Kori Ellis
06-14-2005, 02:05 AM
June 13, 2005
LARRY BROWN
Q. On coming back and winning the series
I am confident we have a good shot. They (San Antonio) took care of their home court and played great. It is obvious they dominated both games in just about every area, out-coached us, out-executed us, and did all of the things that are necessary to win, but we are still the champs. We are coming home and we all know it is not going to be easy, but we just have to take it one game at a time. We have to win the next game and take care of our home court like they did.
Q. On adapting and making necessary adjustments
They (the players) know what we need to do. We are pretty clear on what has happened. I do not think there is any person in that locker room that doesn’t understand what we need to do and what we need to do better in order to be successful.
Q. On what specifically needs to be done better
We need to figure out a way where we can get to the free throw line and get higher percentage shots, I think that is critical. We need to figure out a way where we can keep people in front of us a little bit better. I think that has been a critical factor. We need to understand that we have to rely on each other and move the ball better. We have had too many possessions where we have not moved the ball enough and the time you limit yourself in terms of ball movement, your shooting percentage gets hurt a little bit. I think the most important thing is we have to match their effort from the first minute of the game until the last.
Q. On rallying from deficits in the past helps now
We are playing against a team that is playing at an unbelievably high level and is probably the best team in the league during the regular-season without Timmy (Duncan) getting hurt. We can rally. We just have to do all the little things that we have done in the past that has gotten us an NBA title and the chance to play in the Finals.
Q. On uncharacteristic play by the team
We got into early foul trouble and I think that took a lot of aggressiveness away. I think Tayshaun (Prince), Rip (Hamilton), Lindsey (Hunter), Rasheed (Wallace), a lot of guys, got early fouls and then when you are strapped with early fouls, sometimes you are not nearly as aggressive and we have got to forget about that. We have to start off the game being aggressive and not worry about fouls. You have to play with the same mentality, same aggressiveness, and I don’t think we did that.
Q. On what is the team’s motivation from being down 0-2
You will have to ask them. We showed the film and talked about the last two games and the things that have affected us and that we simply need to do better. I think the consensus is we have to play a lot harder, we have to be a lot more aggressive, we have to share the ball better, rebound the ball better. I think those are things that you talk about every game though. I say this over and over again. I write on the board before every game, play hard, play unselfishly, play smart, try to defend and have fun.
GREGG POPOVICH
Q. Do you think that it is difficult for other teams to make adjustments to the Spurs?
I never thought about that. What other teams are doing to try to change to deal with us, I don’t know how to answer that to be honest with you. We just try to do the same stuff, and we try to do it well. Sometimes we do it well, sometimes we don’t, but I don’t think we are more difficult to adjust to than anyone else.
Q. The last time the Spurs were in Detroit Tim Duncan got hurt. Was there any point when you didn’t think Tim would be able to make it back?
The injury happened early enough (in the regular season) that we thought we could get him back. We were very concerned about how whole he would be when we got him back.
Q. Is Duncan playing better than you could have expected coming off an injury like Tim’s?
Given the injuries he has had, he is playing real well. He is not playing at that MVP level that he was for a couple of years because he just doesn’t have that balance or that push-off ability off both ankles right now. Given what he has been through with those things he has done a fantastic job, particularly with the rebounds, playing defense, and scoring. Obviously Tony (Parker) and Manu (Ginobili) have taken some of that load off of him, which is great. Overall, he is doing one heck of a job.
Q. The Spurs have done a good job this season of handling success. Do you think that is something that a team learns how to do over time?
I don’t think we ever had a problem getting too excited about wins or too down about losses. I think that they have been very business like for quite a few year now as far as playing the game and being able to live with whatever comes.
Q. How do you feel about the Spurs getting better with each game that they play in the playoffs?
That is great if they are. We are just trying to concentrate team-wise on being better all the time. Down the stretch we had a couple of injuries and it was kind of strange because we didn’t have the rotation we wanted and thought we took a half a step backwards. In the playoffs we have been able to get healthy, so to speak, and I think we are probably getting better as we go along. I think that I could say the same thing about Detroit. They are playing at a very high level in these playoffs as well.
Q. Are you happy with the way Tony Parker has defended Chauncey Billups?
Tony is doing the best job that he can. Chauncey is a tough cover. He is so strong, he can take the ball to the bucket and he can shoot threes, which is very difficult for someone to stop. We are not going to stop him, so Tony at least has to try to make him work very hard. He along with Bruce have set the tone defensively for us.
Q. Do you think that you caught a tired Detroit in the first two games of this series, and as you go back, what kind of energy do you think you will see from Detroit?
I have no idea how much energy they will have. We are who we are and whatever situation teams are in, that is that, and we don’t spend anytime thinking about it. Those are sort of subjective things. Everyone has played about 100 games now, so everyone is about as tired as everyone else. They are a fantastic basketball team. They worked as hard as we did last night. Don’t assume that they didn’t give a good effort because they lost. We made shots last night and we were on fire shooting the three and that makes it difficult. They worked just as hard as we worked, and they are going to exert the same energy or more when we go to Detroit. They are going to be ferocious and physical and aggressive.
