Gregg Popovich | Bruce Bowen | Tim Duncan | Stephen Jackson | Tony Parker | David Robinson | Malik Rose

GREGG POPOVICH

Q: Why did it look so easy in the second half?
Popovich: You thought it was easy?

I thought that defensively we did a better job in the second half, starting out the third quarter, staying in front of people and finishing the defense with a rebound. At the offensive end, I thought that we executed better in the sense that we took our time and we were not in as much of a hurry as we were in the first half. We were supposed to win the game by halftime and if we didn't it would be awful. When you do that, you skip steps, short cuts, things happen too quickly, timing is off, and I thought the second half, we did a good job of taking our time and we got the ball through our quarterback, through Tim Duncan, and that always helps, his sort of initiating offense.

Q: How much of it was just the fact that Tony got the jitters out, seemed to settle down and it was like a lot of times he would do that in the Conference Finals and came out in the third quarter and set the tone?
Popovich: He's a mature, confident man for 21 years old. He just keeps getting stronger. The more we get on him, the more that we demand from him, the stronger he gets in almost every circumstance. I thought in the second half he was much more aggressive and he felt more comfortable with what New Jersey was doing out on the court and I think he did a fine job for us.

Q: Before Tim took over the second half, David had a pretty big impact in the second quarter.
Popovich: Yeah, David was really important for us tonight. He realizes this is his last series, and I thought his effort defensively, board-wise, getting up and down the court was really superior more than it has been in a while. He gave us everything that his body will give us. It was really important to us. It will continue to be, if he can continue to play like he did tonight.

Q: The poor shooting, how much of that was what they were doing defensively and how much was it just missing shots?
Popovich: I don't think that we did anything that really made him miss shots. He'll have a better night Friday shooting probably. Some nights people don't make shots. But I don't think that we did anything particularly well that we didn't contest all of his shots and he just missed a few, I guess.

Q: Is it your intention to try to punish them with David or see what David can do?
Popovich: We've still got to be careful with David, if we go too many minutes, we're going to pass that point because his body is not going to handle that much. We went to him at the start of the game and during the game from time to time, we will do that, just because I think that David is as aggressive, like he was tonight on the board and defensively, he's going to be better when he gets the ball, when he's going to be more demonstrative, go to the rim, get to the line that sort of thing.

Q: Based on this game, particularly the second half, is this a sign that your team can force the tempo in your favor through the course of this series more so than the Nets can force their tone?
Popovich: Well, we want to get out and run and we usually do that. But you don't do that unless you make stops. That's why Jersey runs; that's why we run. If you get into a period where you are not making stops and people are just scoring on you, you don't get much transition.

So scoring is important for both teams in that regard. When it goes to the net, it's a little bit tougher to run but we would like to continue to keep a good pace if we can.

Q: Which type of basketball do you think is going to be more indicative of your team in this Finals, the kind you played in the first half or the kind you played in the second half?
Popovich: I hope the kind we played in the second half, of course.

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BRUCE BOWEN

Q: Can you talk about the play of Tim Duncan in the second half?
Bowen: MVP. He’s been doing it all season, and he really got after it in the second half because we really weren’t playing too well. We were trying to get a better feel for them, In the second half, we just started to play more. We weren’t as robotic out there. We just played in the second half and it showed.

Q: Do you feel like you guys just had too much size for them in the second half?
Bowen: You’ve got to go with what’s good for us and that’s inside. When we get the ball inside, good things happen for us. If it’s not Tim making the basket, it’s Tim kicking the ball out to somebody for an easier shot. That’s what we have to stick with.

Q: How important is Game 1?
Bowen: It’s good for us to get the first win, but we know we have a lot of room for improvement. We learned throughout the playoffs that anything can happen, and we have to play smart and play our brand of basketball.

Q: Did you sense that David Robinson would come out and play the way he did?
Bowen: This is his last hoorah. No one wants to go out of something they love on a mediocre note. He wants to go out on a high note, and he’s showing it.

Q: Why is this team able to flip the switch?
Bowen: That’s just the way we play. We just happen to get a good groove and try to milk that groove. It’s not like we talk about flipping the switch. It’s just us sticking with what we do and trying to find a groove.

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TIM DUNCAN

Q: Tim, it seems like you got almost more pleasure out of seeing David Robinson playing well compared to your own fabulous performance.
Duncan: When David plays like that, we are so much tougher to beat. He was incredible tonight. He was all over the place, he played with some great energy. He really had some pop in his legs and when he plays like that, we're really dangerous.

