Practice Quotes, 4/25/02
Head Coach Doc Rivers:
You now have Home Court advantage, are you focusing on that?:
“We’re focusing on playing basketball. We can play in Alaska, it doesn’t matter, we just have to focus on our game. Obviously we know we’re going to have a great crowd, because we’ve had that all year. But we have to play the game. We have to come out and execute like we executed in Charlotte and we have to do some things better than we did in Charlotte. It can’t be where we’re home and everything’s good, we have to close the deal.”
On Ewing’s play:
“Patrick was great. He really was. He was good in game one also, but he didn’t feel well enough to stay on the floor and asked to be taken out. In game two, he gave us big minutes because Elden Campbell is hurting us in this series thus far, and we have to do a better job of slowing him. I thought when Patrick Ewing came into the game, he did an excellent job of at least keeping his body out of the paint.”
On McGrady’s health:
“He is what he is, he’s hurt but he’s feeling better. I think he’s feeling better today than he did yesterday. He’s not going to be 100%, but he’s still a great basketball player and they have the ability to block out things and play and that’s what he did in game two.”
Troy Hudson’s play:
“Troy was big. We needed him. Game one he was passive, game two he was aggressive and that’s why we won the game.”
Rebounding improvement:
“I think we just did a better job of focusing on it. I thought we did a much better job of locating guys when a shot went up. In game one, every time they shot the ball, we ran after the rebound, in game two every time they shot the ball, we ran after their men to block them out. I thought that was a simple adjustment, but we actually did it.”
Tracy McGrady:
How do you feel?:
“Good man… I’m feeling better every day. I didn’t practice today, I just wanted to get some rest and heal this back for Saturday.”
Being at home:
“It’s just great to be back home and playing in front of our home crowd. I said back in Charlotte that we’re going to show them how a real crowd is going to be and how loud they’re going to be. This is good. We’re coming back home with a 1-1 series, playing in front of our home crowd… we’re going to be energized, we’re going to be pumped but we gotta stay focused and we gotta get the win.”
His play in Game Two:
“I told myself that I was going to play better than in game one. Game one, I was so worried about the pain in my back, and in game two I felt like we had a great chance of winning that game so I was just going to do whatever possible.”
Does sleeping in your own bed make your back feel better?:
“I don’t think so… cause the doctors asked me what kind of mattress I have and I told them that it was real soft and they told me that’s not real good for me so that could be a problem [laughs]. It’s probably not the best thing for me, but I’m home and I feel better.”
Do you think you have the chance to close the series out?:
“Yeah. I really do. But at the same time, this team [Charlotte] has been playing well on the road. We just got to show them that we’re one of the better teams at home. It’s gonna be a dogfight Saturday.”
Troy’s play:
“Aww man… all year he’s been stepping up. When we need that guy to really step up and score, Troy’s been that guy. He’s been coming through for us and some games he hasn’t been as aggressive as we wanted him to, but after Doc telling him that we needed him to be more aggressive in game two, he stepped up and that’s what it’s going to take. You got everybody keying in on me. A lot of pressure is going to be on me, and a lot of focus is going to be on me and some of the guys get to go out there and play freely and a guy like Troy, if you let him go free, he’s going to really burn ya.”
Lynch’s defense:
That’s what he’s in there for. He’s not in there to score a whole lot of points. He’s in there to play aggressive defense on me. You need a guy on your team like that to be somewhat of a stopper and he’s been that guy to come in and give them aggressive defense.”
Horace Grant:
Rebounding improvement:
“I think it was more or less that we knew that in order for us to have any chance of winning that ballgame in game two that we needed to rebound. That was one of the things we focused on. Pat Garrity put his body out there on the line and kept P.J. off the boards for the most part the other night and I think that was one of the biggest keys and our guards and small forwards came in.”
Thoughts of Elden Campbell back at Clemson compared to now:
“That’s like night and day. I was just thinking about that, telling some of the guys when I played with him two years at Clemson we called him ‘Easy E’. He must have ate something, drank something, or did something to be that aggressive and that potent on the low post.”
Who’s the best player to come out of Clemson?:
“Well, you know, a guy named Horace Grant was the only ACC Player of the Year his senior year and he’s the only one that has championship rings. We talk trash to each other. We talk about some of the friends we had at Clemson and things like that to ease the tension a little bit but it’s still playoff basketball.”
The playoffs:
“It’s the most exciting time for me. The regular season is basically a bore. Just being out there in the playoffs is very exciting.”
As veterans, do you and Patrick save yourselves for the playoffs?:
“I don’t think it’s saving ourselves, it’s pacing ourselves. When the playoff time comes, we get a little more energy from somewhere, I don’t know where, but it’s fun for us.”
Patrick Ewing
Do you get a little extra hop in your step when the post-season starts?
“The regular season is just a warm up. This is what it’s all about and this is what you work for all season long – to get to this point. An old coach of mine, John Thompson, always said that this was the time of year when those who can play, play. My job is to make sure that I’m ready to play whenever they put me on the court.”
Troy Hudson
How does it feel to know that you were such a huge part of the reason that the Magic pulled it out in Game #2?
