Kori Ellis
06-22-2005, 02:54 PM
Here's the transcript of the interviews:
LARRY BROWN
Q. How did you get your three point game going tonight when it really has not been there the first five games?
COACH BROWN: We made them. You know, we took more shots than them again. They took 28 threes, we took 17. That's usually more than we take. But we happened to make them tonight.
They didn't. They were 4 for 13 the first half and 4 for 15 the second half. That was huge. But we had a lot of guys come off the bench and help us. Lindsey gave us some great minutes and obviously Dyess had to play because Rasheed got in such foul trouble again.
This is what our team is about. I kept fielding that question about how we could get ourselves ready to play again, and I've been with these guys for two years, and they don't disappoint me in terms of their desire to win and their respect for each other, so this was maybe that helped us make some three pointers.
Q. Can you talk about I guess a little bit more about the uncanny ability of this team to fight off elimination games and win?
COACH BROWN: Well, we put ourselves in that position, so got no other alternative but to show up and compete.
You know, I know people look out there and reflect on the way some people act, but this is a competitive group of guys that I think care about each other enough to go out every night and put themselves in a situation where they will give themselves a chance to win.
We talked about it in the dressing room, everybody made a big deal of the shot Horry made and who made the mistake. I ask my guys every day just to play hard and play unselfishly, and I can deal with any mistakes with effort. I talked to them before the game, I didn't want them to worry about not making hustle plays and think about the consequence. That's what these guys have been able to do.
Q. Talk about Rasheed and how he came back from the criticism that he took for the play in the previous game, and his contributions down the stretch, at one point he had seven of your last nine points.
COACH BROWN: Well, you see him when he's not in the game, he's into it, cheering guys on, and he's an unbelievable competitor. I think to a man, everybody felt terrible about the way he took that loss the last game. I think that was the big, big thing in the game tonight. I mean, they care so much about him. But we needed him down the stretch. We had a lot of guys really step up; that obviously makes a huge three, makes a big baseline jumper on a pin down with Rip, got a couple key rebounds. I said this last year when Joe made the trade to get him, he won us a championship. We were not ready to take that next step. And now he's giving us a chance, along with all those other guys, to go Game 7 and try again.
Q. Could you just talk about the job Rip did for you offensively tonight? There was a point where it just seemed like he was in a flow all night as far as his shooting was concerned?
COACH BROWN: Well, I got on him a little at halftime, he was 4 for 11, 4 for 10, something like that, I thought some of the shots on the baseline, we had a new clock, were a little quick, I was telling him, just take his time. But aside from that, his defense in the first half I think really was a huge factor. You know, he pressured Parker and got our intensity up, even though we were down one point. But he makes shots. You know, I was a little upset at myself in Game 5 because I was trying to get us to go to him late, and we kind of forgot about him. He missed one shot or two shots. But, you know, he's an offensive player, and an underrated defender. When he's making shots, it seems like it opens it up for everybody.
Q. Your ability to avoid turnovers was again amazing tonight, you only had five and you only had four in Game 4. Can you talk about what the difference is, why you're controlling the ball so well?
COACH BROWN: I really don't have an answer for that. Maybe we're shooting too quick. (Laughter).
You know, they will hear that from me. Again, I'm repeating what I said prior to the game and yesterday, we're trying to understand that we've got to, instead of worrying about every quarter, we have to worry about every possession. And I keep telling them, I've talked about this my whole life as a coach, you know, try to get a great shot, we have a chance to get fouled, the high percentage shot, a chance to rebound the ball, but without all of those things happening, get yourself back.
You know, we've had that ability. But then you look at who is back there. You know, Chauncey was MVP in the playoffs last year, and he's done a remarkable job under difficult circumstances dealing with me, but he takes care of the ball and is conscientious in what he does.
CHAUNCEY BILLUPS
Q. Chauncey, can you tell me where this team gets its mental toughness from, because it's really hard to come back after this game you lost in Detroit and play the way you played tonight.
