Kori Ellis
06-13-2005, 03:52 AM
LARRY BROWN
Q. With all due respect, Coach, your team led the league in technicals this season and is this one of the biggest problems your team is facing now, is that you're losing your concentration by complaining about the refereeing, it seems almost from the get go.
COACH LARRY BROWN: Next question.
Q. How important is it to make 3 pointers against this team? Because they have a very, very good defense inside and you are not making any 3 pointers, not today.
COACH LARRY BROWN: Well, I'm not worried about 3 pointers. Our big problem now is we're having trouble stopping them. You know, their execution is great. You know, they are shooting the ball well.
We've got 82 shots up, our field goal by four and less by 21. I think most of the shots we take are contested. They are keeping us off the line, we have never been a team that, you know, concentrates on the 3 point shot. We haven't done it, you know, in two years. They are a team that can spread you out. They have got a really good post game. They move the ball well, and they shot it extremely well from the outside.
But I think most of those things occur when you get beat on dribble penetration, you have trouble keeping people in front and you've got to help. That's why they get open looks.
Q. Can you talk about how a series can dramatically change when it changes venues, and do you expect that in this series?
COACH LARRY BROWN: Well, I hope so. But right now, the way they are playing, and with the way they are executing, the contribution they are getting from a lot of people, you know, they have just dominated two ballgames.
I wasn't real excited about, you know, our aggressiveness early, but we got into foul trouble so quickly, it's going to take a little aggressiveness away from you. But the second half I thought we got after them pretty good. You know, got back in the game with some effort and every time we did, they had an answer. You know, hopefully with our crowd, we'll start out from the beginning, you know, throwing the first punch and being aggressive and, you know, you never know what can happen.
They have been tough to beat at home all year. I don't think we've won a game here in about seven, eight years. So I'm hopeful that, you know, we'll be tough and our crowd will be as enthusiastic as them and maybe get some confidence back.
Q. What's been the biggest difference these two games?
COACH LARRY BROWN: I don't think we've been nearly as aggressive as them. I think we've kind of, you know, gotten frustrated and went on our own a little bit too much. I think defensively we've been real soft. We haven't been able to keep people in front of us and that's been a key. We didn't have a block the first half. We didn't take a charge. I think they drove the ball from the 3 point line or beyond to the front of the rim or from deep corner to the front of the rim and we didn't have people coming over and challenging shots. I think they have hit us with the first punch and we've been back on our heels and haven't responded very well.
Second half, though in, both games, we got down 17 or 18 in Game 1, cut it to seven and couldn't come up with a key rebound. Tonight we had a couple of situations like that. Brent Barry got his hands on the ball and we got a foul, we got a foul and the 24 second clock was running down. Key plays in games, you know, when they came up with a big play and we just didn't do it.
Q. Were you doubling off of Bruce Bowen and pretty much giving him that shot?
COACH LARRY BROWN: No, we were getting beat on dribble penetration, and you know, when you get beat on dribble penetration, then you've got to help.
Somebody is going to be open, and they seem to make the extra pass over and over again.
That was beautiful to watch, you know, in terms of their execution. I thought they established it inside, they established it off the dribble, you know, 11 for 24 is pretty tough. But I think a lot of their shots were open shots as a result of good ball movement and great penetration.
Q. They had more than twice as many free throw attempts as you did. Is that a fair reflection of their aggressiveness at that end, and can you win with those kind of numbers?
COACH LARRY BROWN: You know, when you take 24 threes out of 62 shots, and you shoot 34 free throws, I haven't been in a lot of games like that.
You know, we took 82 shots and six 3 pointers and shoot 16 free throws, I haven't been in a lot of games like that. I'm sitting there watching, and I thought every extra pass that needed to be made, they made. They set great screens, they got the ball in positions on the floor, you know, where they really hurt us. I didn't think the first half, you know, we really challenged them. It was almost like they were scripting plays.
Second half, you know, I thought we fought and challenged them, but we got frustrated. There's some things that are happening out there that we're allowing to get us down, and you can't. You've got to keep playing. You've got to keep figuring it out. You know, hopefully we'll be able to do that.
CHAUNCEY BILLUPS
Q. Chauncey, what's been the difference these two games?
CHAUNCEY BILLUPS: You know, today I thought we came out focused and ready. They delivered the first blow, obviously and you know, every time we chipped away at it, they delivered another one. We tried to help on a lot of the penetration plays with Manu and Tony, and when we did today, hit those shots on kick outs so that made it tough, that made it so the next couple of times, we didn't help as much, and tried to get back to the shooters also, and they still made plays.