Q: You showed a lot of emotion throughout the game, a little bit more than we're used to seeing from you. Why is that, just the Finals or the crowd?
Duncan: I don't think I played any different. It's just, if it was, it's because of the crowd, because of the situation. What's not to be excited about?

Q: It didn't seem like they came to you in the first quarter. Was that the game plan?
Duncan: The first half, as I said, it was kind of like everybody was kind of jittery. We had a bunch of turnovers. People were trying to find their way, trying to loosen up and just trying to find a way to attack their defense.

I thought Kenyon did a great job in the first half of fronting and getting behind and really being active. I credit what he did and what some of the other guys did in that first half more than anything else.

Q: At the end of the Lakers series, you said maybe David needed to play one more year, were you kidding or do you ever talk to him about it?
Duncan: I'm not going to even talk about that. That's his three boys' decision.

Q: Did they do anything differently in the second half? Why were you able to have so much success? And also, do you want to be known as someone who surprises people when you show that emotion?
Duncan: Second half, a lot of the same. I thought that they called a few more plays for me and had an opportunity to get the ball in there and draw some double-teams. Our guys hit some shots and really loosened them up a little bit. I thought our guys really loosened it up for me.

Q: As far as your image of being stoic, do you --
Duncan: I don't care about my image. You guys, you write something good. (Laughter).

Q: You attacked them from their weak side in the second half, is that what you were able to pick up when you went over the first half?
Duncan: Defensively? The weak side was big for us. With their motion offense, them coming off of screens, they seem to get a lot of layups. They are very good on the offense and hitting that back door, so our weak-side defense was big all night. We've been talking about it for the last couple of days and I thought David did an excellent job of getting across there when we got some drives without drawing the foul that the ball defender didn't draw the ball and David was able to affect a shot.

So for the entire series, that's going to be big for us. If we can get that guy across there and shoot tough shots and rebound the weak side.

Q: Is winning this game in the fashion that you guys did a big confidence-booster?
Duncan: It is a big confidence-booster, knowing the kind of streak that they were on and the kind of confidence they were coming in here with. It was a big win for us to get this one but it puts that much more pressure on Friday. We really want to get that one and we really want to leave out of here 2-0, knowing that we have going there and play three games, it's good to get this one. It's good to start. It's good to know what we can do against these guys and it's just good to know how to attack these guys.

Q: Tony was talking about how he played a lot more aggressive, looked for himself in the second half as opposed to the first half and he was more concerned with setting up his teammates. How much more important is it and how much better is it for him to be aggressive and to look for his own stuff?
Duncan: I thought he had an excellent mentality in the second half. I thought he came off of screens and really got in the middle and really made them pay for playing halfway on him. I thought his focus changed really well, letting the first half go. I don't think anybody played really well in the first half.

Coming out the second half, establishing what he wanted to do, he got a couple shots and it kind of changed the game for us.

Q: I know David has said that you guys should just be thinking about the team, but what would it mean for you guys to get this done for him?
Duncan: It means so much. To send him out this way -- along with that, we have a lot of guys that have not been here before, Steve Smith and Kevin Willis and Danny Ferry I, and these guys have never been in this situation. Along with David, getting a ring for those guys, that's what makes this even more important.

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STEPHEN JACKSON

Q: Does it feel good knowing this team let you go?
Jackson: I think I got that out of my system the first two times we played them this season. I don’t hold any grudges. I think the biggest thing for me is to just play well and help my team win. I’m not focused on trying to prove myself.

Q: Did you make a conscience effort to attack the rim?
Jackson: It just seemed like they were closing out on me and wanted me to drive. I just took what they gave me. When I got to the rim, I was able to finish or dish off to one of the big fellas. I just tried to take what they gave me, and they seemed to want to give me the drive tonight.

Q: How did keep your emotions in check?
Jackson: In the first half, I was just going crazy. I kind of settled down at halftime. I was a little too happy to be out there in the first half.

Q: What has surprised you about being in the Finals?
Jackson: I’m getting a lot of attention. This is the first time I’ve gotten this kind of attention in my life. But this isn’t about me soaking up the spotlight, it’s about winning a championship.

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TONY PARKER

Q: Can you talk a little bit about your third quarter, in the Western Conference Finals, you had a big third quarter in several of the games. Did you have jitters in the first half, or did you get comfortable and in the third quarter you had to get into your aggressive mode?
Parker: Just in the first half, I tried to give confidence to everybody. Then in the third quarter tried to be more aggressive and go for my shot more. In the first quarter, tried to give people some wide open shots.