“It felt great to get the win. My teammates and coaching staff have shown a lot of confidence in me all season long and they’ve continued to do that during the playoffs. I’m glad that I was able to come through for them.”
Do you consider Game #2 in Charlotte the best game of your career?
“Definitely. A chance for me to play in the playoffs and get some quality minutes is what I’ve always worked towards.”
Did you feel any pressure on you to score knowing that the team was relying on you down the stretch with Tracy McGrady tiring?
“Not really. I’ve been prepped for it all season long. I knew that I had to come out with confidence and play the same way that I had all season long. The pressure won’t get to me as long as a keep my head up and do what I have to do.”
What do you think that the team needs to do in order to get a win in Game #3?
“This is an important game and we need to come out and stay focused. We’re at home and we have to be prepared to defend our home turf. We are one of the better teams at home this season and we have to continue that through the playoffs.”
Mike Miller
How is your ankle feeling?
“It’s about the same and it will probably be the same throughout the playoffs. It needs rest. It definitely felt better at the beginning of practice, but once you get going and start moving around on it a little it’s going to be sore again. The bottom line is, I just have to play with it.
I think that right now coach is doing a great job of putting me in at spurts, but I think that I’m ready to start playing more if he needs me to. I told him that I would give him what I’ve got when he calls on me, and that’s what I’m doing. There’s a lot of time to rest in the off-season, and I owe this team way too much to sit out now. Even if it’s going in there in giving them a good 12 minutes of working hard and trying to spread the defense or getting other people the ball, I think that it will help.”
Does the team feel any pressure to perform with the next two games being on your home court?
“Every time there is a playoff series, there is pressure to perform and to represent Orlando as an organization. I think that being at home is more in our favor. We’re going to go out there and play. We’re great at home and we have great fans to support us.”
Pat Garrity
What did the team do differently in the Game #2 that allowed you to get the win?
“We definitely picked up our play in the second game and we really need to keep that up. Tracy is going to score his points, even though he is hurt, but he’s going to need someone else to make shots for him when he has people coming at him.”
How confident is this team now that you are facing the next two playoff games at home?
“(Allen) Iverson made a good comment yesterday that if you don’t have confidence, then you shouldn’t even show up to the game. That’s what it’s all about. It’s a battle of wills and down the stretch it’s a matter of maintaining your edge and doing the little things to take away the other team’s advantage.”
What types of things do you need to do get comfortable in the flow of the game?
“I think that I’m best running the floor and getting shots in transition. On the other hand, I think that the playoffs are all about getting out of your comfort zone and pushing it because a lot of times you are tired and banged up. The key is having to execute and do things aren’t comfortable.”
You now have Home Court advantage, are you focusing on that?:
“We’re focusing on playing basketball. We can play in Alaska, it doesn’t matter, we just have to focus on our game. Obviously we know we’re going to have a great crowd, because we’ve had that all year. But we have to play the game. We have to come out and execute like we executed in Charlotte and we have to do some things better than we did in Charlotte. It can’t be where we’re home and everything’s good, we have to close the deal.”
On Ewing’s play:
“Patrick was great. He really was. He was good in game one also, but he didn’t feel well enough to stay on the floor and asked to be taken out. In game two, he gave us big minutes because Elden Campbell is hurting us in this series thus far, and we have to do a better job of slowing him. I thought when Patrick Ewing came into the game, he did an excellent job of at least keeping his body out of the paint.”
On McGrady’s health:
“He is what he is, he’s hurt but he’s feeling better. I think he’s feeling better today than he did yesterday. He’s not going to be 100%, but he’s still a great basketball player and they have the ability to block out things and play and that’s what he did in game two.”
Troy Hudson’s play:
“Troy was big. We needed him. Game one he was passive, game two he was aggressive and that’s why we won the game.”
Rebounding improvement:
“I think we just did a better job of focusing on it. I thought we did a much better job of locating guys when a shot went up. In game one, every time they shot the ball, we ran after the rebound, in game two every time they shot the ball, we ran after their men to block them out. I thought that was a simple adjustment, but we actually did it.”
Tracy McGrady:
How do you feel?:
“Good man… I’m feeling better every day. I didn’t practice today, I just wanted to get some rest and heal this back for Saturday.”
Being at home:
“It’s just great to be back home and playing in front of our home crowd. I said back in Charlotte that we’re going to show them how a real crowd is going to be and how loud they’re going to be. This is good. We’re coming back home with a 1-1 series, playing in front of our home crowd… we’re going to be energized, we’re going to be pumped but we gotta stay focused and we gotta get the win.”
His play in Game Two:
“I told myself that I was going to play better than in game one. Game one, I was so worried about the pain in my back, and in game two I felt like we had a great chance of winning that game so I was just going to do whatever possible.”
Does sleeping in your own bed make your back feel better?:
“I don’t think so… cause the doctors asked me what kind of mattress I have and I told them that it was real soft and they told me that’s not real good for me so that could be a problem [laughs]. It’s probably not the best thing for me, but I’m home and I feel better.”
Do you think you have the chance to close the series out?:
“Yeah. I really do. But at the same time, this team [Charlotte] has been playing well on the road. We just got to show them that we’re one of the better teams at home. It’s gonna be a dogfight Saturday.”