CHAUNCEY BILLUPS: Yeah, I think it's just really a collection of all of us and all our struggles that we've been through and all the adverse times that we've had to overcome, all really combined into one. That's why I think we're sometimes I always think we're in situations, we're down at times but we're never out. Like I said, we just always fight and scratch and bite and pull ourselves out of that corner that we always back ourselves in.
Q. Just to follow up on that, can you talk about the satisfaction of doing it tonight, it was a must win situation, and this team has come through in must win situations before; can you just talk about the satisfaction of forcing this Game 7 ?
CHAUNCEY BILLUPS: Yeah, I think this is one of our best wins with our backs against the wall just because, you know, it's the best team that we've played against with our back against the wall and it's the Finals. You know, we haven't won in this building in years, so it was tough. We knew it was going to be tough, but we look forward to that. We take that challenge on, head on every time.
I thought it was just a great team effort by everybody.
Q. Can you also talk about forcing a Game 7 , what that means?
CHAUNCEY BILLUPS: Yeah, it means everything, you know what I mean. We go back to the hotel instead of to the airplane. (Laughter).
It means everything. I mean, I think that the NBA, this is what it's all about, man. You're in The Finals, it's Game 7 , two best teams in the league. Don't get no better than this.
Q. I know you guys didn't blame Rasheed for the Game 5 loss but he told us this morning that he felt responsible for that. Can you talk about what he went through the last couple of days and how he personally reacts when he feels he has not done well and how he wanted to come out tonight?
CHAUNCEY BILLUPS: Yeah, nobody blames Sheed. I think a lot of y'all did. He made a tough play. I blame myself for a couple of those easy misses that I had that I know I can make. I felt the game won't even have been that close. So everybody in that last four minutes said, dang, this is what I should have did, this is what I didn't do.
It's been a tough couple of days for Sheed because he's taken so much heat, but he knows that we believe in him. That's why we came out and established him very early today, and it was just unbelievable. He was there, focused, for 48 minutes the entire night and gave it his all. That's what he does. We're so much better when he does that.
Q. Can you talk about how emotional he was tonight and how involved he was even when he wasn't on the board?
CHAUNCEY BILLUPS: Yeah, he was. He was very emotional. He was very vocal. Even when he was on the bench in foul trouble, he's screaming out their plays, screaming on our plays, he's just Rasheed. I think that tough situation he went through the other day just really made him sharpen up his concentration today and his focus level. We're going to need that from him again in Game 7 , and we're going to need it from everybody.
Q. Ginobili had five turnovers tonight, you had none. Can you talk about what you're doing to protect the ball so well?
CHAUNCEY BILLUPS: I think we're being patient. I think we're being patient. This team is an unbelievable defensive team we're playing against, and if you get impatient, they are going to make you pay. They are going to make you pay. We are not really forcing things like we sometimes do when we get a little antsy.
Tonight was just a great effort. We were patient in all of our plays and our sets and on our breaks. We got, you know, the things that we wanted. We were happy with that, so you know five turnovers, that's really unbelievable, especially against a team that we're playing against.
Q. Chauncey, were you at all surprised that Tim Duncan did not get any touches in the last few minutes and did you think Manu was forcing a little bit at the end?
CHAUNCEY BILLUPS: With Duncan, I didn't really know that until just now. I was into the game, I was just so focused that I didn't realize that. He was rolling. He is an unbelievable player and I'm sure they will look back and say that we have to give him the ball.
Manu, he had it going so easy, so early that I don't know if he was forcing. I just think that he was trying to take advantage when it's a pick and roll situation, just be aggressive and get him to the basket. You know, I don't know if he was forcing it. Those shots that he were shooting, he makes. It seems like he always it seems like he always makes them against us, but just not tonight.
Q. You often talk about picking your spots with your shots, how much of that space on the score board and the emotion that can sway the Game one way or the other by hitting one?
CHAUNCEY BILLUPS: Yeah, it's tough to pick them sometimes. Tonight I had to really focus in on it and in the game just be in this series and on the road, being on the road especially, you shoot a lot of those long shots and miss, they get off into that transition game that they are so great at.