So they were good. They were good. They only made, you know, 29 field goals, but still win by 20 points.
Q. Your team seemed to lose its composure out there a little bit, would you agree with that assessment and if so, what happened?
CHAUNCEY BILLUPS: I thought we got a little frustrated. We got a little frustrated. I thought we did a great job of cutting that lead at the seven or eight minute mark, maybe six in the fourth quarter. I know we cut it to eight. I think up to that point, they probably had scored maybe two or four points in the fourth quarter or something that wasn't that much. You know, we were kind of on a run.
Then, you know, it was free throw after free throw, free throw after free throw, cutting it, and when you stop the play like that shooting free throws, it stops your run and then you, without even shooting the ball, you start to accumulate points, accumulate points. It was tough.
Q. You guys did a better job early in the game of getting the ball inside and then later in the game then you and Richard got more aggressive, can you talk a little bit about trying to rally the team and maybe getting more aggressive shooting the ball later in the game?
CHAUNCEY BILLUPS: You know, we did, we made a constant effort to try to get the ball inside and play the inside out basketball. I thought it worked for us, you know, Rasheed was great. He got us off to a good start offensively, you know, where we needed the ball. I thought the second half, you know, Rip stepped up and got a lot more aggressive, just trying to make something happen really. I got a little more aggressive. Just, you know, really it was like a desperate it was kind of in a desperate phase, you know, trying to make something happen out there.
But, you know, needless to say, it wasn't enough.
Q. Talk about going home and you guys are the champs, and having your backs against the wall, you have reacted and responded really well. What you would expect come Tuesday?
CHAUNCEY BILLUPS: We are going home, where we play very well. We're very happy to be going home. This team came out and took care of business. We're down 0 2 right now. They came and they won on their home court. We've got to try to do the same. But we've got to take it one quarter at a time. We can't take it one game at a time. We've got to play quarters now and we've got to be very focused on short spans, quarters. If we can do that, you know, we can get this series to swing back in our direction. If we can't, we're going to be in trouble.
Q. I know it's a frustrating weekend for you guys, but how difficult was it that every time you made a run, it seemed that that they hit a 3 pointer just to knock you back down again?
CHAUNCEY BILLUPS: They did. And you've got to give them credit, you've got to give them credit for that. Every time we made a run, every time we showed we were trying to get back into the game, they made a huge play. They made a huge play, whether it was a steal or a three, they did it. When you get into a groove like that, you know, it seems like you get all of those kind of little breaks. They played good and you can't take anything away from them.
We'll be happy to get back to Detroit.
BEN WALLACE
Q: You guys seemed to be missing so many easy shots. What did that do for your morale?
Wallace: We just missed shots. It had no affect on the game. It shouldn’t. You play this game long enough you’re going to miss some shots.
Q: Was there a point in the fourth quarter where you felt you could come back all the way?
Wallace: There’s always a chance in the fourth quarter, we knew we could come back. Right now we just have to find ways to win games, not worry about coming back.
Not try to figure out what should have been and what could have been.
Q. What do you think the defense……?
Wallace: We didn’t play no defense. That’s my final question. I’m done.
RICHARD HAMILTON
Q. I know you guys generally don't shoot a lot of threes, but when you're outscored 33 0 from behind the arc, does that pretty much make it impossible to win?
RICHARD HAMILTON: One thing we tried to do tonight, if they shoot threes, we're in good shape, but they just hit them. I think sometimes we could have contested a little bit better and a lot times Coach just wants us to go out there and stay in front of them. If they shoot outside jumpers, we can deal with it.
Q. Was there a point where they kept coming back and you had to roll your eyes and say that tonight wasn't your night?
RICHARD HAMILTON: When the other team gets up early in the game, we get up early in the game, and there's times we try hard to push back and we spend a lot of energy coming back and every time is going to make another run. They made another run. The thing about us, we can't allow us to get down early, because like I said, it's just both after that, it's both teams making a run through the rest of the game.
Q. It seems like the big difference today was that they were really circulating the ball quickly, swinging it, and their defense was sort of stopping you guys from doing the same thing, why is that?
RICHARD HAMILTON: I mean, you know, they did a great job of shooting the ball tonight. Guys hit shots, they hit three pointers like you said, they hit wide open baskets. For us, we've just got to figure a way. Both teams are defensive minded teams, sometimes you've just got to drive the basketball and try to make plays for each other.
Q. I know you guys take pride in your defense, what happened in the first half to allow them to get some layups and easy looks at the bucket?
