Kori Ellis
06-15-2005, 02:34 AM
BRUCE BOWEN
Q: You guys were in a comfortable spot at the half. Talk about what they may have done differently in the second half or did you guys get away from your game?
Bowen: I think you have to give them credit. We understood that we were going to come into a hostile environment and when a team is at home they feel most comfortable. They did a great job tonight of being very aggressive and taking us out of a lot of things that we were trying to do and that just continued to motivate them and the crowd.
Q: What did they do to force so many turnovers?
Bowen: I think they were just more physical with us. They were very physical out there and we didn’t take care of the ball the way we should have. Some of them [turnovers] were forced because of their pressure, and others were kind of trying to really back in and you really couldn’t back in.
Q: Talk about how the injury affected (Manu) Ginobili.
Bowen: I know he wasn’t attacking like he was before, because of that spot that got hit.
Q: Is it easier to be more physical when you are at home? Do you tend to receive more favorable calls?
Bowen: I don’t know. I don’t know about receiving more favorable calls. But you are at home and you’re comfortable and you got the crowd behind you and that is what you want being at home.
NAZR MOHAMMED
Q. Were you guys surprised tonight with all the turnovers?
Mohammed. You are definitely always surprised by turnovers, we know we need to take care of the ball a little bit more because they are a great team and if you don’t they’ll capitalize off of it.
Q. The crowd was going crazy tonight, did you expect this performance by the Pistons coming back home?
Mohammed. We definitely expected them to play hard and play well. We’re disappointed we didn’t play well, but there is another game, we have to look at the film and get ready for the next one.
Q. The team played so well defensively in the first two games, what was the difference tonight?
Mohammed. Defensively, they just made shots. That is something we have to look at film and kind of see what the difference was, it is kind of hard to tell on the fly.
Q. Talk about Ben Wallace, and how ferocious he was at the beginning of the game.
Mohammed. Ben, he goes out there and plays the same way every night. He went out there and played hard, he was able to get some things done.
BRENT BARRY
Q: Can you explain how the press broke you down?
Barry: Yeah we made some poor plays there. Beno (Udrih) and I have to step up and handle the pressure they put on us and execute against the break a little bit better. They went on a huge run, made some steals and got to the offensive glass and took control of the game.
Q: Up to that point do you think you guys were doing a pretty god job?
Barry: Not really. I mean, we didn’t play our game in the first half and we were up by one. We really played poorly for most of the game tonight. There wasn’t any stretch where we got out rhythm. Manu (Ginobili) got a couple quick fouls, Nazr (Mohammed) a couple quick fouls. We were kind of scrambling to stay in the game a bit. But this is one that we’ll learn a lesson from and prepare ourselves more come Thursday.
Q: Was it more what they did or what you couldn’t do tonight?
Barry: Oh, absolutely. I give them credit for the pressure they put on us, but it’s two-fold. We have to be able to handle that and execute a little better. So again, it’s a good chance to learn a lesson.
Q:How much was Manu hurting out there tonight?
Barry: Well, the first play of the game he got hit pretty good. But he’s not going to make any excuses for his play, but he was certainly not himself tonight. I think that’s something that could be good for us come Thursday if he gets some rest and has that motivation.
Q: How do you approach Game 4?
Barry: Well, they played great. This is the counterpunch that we talked about before. They didn’t do it on our homecourt, but when we got here, they played on a level that we expect from them. So come Thursday, it’s going to be a key game. We have to try to get a win here in Auburn Hills, and I think we’ll play better come Thursday.
TAYSHAUN PRINCE
Q: You guys where tied at 63 and then your team went on a pretty big run. Can you talk about what happened from then on?
Prince: I don’t really know who was in the game at the time. But when Lindsey (Hunter) and (Antonio) McDyess were in the game everything just clicked. Lindsey started putting pressure up, we got a couple of turnovers, got the crowd in the game, got a couple of dunks and kind of got the crowd in it from that point. But in the fourth, we kept the defense up but it all started with Ben (Wallace) at the start of the game. We got a steal, we got a dunk and started blocking some shot early and obviously when things start with our captain then everybody follows his lead. The energy from our part was great tonight after being down 0-2.
Q: How much of a relief was a win tonight?
Prince: We just knew we had to leave it all on the line. It’s amazing when you’re down in a series how much better you play as far as the energy and the effort. We knew that was what it was going to take to win tonight. Energy and effort plays. That’s what it took them to win the first two games and then they started making shots. So when you do the energy and effort plays then shots fall for you and that was the case tonight.
Q: Can you talk about your work on the offensive boards?
