duncan228
04-29-2009, 01:48 AM
Recap, video interviews with Duncan, Pop, Hill, and Udoka here (http://www.nba.com/spurs/gameday/090428.html).
Gregg Popovich
On the game - “Dallas did a great job. They played better than we did. It ended up in a series win for them. I wish them the best as they move on. They did a great job. They were the best team.”
On playing George and Ime more in the second half - “It was just by choice. I thought they were doing a good job.”
On how they guarded Dirk tonight versus the rest of the series - “We mixed it up. We’ve gone after him. Doubled him from different areas. Played him one-on-one. Little bit of everything. He did a good job.”
About the season as a whole - “I don’t want to go there. The Mavericks beat the Spurs. They played better and they were the best team and that’s that. There’s nothing else to be said about other people or anything like that. It’s just totally inappropriate.”
On Dallas rebounding the longer misses tonight - “I don’t know how long they were. That’s one facet of the game. They did a good job on the offensive boards. That’s one of the reasons that one team will beat another team.”
Hindsight being 20/20, would you have played Hill more in the first two games? - “No. Hindsight doesn’t matter in games 1 & 2 because we didn’t play him. You can’t do over.”
Is it fair to say that Drew’s fall early in the series led to a decrease in his minutes? - “No.”
On the end of the third quarter - “They’re a better team than we are right now. They made shots when it counted. We made runs at each other but every time we got back into the ballgame, they made more big shots, whether it was Dirk or Jason or Josh. Whoever it was. They stopped the runs and then added a little run of their own. That’s why they won the series 4-1.”
Tony Parker
Was this series just a matter of they had more weapons? - “Definitely. They played better than us. Once again tonight they made their shots. They shot the ball very well. The bench played well. We just could stop them tonight.”
On Dallas’ defense on him tonight - “They did a little bit of double-teaming on the pick-and-rolls and when I got down in the paint. We made a couple shots in the first half but then in the second half it was more about us not making stops. It was that simple. We just couldn’t stop them.”
On George Hill - “He played well. He got a lot of confidence and we definitely saw some stuff that maybe we can use next year. You just have to give a lot of credit to Dallas. We’ll refocus and come back strong next season.”
On the perception that they are an aging team and are done winning championships - “I think we just have to make a couple changes. I don’t think we’re done at all. I think with a healthy Manu Ginobili and a couple of changes in our role players we’ll be right back trying to get another one. It’s a fine line between winning and losing. What happened this year with the ups and downs and the injuries. That’s what happened to us this year. But I think with the character of the team and the quality front office they will make some good decisions and we’ll be right back here.”
Was Pop a bit off in his assessment of George prior to the playoffs? - “No. Pop is one of the best coaches in the NBA. He didn’t want to throw him in the fire. It’s a lot of pressure to play right away. He just watched those first couple of games and learned from it and then he played pretty well during games 4 & 5.”
Tim Duncan
On the game - “I don’t think I’ve been off this early in the playoffs in a long, long time. It’s disappointing obviously but credit to Dallas. We threw a lot of different schemes at them, it seems like they reacted and just outright played better than us. They move on and we start to look at next year. Such is life and hopefully we can do a better job next year.”
On him and Tony Parker doing the bulk of the scoring - “It was asked of us to do that. Obviously, Tony was awesome. He was great and I think we just kind of ran out of juice. They shot the ball better than us, especially down the stretches and I think that was the difference in the games. Like I said, we’ve got some of the best shooters in the league. They got shots that we wanted to take. What can you say? They outplayed us.”
On the play of Dirk Nowitzki - “A lot of credit to him, he hit some tough shots. Defensively, we switched things up on him a couple different times. We had double-teamed him, we used single coverage, we stood in his path to try and affect his shot and he made shots. A lot of credit, he was great tonight.”
On Dallas having more firepower - “It felt like it. With them shooting the ball they way they did even in our rotation, even the guys we wanted to give up shots to, it seemed like every one of them hit shots that we were hoping they’d miss. They had more firepower than us, they played better than us, however you want to put it. Obviously they were the better team this year. That’s all you can say.”
George Hill
On cutting the lead to four at half but not being able to get over that hump - “It’s tough, we did all we could. We tried to do our best. Every scheme we played against them they would knock down shots toward the end and that was the difference in the game.”
On Dallas having six players score in double figures - “It’s very difficult. You expect that maybe one of the nights they cool off but they hit them all series long. You have to tip your hat to them, wish them the best and shake their hand.”
On the play of Tony Parker throughout the series - “He was wonderful. I don’t think you can expect anymore out of Tony. He carried us on his back as best he could. Things didn’t work out the way we wanted them to wrok out. But that’s life, that’s basketball. We’ve got to get back in the laboratory for next year and come up with a new plan.”
