HEAT Head Coach Pat Riley

On the game:
“I’m glad we could get everybody out of there without getting hurt. We just didn’t get it done in the third quarter. We had a horrible third quarter. Dwight Howard was dominant. They out rebounded us by 20 so I think the game sort of speaks for itself. We just have to move on and we are. We’re happy to move on. As far as I’m concerned, it is a privilege, regardless of what happened with this team with injuries and such. It’s been a privilege to wear the ring and be a world champion and now for real, get to defend it. You don’t get to defend it during the regular season. You get a lot of things coming at you. Teams are always sky high for you; it’s their biggest game of the year, things of that nature. Now we really get a chance to defend it. I think we’re relatively healthy. The guys are eager and excited to get on with the real party so that’s what it’s about now.”

On the Heat jelling at the right time:
“You don’t ever want to be or seem disjointed but obviously I was more concerned with the health of the team than anything else. I thought we had played some good basketball prior to the last three or four games. So once we locked in to the fourth seed that was pretty much it for me. It wasn’t about anything else, just to get through. I think we have a group of guys that will get it done and get it together.”

On the relief of the regular season ending:
“It’s time to get on. It’s been a real arduous week for me, just sort of waiting and looking at two different teams a lot and trying to get things accomplished. We put two new sets in today at practice. We didn’t use them tonight, just things we’re familiar with and things we used in the playoffs last year. Just have to dust off a few things. It’ll be interesting to see Shaquille (O’ Neal) and Dwyane (Wade) playing together for more than six or seven times. I’m excited about that.”

On getting his team in to a higher gear:
“Well I think they know how to do that and we will. It’s going to take a great effort but our guys will play very hard for whatever it is we earn. We have our backs against the wall on the road but we’re going to go after it.”

HEAT Guard Dwyane Wade

On the game:
“It is great to wear the crown all year and to be rewarded at different places we go. It is great to be recognized as the Champions wherever we went. It was also tough being the ones who are hunted for night in and night out. It was also tough not having Shaq for 40 games this year and not having me for 30. It was a tough year. But it is a different season now and we are looking forward to defending our crown.”

“It takes a lot to win a Championship and a lot of sacrifice. You can’t defend your title until you get to the playoffs and get an opportunity to put it all out there and see if anybody is better than you. You go out every night and try and wear the crown with respect.”

“We are the same team (compared to last year) except for Eddie Jones. Everybody else is pretty much the same from last year. We know what won us a Championship last year and how we have to play to win it. That doesn’t go away and we are looking forward to doing it again.”

“With Cleveland, we haven’t had the battles that we have had with Chicago. We haven’t played them in the playoffs. Chicago feels that they can beat us in the playoffs…Kirk Hinrich came out and said it, so we will find out if they lose this game (vs. New Jersey Nets) or not. If we do play them it will be a great, great matchup. They have an opportunity to be at home if we face them, and they feel that is the only reason we won last year because we had home court advantage. Only thing you can do is throw the ball up and play.”

“I am not 100%, but I am able to go out there and play. This is a game I love to play. That is all I can ask for. Twenty three games ago, I was just wishing I could play and I have that opportunity now.”

“I have never played a close friend (LeBron James) like that in a playoff setting. You have to be much more focused. It is not like in the regular season where you have 82 games and you meet each other. If we play them, I am sure we will says something to each other before the playoffs and after that go our separate ways and concentrate on our teams.”

HEAT Center Alonzo Mourning

On the Game:
“We have to take care of everybody who gets in our way of accomplishing our goal. That is plain and simple. I don’t care who we play in the first round. Whoever it is, they are in our way.”

“We are looking forward to the opportunity (of defending title). If we are healthy and whole, we are ready. You guys will witness it come Saturday or Sunday.”

