Toronto Raptors vs. New Jersey Nets
Saturday, April 21, 2007 ¨C Air Canada Centre

Mitchell

You were much quieter this game than usual¡­
I wasn¡¯t quiet, I just couldn't hear. I was walking down, coaching them and I just wanted them to relax and let them play. We had our opportunities, we just made some mistakes at the wrong time and the mistakes we made are just easy to correct. Communication. I don't know if it was the guys caught up in the moment, or the first playoff game but we just gave them things that we normally wouldn't.

Thoughts on (Chris) Bosh early foul trouble¡­
He is our best player, and he got into foul trouble. We tried to get him out. When we got him out it was a three point game or something like that, and we felt like we could get him out of the game but it ended up in two minutes it was a ten point game ... that stuff hurts you.

Thoughts on having the chance to tie up the game¡­
Yeah, we had a chance to tie the game up at three minute, two minutes up to the go. A lot of positive things occurred at the game we just made too many little mistakes and that just tells me that we need to calm down and just play. You know earlier in the game I saw guys rushing shots that they haven't taken all year, we had guys trying to split the double-team. ­We just got to get back and play within ourselves and do the things that we¡'ve been doing as individuals and as a team.

What went wrong?
One: we didn¡¯t score and two we had some bad turn-overs. We didn¡'t get back in transition We knew this team, their run-ons, we got back but we didn't communicate and get back to our guy. Too many times we had the wrong match-ups getting back in transition and that's just getting back and finding your guy. We turned the ball over at the wrong times, and we took some quick shots, which, you take a long jump shot, one pass, three they're right out on them they got uncontested lay-ups and that's something that we haven't done all year. We take a three point shot, but the ball has to come off ball movement or go inside to the post first.

Did your team have playoff jitters?
I think so. You could tell. But it's good to get the first game out of the way. We just have to go out with the main focus as wining game two and then we have to figure out a way to go to Jersey and win a game.

Bosh

CHRIS BOSH

What do you take away from this game?
They were definitely more poised then we were. They came out a lot more calm. I don't think we played the basketball we normally play. We left a lot of guys open in the corner and they made us pay for it. Usually we get back and play good transition defence but the things we didn't do well they took advantage of.

If you play your style of basketball do you feel you have a better chance?
I think so, a way better chance. If we play the way we play we will have a lot more open shots. I think we get more layups and more open looks. I think we were kind of afraid to take some shots and I understand because it is an important game but we have to keep doing the things that got us here.

How frustrated were you in the first quarter after picking up your second foul?
I wasn't too frustrated because I was really tired. I came out there and the energy was flowing pretty well. I was running up and down kind of fast and I got winded a little bit. I couldn't be that frustrated. I just have to learn that I have to turn it around, pick it up and I couldn't let that frustrate me.

Parker

ANTHONY PARKER

On the zone defence by New Jersey¡­
I think they (New Jersey) went zone and made the adjustment in the second half as far as moving the ball and trying to get movement offensively. That was the difference. In the first half we went kind of full-out, and that means you have got to make plays and sometimes that results in turnovers and easy baskets for them (New Jersey). I think we made the adjustment in the second half.

On turnovers and not taking care of the ball¡­
They played zone and they switched it up and we probably tried to force it a little bit, but you have got to try and create something. You can't just pass it around the perimeter. We penetrated and tried to make some things happen and we turned it over.

Ford

TJ FORD

You guys work a lot on your zone offense. Is it one thing to practice and another to actually deal with it?
We just have to be aggressive with it and that is what the zone supposed to do. It is supposed to slow you up and make you think about the decisions you are making, and they (New Jersey) were able to accomplish the purpose for them going to the zone today.

Thoughts on the match-up versus Jason Kidd
I am taking it as an individual challenge. I think that is what it is all about. You just have to prepare yourself for your opponent, and I just prepared myself to do whatever it takes.

What do you think you learned tonight?
Just hopefully that, this game, you learn from it. Everybody now has one game under their belt. Some guys that haven't been in the playoffs don't know what it takes. It sounds like I just have to focus-in and lock because of the intensity of every play. We'll just regroup tomorrow and go over our mistakes and get ready for Tuesday.