On if his play showed coach Popovich he has what it takes - “I hope so. I really didn’t come out the whole second half. I hope that was enough to show him that I am in shape and I’m willing to play. I think that’s all you can ask. I’m going to do my job to the best of my ability.”
Mavericks Head Coach Rick Carlisle
On the game - "First of all, I am really happy for our players. They went through a lot this year – it was turbulent, lots of injuries, very up-and-down but we really stuck together. We came together at the right time. Josh Howard’s health was critical; he was the MVP of the series. He played great and was there for us. He made big plays that didn’t always lead to scores. There is no doubt that Dirk helped prove that he isn’t just a good offensive basketball player but an all around player. He showed great patience with double teams we’ve never seen the likes of in this league. The Spurs are the only team that could pull it off with their experience and how strong they are defensively. Jason Kidd was great but more than anything, this is our player’s team. This isn’t my team, it’s theirs. It really took on their personality over the last two months of the season. Our balance on offense has been our calling card the whole series. It has been hard for Dirk to get on track in the series. The Spurs didn’t double team him as much tonight and his final stats prove they were right to double team him all over the court with his stat line tonight."
On Josh Howard and Jason Terry - "Josh Howard played a pivotal role with big shots at important times and made a couple of great plays off the ball. And for Kidd, not enough can be said about what he has done. He has had a pulse on this team and his knowledge on this team has been so critical over the last two months. He really led our team. Jet had a struggling game in Game Four and really wanted to play well tonight. He hit big shots and played well on defense. When he got in the game he was right on Roger Mason and didn’t let him get a shot. It was another weapon that we didn’t let the Spurs get going."
On Mario Elie’s pre-game talk - "We had a so-so practice yesterday and I wasn’t sure if our focus was in the right place but this morning at shoot around we got together and talked about some of the things that we wanted to do tonight. Mario Elie asked if he could say a few words because he was on a team that rallied from a 3-1 deficit. Mario said that the time to win was tonight. He said you don’t want to give a team any hope or any life. The conviction in his voice was very convincing and the players took it to heart. It was a very good shoot around and before the game I felt we were locked in and ready to play. You have to have that mentality on the road because Game Fives are the hardest to win on the road because they are always so pivotal and even more so tonight because of elimination. "
On the Spurs defense on Dirk Nowitzki - "They didn’t double him to start the game and let him take shots and be guarded one on one. They went back to the same double team scenarios in the first half and the continued it in the second. It was stuff we had to adjust to during the entire series. He has done a great job of being patient and finding teammates while finding his shots in the context of what we are trying to do. All series long in games that he wasn’t a huge factor in scoring, he was a big factor on defense and communicating on the court. He took a charge in Game Four and kept finding ways to win without offense."
On the Mavericks defense on Tony Parker - "We swarmed him. He made a conscience effort to get other guys involved and thankfully they were missing their 3-point shots tonight. Kidd did a good job of spacing Tony and met him with length and strength. But they made the adjustments they needed to heading into tonight, they were looking to get more guys involved and take away our other scorers by not doubling Dirk. Again, I can’t tell you how happy I am for our guys. After bowing out in the first round last year, it was disappointing. We went through a lot of tough stretches this season but no team has ever won 50 games after going 2-7 to start the season. They carried momentum into the series and we bought ourselves some rest. I feel like we are becoming a dangerous team."
Dirk Nowitzki
On the game - "It’s great to close out on the road. We had three chances to win one game and it was great to do it on the road. We struggled on the road all season, had our ups and downs, we were good at road but to win on the road is huge. To win two games on the road in a tough environment was good. It felt like we couldn’t get out of the first round since we made it to the Finals. It’s a big step for us and our role players played great throughout the whole series. Barea had had his game on, Brandon Bass was big, Dampier played great defense on Duncan – he really battled for us. Wright also made some shots. The key this series was getting Josh back because he was out for a good five weeks. That’s where our ups and downs were from. He was so key when Jet and I were doubled in the first four games and made shots for us and was active on the weakside. He has always been our x factor with his scoring and rebounding. A win on the road is big. We haven’t played with the same type of confidence on the road that we have at home all season. We are going to be the underdog next round. Denver is look phenomenal, maybe even better than the Lakers. We won’t have home court and we have to play well on the road."
On the Spurs defense - "I expected them to really come out again like they did in the first four games. They mixed it up a little bit but our players made plays on the weak side, switched it up a little bit but I learned to switch. I made a conscience effort to take one dribble, two dribbles and then pull up and not mess around long on my pump fake. The big key tonight was getting in a good rhythm and it was huge help get my confidence up."