Prince: It’s something they killed us in the first two games but Ben did a great job attacking and McDyess did a great job. When we didn’t get it, we did a good job of keeping some ball alive by tipping them out and things like that. Just attacking, attacking, attacking. That’s something we did great tonight and the defense was great. And whenever our defense is great it carries over to the offensive end.
Q: How big a difference was your defense tonight?
Prince: The difference tonight defensively was like I said, we were down 2-0. When your down 2-0 and you come back home, the energy is going to come from the crowd the atmosphere is going to be great, which it was tonight and we were in a situation where you have to leave it all on the floor. When you’re down 2-0 you really have nothing to lose. You have to go out there and play hard and see what happens after that.
Q: How important is it to have the next two games here at home?
Prince: We just have to keep playing the way we played tonight, bringing that energy. When you’re down 2-0 you can come out and that energy and that effort is going to be there. The difference is that now it’s 2-1 and Game 4 might be the most important game out of this series right now. But we have to take it possession by possession and that’s what we did tonight and hopefully we can do it Thursday.
BEN WALLACE
Q: You really set the tone tonight in the first quarter with those five blocks. Was that the lift that this team needed?
Wallace: We needed to do something. We had a sellout crowd here waiting to cheer for something. We knew we had to come out early and give them something to cheer for and get them excited, and also get everybody else motivated and ready to play. Once we got the crowd into it, we were able to play off of them.
Q: What did you guys do differently tonight?
Wallace: Well, for the most part, we didn’t overreact every time they tried to penetrate to the basket. We tried to protect the basket.
Q: Now that it’s 2-1, do you guys feel that you’re really back in the series now?
Wallace: I never felt like I was out of the series. In the first two games, we really didn’t show up playing the kind of basketball that we’re accustomed to playing. Tonight, we came out and played a little bit better. I still think we’re a better team than the way we played tonight. We could still go out there and play better basketball.
Q: A lot of people were worried before tonight that something was wrong with you, physically or emotionally. Do you think you proved tonight that there isn’t?
Wallace: There was nothing wrong with me. It was just a matter of me not being aggressive enough. I just wasn’t playing as active as I should be playing. I just went out tonight and played better basketball than I played in those first two games.
Q: Did your wife choose to let the afro fly tonight?
Wallace: Yep. That’s what she said. She said let your hair down and go out there and play some basketball, or else you can’t eat.
Q: It’s good to see you’re talking again.
Wallace: I’m always talking. I’m not always talking about much, but I’m always talking.
Q: You guys were in a comfortable spot at the half. Talk about what they may have done differently in the second half or did you guys get away from your game?
Bowen: I think you have to give them credit. We understood that we were going to come into a hostile environment and when a team is at home they feel most comfortable. They did a great job tonight of being very aggressive and taking us out of a lot of things that we were trying to do and that just continued to motivate them and the crowd.
Q: What did they do to force so many turnovers?
Bowen: I think they were just more physical with us. They were very physical out there and we didn’t take care of the ball the way we should have. Some of them [turnovers] were forced because of their pressure, and others were kind of trying to really back in and you really couldn’t back in.
Q: Talk about how the injury affected (Manu) Ginobili.
Bowen: I know he wasn’t attacking like he was before, because of that spot that got hit.
Q: Is it easier to be more physical when you are at home? Do you tend to receive more favorable calls?
Bowen: I don’t know. I don’t know about receiving more favorable calls. But you are at home and you’re comfortable and you got the crowd behind you and that is what you want being at home.
NAZR MOHAMMED
Q. Were you guys surprised tonight with all the turnovers?
Mohammed. You are definitely always surprised by turnovers, we know we need to take care of the ball a little bit more because they are a great team and if you don’t they’ll capitalize off of it.
Q. The crowd was going crazy tonight, did you expect this performance by the Pistons coming back home?
Mohammed. We definitely expected them to play hard and play well. We’re disappointed we didn’t play well, but there is another game, we have to look at the film and get ready for the next one.
Q. The team played so well defensively in the first two games, what was the difference tonight?
Mohammed. Defensively, they just made shots. That is something we have to look at film and kind of see what the difference was, it is kind of hard to tell on the fly.
Q. Talk about Ben Wallace, and how ferocious he was at the beginning of the game.
Mohammed. Ben, he goes out there and plays the same way every night. He went out there and played hard, he was able to get some things done.
BRENT BARRY
Q: Can you explain how the press broke you down?
Barry: Yeah we made some poor plays there. Beno (Udrih) and I have to step up and handle the pressure they put on us and execute against the break a little bit better. They went on a huge run, made some steals and got to the offensive glass and took control of the game.
Q: Up to that point do you think you guys were doing a pretty god job?