Frank

Did you think the crowd affected Vince (Carter)?¡­
No, this is playoff basketball. I thought it was a well played game and for a first game, I think Toronto answered virtually every run we had and we were just fortunate to make some key plays. It was a really good total team win. I think everyone who played contributed and that is what is required in playoff basketball, that you impact the game in the minutes you are in. I thought our bench was great. During the time Vince (Carter) was out with the four fouls, that Jason (Kidd) with his direction and Richard (Jefferson) with his ability to carry us offensively was big. Vince down the stretch was making plays, and I think it was nice because it is a total team effort. It¡¯s one game and one win and we just got to keep on trying to get better.

Did you think you would zone that much?
Well it's something that we prepared for and it's something we've done in the past against them. We were fortunate that they missed some shots and they're a great jump shooting team. They missed some shots so we'll have to make some adjustments and tweaks with it to make up for some coverages, but you're going with the game plan and at the same time you have to feel the game and see where it's at. They opened up 17-16, but I think that nine of the shots they took we didn't contest many, so we were just looking for a different look, a different rhythm. It wasn't so much the zone as it was our guy's effort.

How much of a luxury is it to have Jason Kidd?
Well you know he's a hall of famer. The Nets didn't start winning until Jason Kidd came here six years ago, so obviously we are very fortunate. He's a huge reason for our success.

Carter

What did you think about the reception you received tonight?
It was wonderful, it was wonderful.

Did you come into the game fired up?
I was ready for a playoffs atmosphere coming back here to play. It is always great, the welcome is always exciting. It's fun, and it is part of sport. I just wanted to come out and play good basketball and be solid.

Is it important to have a total team effort, in case you have a poor shooting night?
In the playoffs you need everybody, you have leaders, the leading scorer whatever the case may be, but you need guys to just do their jobs and step up when needed. I think RJ (Richard Jefferson) was phenomenal tonight, J-Kidd (Jason Kidd) rebounding and distributing the ball, Antoine Wright coming off the bench playing phenomenal giving some good minutes, as well as Bostjan Nachbar and I can¡¯t forget about Mikki (Moore). It was a great team effort and you are going to need that each night, each game.

Is there extra motivation to win because you are playing Toronto?
It is the playoffs now, all that other stuff is gone. You worry about that probably in the first meeting, that first time more than anything. Now you know it is coming, except it, it's three years later, get over it. Whatever, that is the way it is, it is more about winning a playoff game being the motivation.

Thoughts on the game¡­
The basketball game was great and that is what I expected. It was a tough basketball game, I didn¡¯t come here to worry about the crowd and their response. I came here to try and win a basketball game. I knew it was going to be a tough game and I knew they were going to rally behind the crowd and that is what I was worried about more than anything.

What does it change to have Richard Jefferson back­
RJ's (Richard Jefferson) confidence has soared, he is playing phenomenal basketball. I think that our team as whole trust each other and we are just playing off of each other, it is just great. I think our spacing is better, just the whole machine is well oiled so to speak. I think we're just feeding off each other, trusting each other and that is really the big picture and confidence is always big.

Kidd

Were you at all anxious to get out there?
Well you would be lying if you're not nervous, no matter how many games you play in the playoffs. The energy, everything is raised to another level and you never know what is going to happen. I think both teams, if you ask anybody are a little nervous. Once you get that first basket you can relax and try to execute.

How big is winning the first game, especially on the road?
It is always good to start off the playoffs with a win no matter if you're at home or on the road. But our job is not done and we know Toronto will make some changes and we'll make some changes and we'll be ready for Game Two. For us our job is not done, it's the first one to four not the first one to one.

On raising the level of play in a playoff game¡­
Well, as a veteran this is what you play for. It's as a competitor that one goal which is to win a championship. Every possession counts every time you take the floor, even if it's in the regular season, this is what it's all about. There is always going to be somebody that steps up. Bostjan Nachbar made a big three from the corner, he's done that for us all season. Our bench was great tonight. We're going to go back and look at some tape. We missed a lot of shots we probably thought we could have made but that is the game of basketball.

Jefferson

What were you able to do out there?
Well a lot of it was fast break points, I was able to get out early and like I always say, its tough to get fast break points unless you have a point guard pushing the ball. It's tough to get however many points I had out there unless Jason (Kidd) is out there with 15 assists. He was pushing the ball and I was just running it and today. I was the recipient of a lot of his passes.

How well did Jason control the tempo of the game?
He does it as well as anyone and that is something that's been his main thing since I've been here and you see it in the playoffs, his game going to another level. Whether it's playing defense, getting offensive rebounds and defensive rebounds, getting steals or hitting big shots, he hit some key three's for us when we made that run in the third quarter.