On Jason Kidd - "Over the past couple of months he has played his best ball for us since being acquired in the trade. He makes great decisions for us and the game has felt more natural. Last year we had to adjust on the fly and now we have been together for a whole year and he looks great leading the troops like he has his whole career. A lot of teams are going to leave him to double but he has been our best 3-point shooter when his feet are set. If he can shoot the ball well in the second round it will be huge."
On Ginobili missing during the series - "We were lucky no question that Ginobili was out. That’s no secret. He is what Josh is for us, the x factor. Ginobili is the guy who is moving and making big shots over the last couple of years, no question we were lucky. It was a tough series with lots of hard fought games. We are just lucky to get out of the first round."
Jason Terry
On finishing the series - “The key to closing out a series is to not get behind and not have to play from behind. You always want to strike the first blow in a closeout game and we did that. Knew they would answer and we would have to respond, and we did that by executing well on both ends of the floor for the entire game for the most part.”
On Jason Kidd's play - “I can’t say enough about what Jason Kidd means to this team. If you can’t rally around a guy like that; a veteran, a leader, and a hall of famer; and play hard for him, than you don’t belong in this league. There is a guy that I splaying for more than just a first round win.”
On moving forward - “It’s good to get out of the first round for sure, but our goal is not just to win one series. The last couple of years have been disappointing but now that we have that monkey off our back, it’s time to move forward.”
Jason Kidd
On the game - “It’s a relief. We did our job and won this series, but now we have to focus on Denver or New Orleans. I think what Dirk said was good. If you win in the first round, only to lose in the second, you haven’t accomplished anything.”
On coming together as a team - “Over the course of a long regular season this team has seen it all, everything from scoring 35 points in a half to 80 points in a half. Right now, we seem to be playing well on both ends at just the right time. The playoffs are a special time were you look to guys off your bench to step up. With this team that guy could be anybody on any given night.”
On being "under the radar" - “If we win a championship we may still manage to stay under the radar. They might just find a way to put an asterisk by it. That’s what you guys do.”
Josh Howard
On getting hot - “It was really just a matter of time. I didn’t do anything special to get my game going. It was almost just a matter of standing in the corner and waiting for the ball to roll to you. In the playoffs you have to be prepared when they call on you. You can’t come to the contest with your C game, you have to bring your a game.”
Gregg Popovich
On the game - “Dallas did a great job. They played better than we did. It ended up in a series win for them. I wish them the best as they move on. They did a great job. They were the best team.”
On playing George and Ime more in the second half - “It was just by choice. I thought they were doing a good job.”
On how they guarded Dirk tonight versus the rest of the series - “We mixed it up. We’ve gone after him. Doubled him from different areas. Played him one-on-one. Little bit of everything. He did a good job.”
About the season as a whole - “I don’t want to go there. The Mavericks beat the Spurs. They played better and they were the best team and that’s that. There’s nothing else to be said about other people or anything like that. It’s just totally inappropriate.”
On Dallas rebounding the longer misses tonight - “I don’t know how long they were. That’s one facet of the game. They did a good job on the offensive boards. That’s one of the reasons that one team will beat another team.”
Hindsight being 20/20, would you have played Hill more in the first two games? - “No. Hindsight doesn’t matter in games 1 & 2 because we didn’t play him. You can’t do over.”
Is it fair to say that Drew’s fall early in the series led to a decrease in his minutes? - “No.”
On the end of the third quarter - “They’re a better team than we are right now. They made shots when it counted. We made runs at each other but every time we got back into the ballgame, they made more big shots, whether it was Dirk or Jason or Josh. Whoever it was. They stopped the runs and then added a little run of their own. That’s why they won the series 4-1.”
Tony Parker
Was this series just a matter of they had more weapons? - “Definitely. They played better than us. Once again tonight they made their shots. They shot the ball very well. The bench played well. We just could stop them tonight.”
On Dallas’ defense on him tonight - “They did a little bit of double-teaming on the pick-and-rolls and when I got down in the paint. We made a couple shots in the first half but then in the second half it was more about us not making stops. It was that simple. We just couldn’t stop them.”
On George Hill - “He played well. He got a lot of confidence and we definitely saw some stuff that maybe we can use next year. You just have to give a lot of credit to Dallas. We’ll refocus and come back strong next season.”
On the perception that they are an aging team and are done winning championships - “I think we just have to make a couple changes. I don’t think we’re done at all. I think with a healthy Manu Ginobili and a couple of changes in our role players we’ll be right back trying to get another one. It’s a fine line between winning and losing. What happened this year with the ups and downs and the injuries. That’s what happened to us this year. But I think with the character of the team and the quality front office they will make some good decisions and we’ll be right back here.”