Today I thought I picked them pretty good and just knocked them down, some of them, not as many as I would have liked to. You know it was just a great team effort from everybody. I thought Rip was great. Sheed, of course, was impressive and unstoppable. Tayshaun, between, had so much energy, Dyess was good, Lindsey pulled a gutty effort with his ankle and things. It was just really everybody that made us win this game today and that's the only way we can win.
TAYSHAUN PRINCE
Q: How do you describe tonight?
Prince: You know a lot of people didn’t think we were going to do it, especially with how good San Antonio has been on their home floor. I guess the record against them – I think we lost 10 straight games here or something like that. It’s us against the world, situation like this, I guess why we have been so consistent being down in the series and playing well is knowing our backs are against the wall and we need a win. Now it’s a Game 7, and back on the road again. We expect the same intensity and effort that we gave today, but we know San Antonio is going to try to bring more so we got to be ready.
Q: How big was Rasheed Wallace tonight?
Prince. Huge, he was huge. Went out there and played basketball, got in foul trouble. Once he came back in, he got a big offensive tip-in, which was huge late in the game. But he was huge all day, pretty much everybody was.
Q: All year long you guys answered the bell. Do you guys ever surprise yourself?
Prince: When in this position, Game 7 of the Finals, I’d go to war with these guys anytime. They leave it all on the line and try to make it happen when our backs are against the wall. All we asked for today was to give ourselves an opportunity, with the game on the line at the end, to give ourselves a chance to win and we got our opportunity.
Q: Talk about Chauncey tonight. You guys only had five turnovers tonight.
Prince: Turnovers were huge for us again. That is great just to have five. Chauncey, obviously, was huge for us, hitting big threes every time San Antonio made a run, everybody stepped up at important times of the basketball game.
Q: Do you guys ever think about your place in history? Possibly winning two Game 7s on the road in one postseason.
Prince: We are not going to worry about that. We are going to worry about just trying to go out and trying to play the same way we played tonight. As far as helping each out other defensively, we know they are going to make shots, we know they are going to move the basketball. We know things are going to happen, and how we let it affect us is key and we didn’t let it happen tonight.
BEN WALLACE
Q: This game was eerily similar to the game last year in New Jersey. Did you use that game to build your confidence in this game?
Wallace: Like I said earlier, this team never lacks confidence. We believe in what we do. When we come out and play the way we’re capable of playing we can beat anybody.
Q: Can you talk about the confidence you get from your guards. They didn’t commit a turnover.
Wallace: Chauncey (Billups) did a great job. Tayshaun (Prince) did a great job of running the show. That’s what you expect from guys like Chauncey and those guys, to come out and run the show. Run the whole thing to give us opportunities underneath.
Q: You shut them down the last two minutes. What were you doing different?
Wallace: Well, we were doing what we tried to do the whole game. Stop (Tim) Duncan, try to get him to shoot over the top. When he catches the ball try to make him – whether Rasheed (Wallace), (Antonio) McDyess or myself – try to make every shot contested. So we were able to get that done down the stretch, forcing Tim into tough shots, and giving him outside shots with a hand in his face.
Q: They did everything they could to take Rasheed out of the game, but he still came up big in the fourth quarter.
Wallace: I think ‘Sheed went out there and showed everybody that we are here, that we are defending champs. When things aren’t going well, we can go out and be mentally tough as well. I think Rasheed did a great job of getting us started with a good start, and kept his composure when things weren’t going well for us. Then he cam back in and closed the game and sealed the deal for us. So he showed some great mental toughness.
Q: Talk about what Game 7 will mean to you.
Wallace: Coming in here, that’s what we wanted to get to. That’s what we had to get to. I want to get myself a chance to get another championship. So it’s obviously a big game for us.
Q: Can you taste it?
Wallace: It’s close. Definitely can taste it.
Q: So how does it feel to finally win here in San Antonio?
Wallace: It’s great. It’s a great feeling, keep your hopes alive.
RASHEED WALLACE
Q. You said this morning you were talking about the play you made at the end of Game 5 and you said that you were going to be particularly going after it tonight. How emotionally did you approach the game and how do you feel you played?
RASHEED WALLACE : Just went at it as another good game. Even though I did a bonehead play the other night, I had to put it behind me. It was over with, just came out and had to play tonight.