Q: With all of the talk there's been about your match-up with you and Jason, did that put more pressure on you? Is that why you seemed more tentative early?
Parker: A little bit. The pressure is always there, especially when you're trying to win the Championship. Matching up against Jason Kidd is very exciting playing against the best point guard in the League. Makes me want to do more and try to do my best.

Q: Jason had another poor shooting night, what do you guys do against them defensively to cause that?
Parker: Well, we don't do nothing special. It was just a bad night for him. He missed a lot of wide open shots. I know he's going to come back strong in the next game and he's going to make a lot of shots.

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DAVID ROBINSON

Q: New suit?
Robinson: No, actually it's not. I just don't wear it that much. (Laughter).

My wife has got me these young guys' clothes now, the jeans and the shirts. I figured I'd get dressed up for the Finals. (Smiling).

Q: You not only got dressed up, were you motivated by the fact that it's the Finals, or was it the five days rest that really give you the extra ummph?
Robinson: I have this ongoing joke with the guys, I never have a bad day off. A couple days, got fresh, felt great. Got a chance to do some little workouts on my own and get in that pool, get loose a little bit. I felt great today.

So I think it was probably the rest more than anything.

Q: What does winning this game in the fashion that you did do for your confidence, the whole team's confidence?
Robinson: Obviously getting that win, the first game is always a feel-out game. You're trying to figure out what they are going to do and they are trying to figure out what you're going to do.

Our confidence was high, as was theirs, but coming through that Western Conference, we just knew that if we just played solid, we would be right there. And we came out probably a little bit too tentative. We missed a lot of layups, easy shots. They got out and made some fast-break buckets. Once we settled in, we just played our basketball.

That second half was real good because that's the way the basketball is going to be played pretty much. They are going to make some more shots than they made tonight. They are going to try to get out and run a little bit more, but I like the way we played. I liked the way we moved together. I liked the way we moved the ball. As this series goes on, we're going to get better and better. We are going to start playing better and better and more solid, more like that second half.

So that was good. We kind of set a tone for the way the series can go.

Q: So tomorrow when you wake up, a little steam, a little massage?
Robinson: Yeah, some treatments. Pop is probably not going to let me do too much tomorrow, let me rest a little bit. I feel great. He's done a great job this year of giving my body some rest. I haven't played great minutes, not overwhelming minutes and I really think he was saving me for such a time as this.

Q: You had a low-key regular season farewell tour, what would it mean to go out --
Robinson: The low-key thing, I thought it was great. I thought it was perfect.

And to win this championship would be phenomenal. It's what I've been playing for. It's the only thing I want. All this other stuff doesn't matter. All of the individual stuff, that doesn't matter now to me. All that matters is that we have this experience, journey as a team and you get to that championship.

We are enjoying the journey, and that's what it's all about, I think.

Q: Playing like you did today, running, dunking, getting some blocked shots, you seemed to enjoy yourself.
Robinson: Yeah, I did. And I've been enjoying myself most of the year. I think if I'm able to move like that, get some things done like that, it makes us very, very difficult to beat. I'm just going to continue to try to give them everything I have, and seven games left, six games left, I'm going to have some fun.

Q: No way you're coming back?
Robinson: No. No. I've pretty much made up my mind. And all of the pieces have come together to even confirm in my heart that this is the right way to do it.

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MALIK ROSE

Q: How does it feel to get Game 1?
Rose: Game 1 is important in any series and we haven’t fared too well in Game 1’s this year in the playoffs. Tonight, we really wanted to come out and start things off of on the right foot.

Q: Can you talk about the play of David Robinson?
Rose: David’s been our anchor for about a million years here in this town, and tonight was no different. Everything we do on defense starts with him. When he’s at that rim playing like he played tonight, blocking shots and helping and recovering, even changing shots and rebounding, we’re really, really tough to beat.

Q: Can you talk about the difference of the big guys inside?
Rose: They have some very good big guys. Kenyon Martin was hurting us all night, and then he got in foul trouble and that really hurt their team.

Q: How were you guys able to stop Jason Kidd?
Rose: Just have to get back. We put a lot of emphasis on our defensive transition in practice and went through a lot of drills. Tony Parker, Steven Jackson, Manu (Ginobili) and Bruce (Bowen), those guys really got back.

Q: Do you think they underestimated you guys a little bit?
Rose: I don’t know. I hope so. All we have is three more wins to get to our ultimate goal.

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