Orlando Magic Head Coach Brian Hill

On the game:
“Well this part is over and now we go to the next part. So we’ll see what we can accomplish, see where we’re going. There’s another quarter left to play in Indiana, so we don’t know what’s going to happen. Either Detroit or Cleveland it looks like right now, we’ll just have to wait and see what happens in the next 45 minutes or so.”

“I’m very pleased with what the guys have done. I think they were put in a position these last couple weeks of the season where we had some key head-to-head match-ups. Some games we pretty much had to win and in particular this last stretch where we spent a week on the road and finished up with four games in five nights, I think it really showed a lot of focus and resolve. They wanted to get it done. Even in tonight’s game, they still wanted to try to improve their position by winning this game tonight. Obviously it’s not a full strength Miami team, we understand that. I’ve been very pleased with the way they played and the way they’ve focused on getting the job done night in and night out.”

On if playing well in the past few games will be a good confidence builder for the team:
“I think it’s really good because if you’re playing well then your guys feel good about themselves. I’ve seen it both ways. I’ve seen teams that have really struggled down the stretch all the sudden get into playoffs and have a heck of a run. I think it’s just all about the confidence of the team and where they feel they are right now. I think our guys like where they are right now as far as playing and playing with each other. Now it’s all about having confidence going into this first series.”

On the significance of each and every game in the season:
“I don’t think there’s any question, this is part of the process. Guys just have to understand the significance of all 82 games. If you look at our situation right now we didn’t own the tie breaker with anybody except Washington. Those season series games, those divisional in conference game, it’s hard to get those across to a guy in late January that some of those are important, or right before or after the All-Star break when that’s all they’re thinking about. But that’s after you’ve been in the playoffs and you start to get that experience. Now I’m sure to a man each of these guys can say ‘if only,’ ‘if only’ this game or ‘if only’ that game. There’s not a significant difference – I think 11 wins separates us and Detroit right now from one to eight.”

On the difference in playing No. 1 vs. No. 2 or No. 3:
“You can pick your poison. Obviously if you have to go through Miami and Detroit, you’re going through the two most recent champions, so if you get there you have earned it. There’s no doubt about that. The other teams are probably not as battle-tested in the playoffs, Cleveland and Chicago, but they are both very, very good basketball teams. We can’t worry about who we’re playing right now, we just have worry about ourselves and playing the best basketball we can play right now.”

Magic Center Dwight Howard

On the game:
“It was one of our goals at the beginning of the season to make the playoffs. So it feels good.” “We won four games out of five nights. It’s the first time we won back-to-back all year.”

On playing Detroit in playoffs:
“It’s a new season. We’re going to go out there with the mindset that we can beat anybody. (We) just have to go out there and have fun and play like we know how to play.”

“Everybody keeps telling me it’s a different feeling. Hopefully I’ll be ready.”

Magic Forward Grant Hill

On the game:
“We came out in the third quarter. We had been struggling in the first half. We turned it up a little bit. That’s the most important thing. We had a good third quarter. We played better in the fourth and got a good win.”

“We were able to sweep the other Florida team. I think that’s the first time we’ve done that since I’ve been here.”

On if the squad meets Detroit in the first round :
“I look forward to playing them (the Pistons).”

Magic Guard Jameer Nelson

On the game:
“It’s going to be a challenge for us, no matter who we play. But like I kept saying all season, we accept all challenges and I think we can beat anybody in a seven game series.”

Magic Guard Carlos Arroyo

On the game:
“We’ve worked really hard since preseason to get to this point. It’s obvious a gift the basketball sport has given to us. It’s a great honor to get into the playoffs. Not a lot of teams get the opportunity to get into the playoffs and for us to be there is a great honor.”

Magic Guard J.J. Redick

On the game:
“Our team has some older guys on it that have been to the playoffs before. But for a lot of guys, it’ll be a first time for us. So hopefully we won’t really know what we’re getting into and that’ll be a good thing. Hopefully we’ll have a lot of energy, play with a lot of emotion. I look for us to really make a strong statement in the playoffs.”