RICHARD HAMILTON: I think we allowed them to get to the seams of everything. I think the one thing that we have to do is try to take what we want to do away. Even though some guys on the team are not shooters, we've still got to pressure them. We can't just allow them to sit out there and just do what they want to do.
Once we try to do that, I think we'll be all right.
Q. You guys seem a little bit frustrated with the officials because they have 34 free throws.
RICHARD HAMILTON: I mean, you know, with us, we just got to figure out just to go out and play basketball. I mean, we felt though the whistling didn't go our way on some plays and things like that, but we should have learned from the Miami series and the Indiana series and everything like that.
It's tough, man. We just have to go ahead and continue to play hard and just play our game.
Q. You've had a chance to see Manu now for two games, do you have any kind of theory or idea about what you all can do to provide an answer to him?
RICHARD HAMILTON: We played him well, the two games they played, he's been playing great. He's been making plays for his teammates. He's been getting to the free throw line and things like that. I think the one thing we probably have to do is to keep pressure on him. A lot of teams feel as though they want to make him into a shooter or things like that, but we just can't allow him to stand out there to make plays, to dribble the ball in the defensive lanes and try to get into the seams and things like that. I think we've just got to pressure him.
LINDSEY HUNTER
Q: Why are you guys having so much trouble guarding this team?
Hunter: Hard to say. We can’t beat a team like that, when we allow them to get to the basket the way they did tonight. They’re a good enough team without getting layups, and when they get layups, it just makes it harder.
Q: What can you do to match this team’s intensity right out of the gate?
Hunter: I don’t think it’s a matter of how they come out of the gates, because in the last game, we came out strong. We’ve got to put together four quarters. We can’t have the lapses we’ve been having and expect to beat this team.
Q: How much has Manu Ginobili impressed you so far?
Hunter: He’s doing what I’ve seen him do. He hasn’t done anything I haven’t seen him do on film, or just studying how he plays. They execute well and put him in a position to be effective. He got to the line a lot tonight and got into the heart of our defense.
Q: Were you surprised by how many points they scored in the first half (58)?
Hunter: Well, you know, when you allow guys to get in the paint like that, as good as they are, that’s what happens. You put yourself in a hole, and you have to play perfect to give yourself a chance to win against a team that executes the way they do.
Q: Are you happy with the effort tonight?
Hunter: In the second half we were a lot better. In the first half, we just didn’t do the things that would have allowed us to be in the game.
Q. With all due respect, Coach, your team led the league in technicals this season and is this one of the biggest problems your team is facing now, is that you're losing your concentration by complaining about the refereeing, it seems almost from the get go.
COACH LARRY BROWN: Next question.
Q. How important is it to make 3 pointers against this team? Because they have a very, very good defense inside and you are not making any 3 pointers, not today.
COACH LARRY BROWN: Well, I'm not worried about 3 pointers. Our big problem now is we're having trouble stopping them. You know, their execution is great. You know, they are shooting the ball well.
We've got 82 shots up, our field goal by four and less by 21. I think most of the shots we take are contested. They are keeping us off the line, we have never been a team that, you know, concentrates on the 3 point shot. We haven't done it, you know, in two years. They are a team that can spread you out. They have got a really good post game. They move the ball well, and they shot it extremely well from the outside.
But I think most of those things occur when you get beat on dribble penetration, you have trouble keeping people in front and you've got to help. That's why they get open looks.
Q. Can you talk about how a series can dramatically change when it changes venues, and do you expect that in this series?
COACH LARRY BROWN: Well, I hope so. But right now, the way they are playing, and with the way they are executing, the contribution they are getting from a lot of people, you know, they have just dominated two ballgames.
I wasn't real excited about, you know, our aggressiveness early, but we got into foul trouble so quickly, it's going to take a little aggressiveness away from you. But the second half I thought we got after them pretty good. You know, got back in the game with some effort and every time we did, they had an answer. You know, hopefully with our crowd, we'll start out from the beginning, you know, throwing the first punch and being aggressive and, you know, you never know what can happen.
They have been tough to beat at home all year. I don't think we've won a game here in about seven, eight years. So I'm hopeful that, you know, we'll be tough and our crowd will be as enthusiastic as them and maybe get some confidence back.
Q. What's been the biggest difference these two games?
COACH LARRY BROWN: I don't think we've been nearly as aggressive as them. I think we've kind of, you know, gotten frustrated and went on our own a little bit too much. I think defensively we've been real soft. We haven't been able to keep people in front of us and that's been a key. We didn't have a block the first half. We didn't take a charge. I think they drove the ball from the 3 point line or beyond to the front of the rim or from deep corner to the front of the rim and we didn't have people coming over and challenging shots. I think they have hit us with the first punch and we've been back on our heels and haven't responded very well.