Q. As a group the Pistons all talk about how you guys are best when your backs are up against the wall, how do you feel you personally react when you're under pressure?
RASHEED WALLACE: I mean, it's no pressure. I don't feel pressure. No matter if it's the game winning shot or I've got the ball on the last possession, I don't feel no pressure, because you've still got to go out there and play.
Q. This group of Spurs have never been to a Game 7 , Tim, Tony or Manu, you guys have been there, done that. Do you think you hold an advantage from having been there and if so, kind of what have you learned from playing in Game 7s, what's it like?
RASHEED WALLACE: To be comfortable. You know, some shots are big shots well, in game 7, every shot is a big shot, really, and every possession is a big possession, but you've just got to go out there and just play, man. That's something that, like you said, we're used to, Game 7 last series and Game 7 last year. So we pretty much have a slight advantage in that, but you've got to throw that out the window because they are too good.
Q. You guys hit eight three pointers the entire series, but you hit eight tonight. Was that by design or you just were feeling?
RASHEED WALLACE: Just shooting, just shooting. You know, it wasn't no special three point play that Pound for Pound drew up in the huddle or nothing. Just took what they gave us.
Q. What did you see down late when you were able to strip the ball from Manu, what was that play and can you describe what you saw him doing and how you were able to do that?
RASHEED WALLACE: I wish I would have got my hand on it the other night. You know, honestly, that's the first thing that popped in my head, I wish I could have got that little hit the other night on the ball. But, hey, got a win and tonight and it counted to force a Game 7.
Q. You talk about not being able to sit down for the ten minute mark, was that frustration or nervous energy?
RASHEED WALLACE: No nervous energy or frustration, I've got to be heard. I can't be heard too much from sitting down on the bench so I still try to keep myself in the game even if I'm not in the game. I think that's what everyone on the bench does, everybody that stepped on the floor tonight contributed and everybody that was sitting on that bench tonight contributed.
Q. Could I ask you to talk about what this team, and I know you knew this team had it in it, but what it team showed tonight by forcing a Game 7 and winning in a place where you had not really good success in the past?
RASHEED WALLACE: Oh, yeah, I seen that little that little stat there the last couple the laugh ten games here, actually. You know, the Spurs were undefeated against the Pistons, but stuff like that, just got to throw it out the window, man, and just play, just throw it out out there on the line. Tonight we showed guts, we wanted to show the game guts Thursday.
RICHARD HAMILTON
Q. You had not hit a three pointer this entire series, when you hit one did you know at that point they were going to start going in for you?
RICHARD HAMILTON: I just wanted to take what the defense gave me. I didn't want to try to force the issue or anything like that. When I had a wide open shot, I just shot it. It was an opportunity where I could hit a three pointer and they have to respect me from that range so I just shot it.
Q. I think we heard a couple of the crucial time outs at the end of the game, did Coach Brown tell you, "I love you guys," And did he say to have fun?
RICHARD HAMILTON: He did say to have fun. Coach lets you know that, let's go out there and have fun, leave it on the line regardless of what happens, if you go out there and play with 100% effort and 100% energy and just have a good time doing it, you can't ask for anything better and that's what we did.
Q. Would you agree that there was like a turning point the first half when you guys had a couple technicals and started to go off on the refs even though you were leading, but then after that, it seemed to just sort of calm down and get your concentration back and not sort of fall into that trap that you did in the first two games here?
RICHARD HAMILTON: I mean, we got the technicals, we were pissed off at a couple of calls but it was actually pissed off at the players that got the technicals, too. It was one of them things that, you know, we come in their building, we can't get caught up in anything. Once we called a time out, everybody said what they had to say and we just said that we can't allow ourselves to give them free points. We stayed connected and did what we had to do to get the win.
Q. Can you talk about the play when Bruce ripped your mask off, is it something that epitomized the whole series, what the whole series has been for you against Bruce?
RICHARD HAMILTON: Man, you know, I just told the ref I'm not going to be a cheap shot. I'm not going to be out here just letting y'all just allowing him just to hit me wherever. One time you got to make a call, because you make a call one time it doesn't allow the player to do that.
