of veterans over there. They’re used to doing it and know how to get it done.
Eric Gordon
On containing the Spurs’ guards - Well the thing was that their energy was a lot higher than our and they were hitting their shots from everywhere. They got off to a hot start. We just couldn’t execute and they were making us miss a lot of shots in the first half. We brought it kind of close at halftime, but they had it going throughout the whole game.
On going up against Tony Parker all night - This is the most aggressive I’ve seen him. He knows how to use his body because he’s a smaller guy. He’s able to create fouls and make shots now. It’s pretty hard to stop him because he’s real fast
On Mike Taylor’s performance over back-to-back games - It’s good for us. He had to step up because Baron didn’t play tonight. He was on a roll. He was on a roll the other night. We just need him to keep on playing at a high level like he is.