Second half, though in, both games, we got down 17 or 18 in Game 1, cut it to seven and couldn't come up with a key rebound. Tonight we had a couple of situations like that. Brent Barry got his hands on the ball and we got a foul, we got a foul and the 24 second clock was running down. Key plays in games, you know, when they came up with a big play and we just didn't do it.
Q. Were you doubling off of Bruce Bowen and pretty much giving him that shot?
COACH LARRY BROWN: No, we were getting beat on dribble penetration, and you know, when you get beat on dribble penetration, then you've got to help.
Somebody is going to be open, and they seem to make the extra pass over and over again.
That was beautiful to watch, you know, in terms of their execution. I thought they established it inside, they established it off the dribble, you know, 11 for 24 is pretty tough. But I think a lot of their shots were open shots as a result of good ball movement and great penetration.
Q. They had more than twice as many free throw attempts as you did. Is that a fair reflection of their aggressiveness at that end, and can you win with those kind of numbers?
COACH LARRY BROWN: You know, when you take 24 threes out of 62 shots, and you shoot 34 free throws, I haven't been in a lot of games like that.
You know, we took 82 shots and six 3 pointers and shoot 16 free throws, I haven't been in a lot of games like that. I'm sitting there watching, and I thought every extra pass that needed to be made, they made. They set great screens, they got the ball in positions on the floor, you know, where they really hurt us. I didn't think the first half, you know, we really challenged them. It was almost like they were scripting plays.
Second half, you know, I thought we fought and challenged them, but we got frustrated. There's some things that are happening out there that we're allowing to get us down, and you can't. You've got to keep playing. You've got to keep figuring it out. You know, hopefully we'll be able to do that.
CHAUNCEY BILLUPS
Q. Chauncey, what's been the difference these two games?
CHAUNCEY BILLUPS: You know, today I thought we came out focused and ready. They delivered the first blow, obviously and you know, every time we chipped away at it, they delivered another one. We tried to help on a lot of the penetration plays with Manu and Tony, and when we did today, hit those shots on kick outs so that made it tough, that made it so the next couple of times, we didn't help as much, and tried to get back to the shooters also, and they still made plays.
So they were good. They were good. They only made, you know, 29 field goals, but still win by 20 points.
Q. Your team seemed to lose its composure out there a little bit, would you agree with that assessment and if so, what happened?
CHAUNCEY BILLUPS: I thought we got a little frustrated. We got a little frustrated. I thought we did a great job of cutting that lead at the seven or eight minute mark, maybe six in the fourth quarter. I know we cut it to eight. I think up to that point, they probably had scored maybe two or four points in the fourth quarter or something that wasn't that much. You know, we were kind of on a run.
Then, you know, it was free throw after free throw, free throw after free throw, cutting it, and when you stop the play like that shooting free throws, it stops your run and then you, without even shooting the ball, you start to accumulate points, accumulate points. It was tough.
Q. You guys did a better job early in the game of getting the ball inside and then later in the game then you and Richard got more aggressive, can you talk a little bit about trying to rally the team and maybe getting more aggressive shooting the ball later in the game?
CHAUNCEY BILLUPS: You know, we did, we made a constant effort to try to get the ball inside and play the inside out basketball. I thought it worked for us, you know, Rasheed was great. He got us off to a good start offensively, you know, where we needed the ball. I thought the second half, you know, Rip stepped up and got a lot more aggressive, just trying to make something happen really. I got a little more aggressive. Just, you know, really it was like a desperate it was kind of in a desperate phase, you know, trying to make something happen out there.
But, you know, needless to say, it wasn't enough.
Q. Talk about going home and you guys are the champs, and having your backs against the wall, you have reacted and responded really well. What you would expect come Tuesday?
CHAUNCEY BILLUPS: We are going home, where we play very well. We're very happy to be going home. This team came out and took care of business. We're down 0 2 right now. They came and they won on their home court. We've got to try to do the same. But we've got to take it one quarter at a time. We can't take it one game at a time. We've got to play quarters now and we've got to be very focused on short spans, quarters. If we can do that, you know, we can get this series to swing back in our direction. If we can't, we're going to be in trouble.
Q. I know it's a frustrating weekend for you guys, but how difficult was it that every time you made a run, it seemed that that they hit a 3 pointer just to knock you back down again?
CHAUNCEY BILLUPS: They did. And you've got to give them credit, you've got to give them credit for that. Every time we made a run, every time we showed we were trying to get back into the game, they made a huge play. They made a huge play, whether it was a steal or a three, they did it. When you get into a groove like that, you know, it seems like you get all of those kind of little breaks. They played good and you can't take anything away from them.