Troy’s play:
“Aww man… all year he’s been stepping up. When we need that guy to really step up and score, Troy’s been that guy. He’s been coming through for us and some games he hasn’t been as aggressive as we wanted him to, but after Doc telling him that we needed him to be more aggressive in game two, he stepped up and that’s what it’s going to take. You got everybody keying in on me. A lot of pressure is going to be on me, and a lot of focus is going to be on me and some of the guys get to go out there and play freely and a guy like Troy, if you let him go free, he’s going to really burn ya.”
Lynch’s defense:
That’s what he’s in there for. He’s not in there to score a whole lot of points. He’s in there to play aggressive defense on me. You need a guy on your team like that to be somewhat of a stopper and he’s been that guy to come in and give them aggressive defense.”
Horace Grant:
Rebounding improvement:
“I think it was more or less that we knew that in order for us to have any chance of winning that ballgame in game two that we needed to rebound. That was one of the things we focused on. Pat Garrity put his body out there on the line and kept P.J. off the boards for the most part the other night and I think that was one of the biggest keys and our guards and small forwards came in.”
Thoughts of Elden Campbell back at Clemson compared to now:
“That’s like night and day. I was just thinking about that, telling some of the guys when I played with him two years at Clemson we called him ‘Easy E’. He must have ate something, drank something, or did something to be that aggressive and that potent on the low post.”
Who’s the best player to come out of Clemson?:
“Well, you know, a guy named Horace Grant was the only ACC Player of the Year his senior year and he’s the only one that has championship rings. We talk trash to each other. We talk about some of the friends we had at Clemson and things like that to ease the tension a little bit but it’s still playoff basketball.”
The playoffs:
“It’s the most exciting time for me. The regular season is basically a bore. Just being out there in the playoffs is very exciting.”
As veterans, do you and Patrick save yourselves for the playoffs?:
“I don’t think it’s saving ourselves, it’s pacing ourselves. When the playoff time comes, we get a little more energy from somewhere, I don’t know where, but it’s fun for us.”
Patrick Ewing
Do you get a little extra hop in your step when the post-season starts?
“The regular season is just a warm up. This is what it’s all about and this is what you work for all season long – to get to this point. An old coach of mine, John Thompson, always said that this was the time of year when those who can play, play. My job is to make sure that I’m ready to play whenever they put me on the court.”
Troy Hudson
How does it feel to know that you were such a huge part of the reason that the Magic pulled it out in Game #2?
“It felt great to get the win. My teammates and coaching staff have shown a lot of confidence in me all season long and they’ve continued to do that during the playoffs. I’m glad that I was able to come through for them.”
Do you consider Game #2 in Charlotte the best game of your career?
“Definitely. A chance for me to play in the playoffs and get some quality minutes is what I’ve always worked towards.”
Did you feel any pressure on you to score knowing that the team was relying on you down the stretch with Tracy McGrady tiring?
“Not really. I’ve been prepped for it all season long. I knew that I had to come out with confidence and play the same way that I had all season long. The pressure won’t get to me as long as a keep my head up and do what I have to do.”
What do you think that the team needs to do in order to get a win in Game #3?
“This is an important game and we need to come out and stay focused. We’re at home and we have to be prepared to defend our home turf. We are one of the better teams at home this season and we have to continue that through the playoffs.”
Mike Miller
How is your ankle feeling?
“It’s about the same and it will probably be the same throughout the playoffs. It needs rest. It definitely felt better at the beginning of practice, but once you get going and start moving around on it a little it’s going to be sore again. The bottom line is, I just have to play with it.
I think that right now coach is doing a great job of putting me in at spurts, but I think that I’m ready to start playing more if he needs me to. I told him that I would give him what I’ve got when he calls on me, and that’s what I’m doing. There’s a lot of time to rest in the off-season, and I owe this team way too much to sit out now. Even if it’s going in there in giving them a good 12 minutes of working hard and trying to spread the defense or getting other people the ball, I think that it will help.”
Does the team feel any pressure to perform with the next two games being on your home court?
“Every time there is a playoff series, there is pressure to perform and to represent Orlando as an organization. I think that being at home is more in our favor. We’re going to go out there and play. We’re great at home and we have great fans to support us.”
Pat Garrity
What did the team do differently in the Game #2 that allowed you to get the win?
“We definitely picked up our play in the second game and we really need to keep that up. Tracy is going to score his points, even though he is hurt, but he’s going to need someone else to make shots for him when he has people coming at him.”
How confident is this team now that you are facing the next two playoff games at home?
“(Allen) Iverson made a good comment yesterday that if you don’t have confidence, then you shouldn’t even show up to the game. That’s what it’s all about. It’s a battle of wills and down the stretch it’s a matter of maintaining your edge and doing the little things to take away the other team’s advantage.”
What types of things do you need to do get comfortable in the flow of the game?
“I think that I’m best running the floor and getting shots in transition. On the other hand, I think that the playoffs are all about getting out of your comfort zone and pushing it because a lot of times you are tired and banged up. The key is having to execute and do things aren’t comfortable.”