So it was one of those things, I try not to get frustrated, Sheed just said play basketball and I just tried to keep my head and continue to play.
Q. Both Larry and Chauncey have said that it's been a tough couple of days for Sheed. How do you see him respond when he has a tough couple of days emotionally like that and how do you feel like he did he especially in that fourth quarter?
RICHARD HAMILTON: Sheed was big, from the first play. Like I said, he wanted the ball. He made plays for us. You know, he was excited. He just wanted to get the opportunity to go out there and play. Everybody has got everybody's back on this team. Our motto is we win together, we lose together. In order for us to get to where we got to get to, we've all got to stay connected and the great thing about us, we all stayed connected. We all did what we did in shoot around, everybody was still loose, but we also know that we've got to take one game at a time and we did that tonight.
Kori Ellis
06-22-2005, 02:55 PM
GREGG POPOVICH
Q. Talk about the way Detroit seemed to respond, not only to the adversity of the end of Game 5, but to seemingly every big basket you guys seemed to have tonight, they answered right on the next possession.
COACH POPOVICH: Well, I thought they shot the ball really well tonight. They did a great job. Their guards really made it tough on us. We've held Rip in check to a decent degree so far in the series, and tonight, he escaped that. He and Chauncey, who has been playing great throughout, the two of them really hurt us with their shooting.
At the same time, they took care of the ball really well. I think they had four or five turnovers, so I think they showed great poise, really executed well, as I said, shot the ball very well, and that's why they are NBA champs. You expect them to be able to do that, and you've got to play very well to beat them.
Q. Talk about Rasheed Wallace's play down the stretch, he really had some critical plays for them.
COACH POPOVICH: Yeah, he made a big shot, he had been sitting on the bench for a while and came and knocked down a shot on the baseline and got an offensive rebound and stuck it back in I believe. He came in and got back to work. He didn't worry about having to sit with some fouls or anything. He got right back in the game and did his job.
Q. They had eight three pointers this entire series, eight three pointers tonight. Was it something different they were doing or just hitting their shots?
COACH POPOVICH: No, I think that Chauncey was looking a little bit more for them. We had a couple of bad rotations in the first half. I think they had five of them in the first half and we had a couple of poor rotations where a couple of guys made mistakes on some of the threes.
But they are not known to be a three point shooting team, so some nights that's going to happen. They shot well tonight. What is of concern to us is that we shot 28, and that's too many. That's definitely too many. A lot of those were hurried, a matter of trying to win quickly, skipping steps. They have got to be good shots. They have got to be open threes, not hurried threes or hoping that they are going to fall.
So our threes were more of a problem really than the made threes they have they had.
Q. They have not looked for the three point shot this entire series, did that surprise you they were looking for that shot?
COACH POPOVICH: No, a couple of times, Chauncey and Rip were wide open. The rotations did not get where they were supposed to be.
Q. You gave Manu a brief rest with about seven minutes to a little under six in the fourth. Did you think he had enough energy at the end of the game, and secondly, was he forcing a little bit toward the finish, the final couple of minutes?
COACH POPOVICH: Well, I think in general, there were times in the game that toward the end as one example where we were a bit frenetic and probably trying to do some things one on one instead of with the group in an effort to win a basketball game. That's real dangerous against a team that's as poised as Detroit.
I thought that in that respect, we did not do a very good job tonight.
Q. Sort of following up on what Mike said, you mentioned late, Manu, you were down two, a minute or something to go, how important was that turnover and turnovers in general to what you guys were not able to do?
COACH POPOVICH: Well, the fact that they didn't turn it over and that we did definitely hurt us. I thought our halfcourt defense was not as sharp tonight. Rip and Chauncey both got away from us.
Down the stretch, it's still anybody's ballgame and the thing Rasheed made a shot, people make shots, that's going to happen. But of concern is how Tayshaun got the two offensive rebounds. That really killed us. I think they scored after both rebounds, I'm not positive about that, but we had made stops and were going to get the ball back with down one or down three, whatever it might have been and they got the ball right back in both situations. I thought that was a killer.