We'll be happy to get back to Detroit.
BEN WALLACE
Q: You guys seemed to be missing so many easy shots. What did that do for your morale?
Wallace: We just missed shots. It had no affect on the game. It shouldn’t. You play this game long enough you’re going to miss some shots.
Q: Was there a point in the fourth quarter where you felt you could come back all the way?
Wallace: There’s always a chance in the fourth quarter, we knew we could come back. Right now we just have to find ways to win games, not worry about coming back.
Not try to figure out what should have been and what could have been.
Q. What do you think the defense……?
Wallace: We didn’t play no defense. That’s my final question. I’m done.
RICHARD HAMILTON
Q. I know you guys generally don't shoot a lot of threes, but when you're outscored 33 0 from behind the arc, does that pretty much make it impossible to win?
RICHARD HAMILTON: One thing we tried to do tonight, if they shoot threes, we're in good shape, but they just hit them. I think sometimes we could have contested a little bit better and a lot times Coach just wants us to go out there and stay in front of them. If they shoot outside jumpers, we can deal with it.
Q. Was there a point where they kept coming back and you had to roll your eyes and say that tonight wasn't your night?
RICHARD HAMILTON: When the other team gets up early in the game, we get up early in the game, and there's times we try hard to push back and we spend a lot of energy coming back and every time is going to make another run. They made another run. The thing about us, we can't allow us to get down early, because like I said, it's just both after that, it's both teams making a run through the rest of the game.
Q. It seems like the big difference today was that they were really circulating the ball quickly, swinging it, and their defense was sort of stopping you guys from doing the same thing, why is that?
RICHARD HAMILTON: I mean, you know, they did a great job of shooting the ball tonight. Guys hit shots, they hit three pointers like you said, they hit wide open baskets. For us, we've just got to figure a way. Both teams are defensive minded teams, sometimes you've just got to drive the basketball and try to make plays for each other.
Q. I know you guys take pride in your defense, what happened in the first half to allow them to get some layups and easy looks at the bucket?
RICHARD HAMILTON: I think we allowed them to get to the seams of everything. I think the one thing that we have to do is try to take what we want to do away. Even though some guys on the team are not shooters, we've still got to pressure them. We can't just allow them to sit out there and just do what they want to do.
Once we try to do that, I think we'll be all right.
Q. You guys seem a little bit frustrated with the officials because they have 34 free throws.
RICHARD HAMILTON: I mean, you know, with us, we just got to figure out just to go out and play basketball. I mean, we felt though the whistling didn't go our way on some plays and things like that, but we should have learned from the Miami series and the Indiana series and everything like that.
It's tough, man. We just have to go ahead and continue to play hard and just play our game.
Q. You've had a chance to see Manu now for two games, do you have any kind of theory or idea about what you all can do to provide an answer to him?
RICHARD HAMILTON: We played him well, the two games they played, he's been playing great. He's been making plays for his teammates. He's been getting to the free throw line and things like that. I think the one thing we probably have to do is to keep pressure on him. A lot of teams feel as though they want to make him into a shooter or things like that, but we just can't allow him to stand out there to make plays, to dribble the ball in the defensive lanes and try to get into the seams and things like that. I think we've just got to pressure him.
LINDSEY HUNTER
Q: Why are you guys having so much trouble guarding this team?
Hunter: Hard to say. We can’t beat a team like that, when we allow them to get to the basket the way they did tonight. They’re a good enough team without getting layups, and when they get layups, it just makes it harder.
Q: What can you do to match this team’s intensity right out of the gate?
Hunter: I don’t think it’s a matter of how they come out of the gates, because in the last game, we came out strong. We’ve got to put together four quarters. We can’t have the lapses we’ve been having and expect to beat this team.
Q: How much has Manu Ginobili impressed you so far?
Hunter: He’s doing what I’ve seen him do. He hasn’t done anything I haven’t seen him do on film, or just studying how he plays. They execute well and put him in a position to be effective. He got to the line a lot tonight and got into the heart of our defense.
Q: Were you surprised by how many points they scored in the first half (58)?
Hunter: Well, you know, when you allow guys to get in the paint like that, as good as they are, that’s what happens. You put yourself in a hole, and you have to play perfect to give yourself a chance to win against a team that executes the way they do.
Q: Are you happy with the effort tonight?
Hunter: In the second half we were a lot better. In the first half, we just didn’t do the things that would have allowed us to be in the game.