Was Pop a bit off in his assessment of George prior to the playoffs? - “No. Pop is one of the best coaches in the NBA. He didn’t want to throw him in the fire. It’s a lot of pressure to play right away. He just watched those first couple of games and learned from it and then he played pretty well during games 4 & 5.”
Tim Duncan
On the game - “I don’t think I’ve been off this early in the playoffs in a long, long time. It’s disappointing obviously but credit to Dallas. We threw a lot of different schemes at them, it seems like they reacted and just outright played better than us. They move on and we start to look at next year. Such is life and hopefully we can do a better job next year.”
On him and Tony Parker doing the bulk of the scoring - “It was asked of us to do that. Obviously, Tony was awesome. He was great and I think we just kind of ran out of juice. They shot the ball better than us, especially down the stretches and I think that was the difference in the games. Like I said, we’ve got some of the best shooters in the league. They got shots that we wanted to take. What can you say? They outplayed us.”
On the play of Dirk Nowitzki - “A lot of credit to him, he hit some tough shots. Defensively, we switched things up on him a couple different times. We had double-teamed him, we used single coverage, we stood in his path to try and affect his shot and he made shots. A lot of credit, he was great tonight.”
On Dallas having more firepower - “It felt like it. With them shooting the ball they way they did even in our rotation, even the guys we wanted to give up shots to, it seemed like every one of them hit shots that we were hoping they’d miss. They had more firepower than us, they played better than us, however you want to put it. Obviously they were the better team this year. That’s all you can say.”
George Hill
On cutting the lead to four at half but not being able to get over that hump - “It’s tough, we did all we could. We tried to do our best. Every scheme we played against them they would knock down shots toward the end and that was the difference in the game.”
On Dallas having six players score in double figures - “It’s very difficult. You expect that maybe one of the nights they cool off but they hit them all series long. You have to tip your hat to them, wish them the best and shake their hand.”
On the play of Tony Parker throughout the series - “He was wonderful. I don’t think you can expect anymore out of Tony. He carried us on his back as best he could. Things didn’t work out the way we wanted them to wrok out. But that’s life, that’s basketball. We’ve got to get back in the laboratory for next year and come up with a new plan.”
On if his play showed coach Popovich he has what it takes - “I hope so. I really didn’t come out the whole second half. I hope that was enough to show him that I am in shape and I’m willing to play. I think that’s all you can ask. I’m going to do my job to the best of my ability.”
Mavericks Head Coach Rick Carlisle
On the game - "First of all, I am really happy for our players. They went through a lot this year – it was turbulent, lots of injuries, very up-and-down but we really stuck together. We came together at the right time. Josh Howard’s health was critical; he was the MVP of the series. He played great and was there for us. He made big plays that didn’t always lead to scores. There is no doubt that Dirk helped prove that he isn’t just a good offensive basketball player but an all around player. He showed great patience with double teams we’ve never seen the likes of in this league. The Spurs are the only team that could pull it off with their experience and how strong they are defensively. Jason Kidd was great but more than anything, this is our player’s team. This isn’t my team, it’s theirs. It really took on their personality over the last two months of the season. Our balance on offense has been our calling card the whole series. It has been hard for Dirk to get on track in the series. The Spurs didn’t double team him as much tonight and his final stats prove they were right to double team him all over the court with his stat line tonight."
On Josh Howard and Jason Terry - "Josh Howard played a pivotal role with big shots at important times and made a couple of great plays off the ball. And for Kidd, not enough can be said about what he has done. He has had a pulse on this team and his knowledge on this team has been so critical over the last two months. He really led our team. Jet had a struggling game in Game Four and really wanted to play well tonight. He hit big shots and played well on defense. When he got in the game he was right on Roger Mason and didn’t let him get a shot. It was another weapon that we didn’t let the Spurs get going."
On Mario Elie’s pre-game talk - "We had a so-so practice yesterday and I wasn’t sure if our focus was in the right place but this morning at shoot around we got together and talked about some of the things that we wanted to do tonight. Mario Elie asked if he could say a few words because he was on a team that rallied from a 3-1 deficit. Mario said that the time to win was tonight. He said you don’t want to give a team any hope or any life. The conviction in his voice was very convincing and the players took it to heart. It was a very good shoot around and before the game I felt we were locked in and ready to play. You have to have that mentality on the road because Game Fives are the hardest to win on the road because they are always so pivotal and even more so tonight because of elimination. "
On the Spurs defense on Dirk Nowitzki - "They didn’t double him to start the game and let him take shots and be guarded one on one. They went back to the same double team scenarios in the first half and the continued it in the second. It was stuff we had to adjust to during the entire series. He has done a great job of being patient and finding teammates while finding his shots in the context of what we are trying to do. All series long in games that he wasn’t a huge factor in scoring, he was a big factor on defense and communicating on the court. He took a charge in Game Four and kept finding ways to win without offense."