Q. You had a chance to wrap this up at your home, and you have two chances obviously. Can you talk about the disappointment not doing it tonight and the setup for Game 7 ?
COACH POPOVICH: You're always disappointed when you lose a playoff game so, we'll do the same things that anyone would do. We'll look at some film, see if we can explain some things to the guys. We'll come and play on Thursday.
Q. You got great triple penetration in the first half from Manu, and Tony, they seemed to close that out a little bit in the second half, was that them?
COACH POPOVICH: No, I don't think it was I think you're probably trying to find something there. You know, it wasn't that different, really. More than anything, I think we were just too quick with everything that we did, not waiting for the game to come to us as individuals and then playing with it, but trying to force things. Because when you do that, there probably are not any lanes in which to penetrate. You have to let that happen, and when they are there, they are there.
TIM DUNCAN
Q. Coming down the stretch in the fourth quarter, you only got two touches in your sweet spots more or less. Did you feel like in the meat of the basketball game like you were not seeing the ball enough in the halfcourt set?
TIM DUNCAN: Not at all. We moved the ball, that's been our the way we've been playing the entire way. I'm going to get the ball when I'm in position. We did hold on to the ball a little too long at times. The ball stuck a little bit. We went through a stretch there where we were forcing some bad ones or we were not hitting the open guy and kind of trying to penetrate their defense as we have been in the games that we have won. Something we'll have to clean up for the next game.
Q. I was wondering, I asked Pop the same question, if you can express the obvious disappointment, you had the chance to wrap it up here at home, your team was coming off that win, can you talk about your disappointment in this game and your assumed admiration for Detroit?
TIM DUNCAN: We said it after the last game, they are best facing elimination or down. That's when they are best. We knew we had to put a very good game out there to beat them. We didn't do it. It's a disappointing loss but we play all year to have home court to have this opportunity, so we're going to come in this building two days from now and do a lot of clean up stuff.
Q. Did it surprise you that they went to the outside shot so much tonight when they had not before in the entire series?
TIM DUNCAN: They were big. They hit some big shots. Chauncey was big from the start. He had been feeling it all night, and once they got rolling, the confidence kind of permeated throughout their entire team, guys were getting it open and they were letting it go and it was going down for them. Beyond that, when they did miss shots, they got some offensive rebounds that really hurt us. All in all they played a much bigger game than we did.
Q. Tim, resilience has been really the name of the game this whole series. Can you talk a little bit about what you have to tell yourself to get ready for a Game 7 and bounce back after a disappointing game like this?
TIM DUNCAN: We all understand what we have to do. We are going to watch some film. We are going to turn some plays and understand, I think people already understand what we gave away, and why we gave it away. We're going to have to play a lot better this next game. We're going to have to play solid for a longer period of time. I think that's what they did tonight. They just played solid for a longer period of time. I think that we'll run that focus, we had too many too many off possessions, drive possessions where we just didn't get anything. We dribbled around, dribbled around for too long and they were able to stay in front of us and we had to cast up a jumper or something, a contested jumper.
We'll do better on possessions in those terms, and we get another five, six, seven, eight possessions where we get more quality shots, it's a different ballgame for us.
Q. On this other subject of quality shots, three minutes before the end of the game I think you had two consecutive baskets and then you hardly touched the ball, do you have to be more aggressive in getting that position under the basket to receive the ball? Do you have to be more aggressive in demanding the ball?
TIM DUNCAN: I'm being as aggressive as I can be. I'll be in my position when I'm in my position. We're not going to force feed. We're not going to start doing that now. We haven't played like that all season. If the plays are called we're going to run the play and we'll try to get into position.
They are a very good defensive basketball team and they are very good at getting around in front and changing positions and doing whatever they may have to do. I'll try to be as aggressive as I can to get the ball whenever I can, but I'm not going to demand the ball and clock it up and make it whether I score we win or not.
Q. Was it a the game was almost like two offensive styles from the beginning and you were not able to have periods of not having periods of knocking down your habitual defense?