LARRY BROWN
Q. On coming back and winning the series
I am confident we have a good shot. They (San Antonio) took care of their home court and played great. It is obvious they dominated both games in just about every area, out-coached us, out-executed us, and did all of the things that are necessary to win, but we are still the champs. We are coming home and we all know it is not going to be easy, but we just have to take it one game at a time. We have to win the next game and take care of our home court like they did.
Q. On adapting and making necessary adjustments
They (the players) know what we need to do. We are pretty clear on what has happened. I do not think there is any person in that locker room that doesn’t understand what we need to do and what we need to do better in order to be successful.
Q. On what specifically needs to be done better
We need to figure out a way where we can get to the free throw line and get higher percentage shots, I think that is critical. We need to figure out a way where we can keep people in front of us a little bit better. I think that has been a critical factor. We need to understand that we have to rely on each other and move the ball better. We have had too many possessions where we have not moved the ball enough and the time you limit yourself in terms of ball movement, your shooting percentage gets hurt a little bit. I think the most important thing is we have to match their effort from the first minute of the game until the last.
Q. On rallying from deficits in the past helps now
We are playing against a team that is playing at an unbelievably high level and is probably the best team in the league during the regular-season without Timmy (Duncan) getting hurt. We can rally. We just have to do all the little things that we have done in the past that has gotten us an NBA title and the chance to play in the Finals.
Q. On uncharacteristic play by the team
We got into early foul trouble and I think that took a lot of aggressiveness away. I think Tayshaun (Prince), Rip (Hamilton), Lindsey (Hunter), Rasheed (Wallace), a lot of guys, got early fouls and then when you are strapped with early fouls, sometimes you are not nearly as aggressive and we have got to forget about that. We have to start off the game being aggressive and not worry about fouls. You have to play with the same mentality, same aggressiveness, and I don’t think we did that.
Q. On what is the team’s motivation from being down 0-2
You will have to ask them. We showed the film and talked about the last two games and the things that have affected us and that we simply need to do better. I think the consensus is we have to play a lot harder, we have to be a lot more aggressive, we have to share the ball better, rebound the ball better. I think those are things that you talk about every game though. I say this over and over again. I write on the board before every game, play hard, play unselfishly, play smart, try to defend and have fun.
GREGG POPOVICH
Q. Do you think that it is difficult for other teams to make adjustments to the Spurs?
I never thought about that. What other teams are doing to try to change to deal with us, I don’t know how to answer that to be honest with you. We just try to do the same stuff, and we try to do it well. Sometimes we do it well, sometimes we don’t, but I don’t think we are more difficult to adjust to than anyone else.
Q. The last time the Spurs were in Detroit Tim Duncan got hurt. Was there any point when you didn’t think Tim would be able to make it back?
The injury happened early enough (in the regular season) that we thought we could get him back. We were very concerned about how whole he would be when we got him back.
Q. Is Duncan playing better than you could have expected coming off an injury like Tim’s?
Given the injuries he has had, he is playing real well. He is not playing at that MVP level that he was for a couple of years because he just doesn’t have that balance or that push-off ability off both ankles right now. Given what he has been through with those things he has done a fantastic job, particularly with the rebounds, playing defense, and scoring. Obviously Tony (Parker) and Manu (Ginobili) have taken some of that load off of him, which is great. Overall, he is doing one heck of a job.
Q. The Spurs have done a good job this season of handling success. Do you think that is something that a team learns how to do over time?
I don’t think we ever had a problem getting too excited about wins or too down about losses. I think that they have been very business like for quite a few year now as far as playing the game and being able to live with whatever comes.
Q. How do you feel about the Spurs getting better with each game that they play in the playoffs?
That is great if they are. We are just trying to concentrate team-wise on being better all the time. Down the stretch we had a couple of injuries and it was kind of strange because we didn’t have the rotation we wanted and thought we took a half a step backwards. In the playoffs we have been able to get healthy, so to speak, and I think we are probably getting better as we go along. I think that I could say the same thing about Detroit. They are playing at a very high level in these playoffs as well.
Q. Are you happy with the way Tony Parker has defended Chauncey Billups?
Tony is doing the best job that he can. Chauncey is a tough cover. He is so strong, he can take the ball to the bucket and he can shoot threes, which is very difficult for someone to stop. We are not going to stop him, so Tony at least has to try to make him work very hard. He along with Bruce have set the tone defensively for us.
Q. Do you think that you caught a tired Detroit in the first two games of this series, and as you go back, what kind of energy do you think you will see from Detroit?
I have no idea how much energy they will have. We are who we are and whatever situation teams are in, that is that, and we don’t spend anytime thinking about it. Those are sort of subjective things. Everyone has played about 100 games now, so everyone is about as tired as everyone else. They are a fantastic basketball team. They worked as hard as we did last night. Don’t assume that they didn’t give a good effort because they lost. We made shots last night and we were on fire shooting the three and that makes it difficult. They worked just as hard as we worked, and they are going to exert the same energy or more when we go to Detroit. They are going to be ferocious and physical and aggressive.