Barry: Not really. I mean, we didn’t play our game in the first half and we were up by one. We really played poorly for most of the game tonight. There wasn’t any stretch where we got out rhythm. Manu (Ginobili) got a couple quick fouls, Nazr (Mohammed) a couple quick fouls. We were kind of scrambling to stay in the game a bit. But this is one that we’ll learn a lesson from and prepare ourselves more come Thursday.
Q: Was it more what they did or what you couldn’t do tonight?
Barry: Oh, absolutely. I give them credit for the pressure they put on us, but it’s two-fold. We have to be able to handle that and execute a little better. So again, it’s a good chance to learn a lesson.
Q:How much was Manu hurting out there tonight?
Barry: Well, the first play of the game he got hit pretty good. But he’s not going to make any excuses for his play, but he was certainly not himself tonight. I think that’s something that could be good for us come Thursday if he gets some rest and has that motivation.
Q: How do you approach Game 4?
Barry: Well, they played great. This is the counterpunch that we talked about before. They didn’t do it on our homecourt, but when we got here, they played on a level that we expect from them. So come Thursday, it’s going to be a key game. We have to try to get a win here in Auburn Hills, and I think we’ll play better come Thursday.
TAYSHAUN PRINCE
Q: You guys where tied at 63 and then your team went on a pretty big run. Can you talk about what happened from then on?
Prince: I don’t really know who was in the game at the time. But when Lindsey (Hunter) and (Antonio) McDyess were in the game everything just clicked. Lindsey started putting pressure up, we got a couple of turnovers, got the crowd in the game, got a couple of dunks and kind of got the crowd in it from that point. But in the fourth, we kept the defense up but it all started with Ben (Wallace) at the start of the game. We got a steal, we got a dunk and started blocking some shot early and obviously when things start with our captain then everybody follows his lead. The energy from our part was great tonight after being down 0-2.
Q: How much of a relief was a win tonight?
Prince: We just knew we had to leave it all on the line. It’s amazing when you’re down in a series how much better you play as far as the energy and the effort. We knew that was what it was going to take to win tonight. Energy and effort plays. That’s what it took them to win the first two games and then they started making shots. So when you do the energy and effort plays then shots fall for you and that was the case tonight.
Q: Can you talk about your work on the offensive boards?
Prince: It’s something they killed us in the first two games but Ben did a great job attacking and McDyess did a great job. When we didn’t get it, we did a good job of keeping some ball alive by tipping them out and things like that. Just attacking, attacking, attacking. That’s something we did great tonight and the defense was great. And whenever our defense is great it carries over to the offensive end.
Q: How big a difference was your defense tonight?
Prince: The difference tonight defensively was like I said, we were down 2-0. When your down 2-0 and you come back home, the energy is going to come from the crowd the atmosphere is going to be great, which it was tonight and we were in a situation where you have to leave it all on the floor. When you’re down 2-0 you really have nothing to lose. You have to go out there and play hard and see what happens after that.
Q: How important is it to have the next two games here at home?
Prince: We just have to keep playing the way we played tonight, bringing that energy. When you’re down 2-0 you can come out and that energy and that effort is going to be there. The difference is that now it’s 2-1 and Game 4 might be the most important game out of this series right now. But we have to take it possession by possession and that’s what we did tonight and hopefully we can do it Thursday.
BEN WALLACE
Q: You really set the tone tonight in the first quarter with those five blocks. Was that the lift that this team needed?
Wallace: We needed to do something. We had a sellout crowd here waiting to cheer for something. We knew we had to come out early and give them something to cheer for and get them excited, and also get everybody else motivated and ready to play. Once we got the crowd into it, we were able to play off of them.
Q: What did you guys do differently tonight?
Wallace: Well, for the most part, we didn’t overreact every time they tried to penetrate to the basket. We tried to protect the basket.
Q: Now that it’s 2-1, do you guys feel that you’re really back in the series now?
Wallace: I never felt like I was out of the series. In the first two games, we really didn’t show up playing the kind of basketball that we’re accustomed to playing. Tonight, we came out and played a little bit better. I still think we’re a better team than the way we played tonight. We could still go out there and play better basketball.
Q: A lot of people were worried before tonight that something was wrong with you, physically or emotionally. Do you think you proved tonight that there isn’t?
Wallace: There was nothing wrong with me. It was just a matter of me not being aggressive enough. I just wasn’t playing as active as I should be playing. I just went out tonight and played better basketball than I played in those first two games.
Q: Did your wife choose to let the afro fly tonight?
Wallace: Yep. That’s what she said. She said let your hair down and go out there and play some basketball, or else you can’t eat.
Q: It’s good to see you’re talking again.
Wallace: I’m always talking. I’m not always talking about much, but I’m always talking.