TIM DUNCAN: It was a little bit too open for us. I think they shot the high 40s, I don't know if they shot that the entire series except for maybe the blowout, but it's just not the game we want to play. Those are the clean up things we have to do before Thursday's game I was talking about. They got too many open jumpshots and we just ran into a situation where they got open jumpshots and they were not missing the open jumpshots. We'll do a better job of that next game and keeping a hand in people's face and hopefully get that percentage down to a respectful amount for us.
TONY PARKER
Q. Tony, what do they do that makes it so difficult at times to control the ball?
TONY PARKER: They put great pressure, pressure full court, Lindsey and Richard, they did a good job to try to make us hurry and not getting in our sets. It's kind of tough because you try to slow down and make sure we get everybody in place but sometimes I just have to create and make some stuff happen. You just have to find that balance, because they make you hurry.
Q. You and Manu both had great success in the first half, triple penetration, getting to the rim, did they do anything specifically in the second half to take that away?
TONY PARKER: Not really. But they just, I think in the second half, they collapsed better and they came in a little faster, the big guys came in a little bit quicker. We just have to make adjustment and have confidence in our outside shooting in Bruce and Brent Barry. It was just a great game and they showed a lot of heart and came back strong. Now we just have to react.
Q. They hit as many three pointers tonight as they had the entire series. What were they doing on offense that allowed them to get those open looks?
TONY PARKER: That hurt us, the boards, they was getting offensive rebounds and kick it to the shooters, hitting a lot of threes, especially Chauncey. He got some great looks in the first half and that hurt us. There was too many threes and we have to stay in front of them and make them drivers.
Tonight, basically, we have to help the big guys, smalls and myself, we have to go to the boards and try to help them and they had too many offensive rebounds, and that ends up with a lot of threes, and especially the end of the basket, Tayshaun Prince got two huge offensive rebounds and scored twice. So we just have to control it.
Q. Do you think that you guys lost tonight because of things that y'all did not do or things that the Pistons did, like making plays? I felt like they just hit tough shots, not that y'all played bad halfcourt defense.
TONY PARKER: A little bit of both, a little bit of both. We made a lot of mistakes down the stretch, but they hit some key baskets. Rasheed Wallace's three was a big one and Tayshaun Prince's drive at the end, it was big. So it was a little bit of both. You have to give them credit. They played great tonight.
Q. Unless my memory is incorrect, it's been a long time since there was a Game 7 in the NBA Finals. Can you just talk about and I'm sure you wish there was not a Game 7 this year coming into, this but can you talk about what it means to be in a Game 7 with everything on the line?
TONY PARKER: It's just two great teams two, teams that played a great defense and they both want to win and we've played even. We won twice at home, they won twice at home, we won on the road and they came here and took one. It's just two teams who battle and are very physical out there and we'll see who wants it the most on Thursday.
MANU GINOBILI
Q. Manu, two questions. You got a brief break about the seven minute mark and came back about a couple of minutes later, did you have your energy at the end of the game did you think?
MANU GINOBILI: It was hard. Of course I didn't have the same energy as in the first half, but still, I think that even with the energy that I had available, I could have done a way better job making decisions in the last five minutes. So even though, of course, it's not the same energy, I am still very upset because the way I played down the stretch.
Q. Second question, relates to that, the final minutes, were you forcing too much, were you trying to do too much individually and as Pop said, not letting the game come to you?
MANU GINOBILI: I think in the last two minutes, it's not the same as at the beginning where you can let the game come to you. I think you just draw plays, you've just got to execute and be smart.
I think I didn't take good decisions on offense. I made a couple of mistakes on defense, too. So, you know, that's what makes one team win and the other lose. That's what happened in Detroit, too. We made a couple of great shots; we won. Today, they did, we didn't play that smart in the last two minutes; we lost.
Q. Where was your team's defense tonight first of all, and second of all, do you think you guys shot like way too many threes and why can't you guys get more fast break points at home?
MANU GINOBILI: Can you go one by one? I'm a little tired now and not that smart either.
Q. It seemed like your defense was not there tonight, their three pointers, and you didn't get too many fast break points.