On the Mavericks defense on Tony Parker - "We swarmed him. He made a conscience effort to get other guys involved and thankfully they were missing their 3-point shots tonight. Kidd did a good job of spacing Tony and met him with length and strength. But they made the adjustments they needed to heading into tonight, they were looking to get more guys involved and take away our other scorers by not doubling Dirk. Again, I can’t tell you how happy I am for our guys. After bowing out in the first round last year, it was disappointing. We went through a lot of tough stretches this season but no team has ever won 50 games after going 2-7 to start the season. They carried momentum into the series and we bought ourselves some rest. I feel like we are becoming a dangerous team."
Dirk Nowitzki
On the game - "It’s great to close out on the road. We had three chances to win one game and it was great to do it on the road. We struggled on the road all season, had our ups and downs, we were good at road but to win on the road is huge. To win two games on the road in a tough environment was good. It felt like we couldn’t get out of the first round since we made it to the Finals. It’s a big step for us and our role players played great throughout the whole series. Barea had had his game on, Brandon Bass was big, Dampier played great defense on Duncan – he really battled for us. Wright also made some shots. The key this series was getting Josh back because he was out for a good five weeks. That’s where our ups and downs were from. He was so key when Jet and I were doubled in the first four games and made shots for us and was active on the weakside. He has always been our x factor with his scoring and rebounding. A win on the road is big. We haven’t played with the same type of confidence on the road that we have at home all season. We are going to be the underdog next round. Denver is look phenomenal, maybe even better than the Lakers. We won’t have home court and we have to play well on the road."
On the Spurs defense - "I expected them to really come out again like they did in the first four games. They mixed it up a little bit but our players made plays on the weak side, switched it up a little bit but I learned to switch. I made a conscience effort to take one dribble, two dribbles and then pull up and not mess around long on my pump fake. The big key tonight was getting in a good rhythm and it was huge help get my confidence up."
On Jason Kidd - "Over the past couple of months he has played his best ball for us since being acquired in the trade. He makes great decisions for us and the game has felt more natural. Last year we had to adjust on the fly and now we have been together for a whole year and he looks great leading the troops like he has his whole career. A lot of teams are going to leave him to double but he has been our best 3-point shooter when his feet are set. If he can shoot the ball well in the second round it will be huge."
On Ginobili missing during the series - "We were lucky no question that Ginobili was out. That’s no secret. He is what Josh is for us, the x factor. Ginobili is the guy who is moving and making big shots over the last couple of years, no question we were lucky. It was a tough series with lots of hard fought games. We are just lucky to get out of the first round."
Jason Terry
On finishing the series - “The key to closing out a series is to not get behind and not have to play from behind. You always want to strike the first blow in a closeout game and we did that. Knew they would answer and we would have to respond, and we did that by executing well on both ends of the floor for the entire game for the most part.”
On Jason Kidd's play - “I can’t say enough about what Jason Kidd means to this team. If you can’t rally around a guy like that; a veteran, a leader, and a hall of famer; and play hard for him, than you don’t belong in this league. There is a guy that I splaying for more than just a first round win.”
On moving forward - “It’s good to get out of the first round for sure, but our goal is not just to win one series. The last couple of years have been disappointing but now that we have that monkey off our back, it’s time to move forward.”
Jason Kidd
On the game - “It’s a relief. We did our job and won this series, but now we have to focus on Denver or New Orleans. I think what Dirk said was good. If you win in the first round, only to lose in the second, you haven’t accomplished anything.”
On coming together as a team - “Over the course of a long regular season this team has seen it all, everything from scoring 35 points in a half to 80 points in a half. Right now, we seem to be playing well on both ends at just the right time. The playoffs are a special time were you look to guys off your bench to step up. With this team that guy could be anybody on any given night.”
On being "under the radar" - “If we win a championship we may still manage to stay under the radar. They might just find a way to put an asterisk by it. That’s what you guys do.”
Josh Howard
On getting hot - “It was really just a matter of time. I didn’t do anything special to get my game going. It was almost just a matter of standing in the corner and waiting for the ball to roll to you. In the playoffs you have to be prepared when they call on you. You can’t come to the contest with your C game, you have to bring your a game.”