MANU GINOBILI: I don't think we played that bad of a defense. They just happened to make a lot of shots, many of Chauncey's threes were contested and he made them. Rip had a great night, too, on the screens. We played the same kind of defense in the other games. It just happened that they made so many shots.
Then we played on the offensive side, as I said before, we didn't take the smartest decisions, because if we did, we would probably be talking about something totally different now.
About the fast break, it's not easy. They are a very good team. They go to the offensive board very hard. So, you know, everybody is trying to get the rebound and by the time we get the ball, it's not that easy to get to the other side as fast. I think we should try to get some easy buckets more against them, but, who knows if we are going to be able to.
I think I'm missing one.
Q. Three points; 28 three pointers.
MANU GINOBILI: In the third quarter and in the fourth we took too many shots. I think we should have put the ball a little more inside on Tim. But, you know, many, many other games, probably the last two games we won because of those threes. Today we relied on that too much and it was not a great night. So we should have been smarter. That was one of the parts of the game that we are a little upset, too.
Q. This team has not played a Game 7, but you've played in a Game 5 in the Olympic finals; will this help you for a game 7?
MANU GINOBILI: Yeah, now we've arrived to a point where it's similar, it's one game, but that history doesn't matter. Home court advantage doesn't matter anymore. It depends a lot on the character of the players, how you respond under pressure. And so, yes, I think I'm going to be ready, but, who knows, then probably you can have a bad game and you can't have one. We just have to be there as a team, support each other and pass the ball. You don't have to have a great night to play good D. It has to be a team thing, very defensive and a lot of adrenaline going on.
Q. Late in the game, when you were driving the basket and Rasheed was able to step in and strip it, what happened on that play, and why do you think he was able to do that?
MANU GINOBILI: Because he's quick. He's got quick hands. He did it the whole series against everybody, against Tony, against me, against Tim. It's something that he does very well. So sometimes I'm going to be able to go finish and sometimes he's going to have to do the right play. Just happens.
Q. You seem to be very hard on yourself at this point, the way apparently Rasheed was after his play at the end of Game 5. What will be your approach to game 7 personally, more determination or do you is there a danger perhaps?
MANU GINOBILI: No. I think I had the right approach. I'm happy with the way I faced the game, I played, it just so happens I made too many mistakes down the stretch. I'm going to try to be smarter and take better positions. I don't think it was a matter of the approach. I think we did that well. They just had a great game, make a lot of shots, and that's it.
ROBERT HORRY
Q: As good as Game 5 was, was this as bad?
Horry: No. Games 3 and 4 were bad. This game was bad because we lost on our home court, but that’s the good thing about being up 3-2, you still have another chance Thursday to have another shot at it.
Q: What did Gregg Popovich say to you during the time out when there was about 1:25 left in the game?
Horry: Run this play.
Q: Did he say anything else?
Horry: No. He just said we lost the game because we didn’t rebound down the stretch and we had too many turnovers.
Q: Could you talk about Tim Duncan’s play, from the free throw line? It seems like it’s a mental struggle.
Horry: That’s one of those mental things you have to ask Tim about.
Q: What was so hard about holding on to the ball tonight?
Horry: Detroit has a reputation about having good hands and they proved it to us. They have good hands, they’re a great defensive team, they get a lot of deflections, a lot of pokes here and there to get it to their teammates, so we’ve just been turning the ball over and we just need to be more careful.
Q: How do you recharge mentally for what will be probably be the biggest game this franchise has ever seen?
Horry: Last game of the year. We know for a fact that this is the last game and we have to lay it all on the line. You have no reason to save anything. You have to go out and play hard.
Q: Is the mood here disappointment? Anger? How is it different then it was in Game 3 and 4?
Horry: It’s disappointing because you lost, but we’re still okay. We had a bad game and usually when we have bad games we come out and play good, especially when we’re at home. So that’s the good thing about having home-court advantage, you get to try to win this thing at home.
Q: You played in a Game 7 in 1994 and it’s such a rare occurrence. Can you talk about that experience; do you remember what that’s like?
Horry: To be honest with you I just know we played New York. That’s all I can remember.
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