Thursday, June 16, 2005
GREGG POPOVICH
Q. What did you say to players your players after the first half?
COACH GREGG POPOVICH: You know, we just talked about what we needed to do better.
You really don't think I'm going to share everything I say, do you?
Q. Well, it's already been out there that you I don't know if this is something you said to them specifically but at one point you said it was the worst half of basketball you've ever seen by an NBA playoff team. How would you characterize
COACH GREGG POPOVICH: Who told you that?
Q. That was reported during the broadcast. Was that inaccurate, because if you can
COACH GREGG POPOVICH: It's right on the money. (Laughter).
So you already know. So you didn't have to ask me that.
Q. Coach Popovich, what would be your biggest disappointment from the last two games?
COACH GREGG POPOVICH: Well, tonight was a carbon copy of last game. They got even more points off turnovers. Last game I think it was 23; this game I think it was 25, and they got one less offensive rebound. They got 19 second chance points tonight; 20, last game.
So that's probably the most disappointing thing because you can imagine since that game that's all we've emphasized is the boards and taking care of the basketball, and we came out and did the exact same thing. And one needs to credit their defense, they were great. They were physical again, and they got us on our heels again, we reacted very poorly to it, and you see the result. So they did a great job.
Q. Manu struggled again in the game tonight, is that something they are doing or is he still struggling with the injury from Game 3?
COACH GREGG POPOVICH: Manu is not injured. He's fine.
Q. Do you feel like you're back to square one after the great success of a couple of strong wins at home, and then two games here, the way they have come out?
COACH GREGG POPOVICH: Well, I don't think of it as "square one," but it's disappointing, you know, to play two games the same way not learn from Game 3 and not be able to take care of some of that. That's probably the most disappointing part, but I don't think of it as "square one." I just think of it as two bad performances, and if it doesn't get better, we'll be in big trouble.
Q. Is the frustration level high or could it get even higher than what you're feeling right now?
COACH GREGG POPOVICH: I don't feel frustrated at all. There would be some other words that would be a lot more accurate, but there's no time for frustration. Frustration has got nothing to do with it. You play well or you play poorly. You do things the way you practice and the way you've done them over the year or you don't. And it's disappointing that their physical play and their defense has taken us away from everything that we normally do in these last two games. I think they are the same guys who played in San Antonio, last time I checked. To see the flip flop like that is disappointing, because it's obvious why it did that. They did fantastic with their pressure. Really, really good.
Q. Pop, it does seem that they have taken Manu away from you. He's such an electric presence in San Antonio and now it doesn't look like he's even getting looks and lanes and anything.
COACH GREGG POPOVICH: They have done a great job on him. I don't know what else I can tell you. You're right. They have packed it in on him, made it difficult for him to get into the lane, and he's just going to have to let the game come to him and not worry too much about making something happen every time he touches the ball.
The second half, in the third quarter we saw some bright spots in that regard, where the ball started to move, we started to get better spacing and attack and kick and that sort of thing. Hopefully we can build on that.
Q. Before the game, you told us that you didn't have to say anything to Tim after the last game.
COACH GREGG POPOVICH: Right.
Q. Up there on the big screen and on ABC when you took him out the last time, you could be seen having some words with Tim.
COACH GREGG POPOVICH: Oh, right. Right.
Q. What did you say, try to say to him, or what did you say to him at that point?
COACH GREGG POPOVICH: You know, that's between Tim and I. You know I'm not going to share that with you. Is it a rule that I have to? Am I going to get fined by the league? (Laughter).
Q. After what you told us before the game, it was interesting that
COACH GREGG POPOVICH: We spoke more during the game than we did in the last two days, if that's what you're asking me.
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TIM DUNCAN
Q. You guys said repeatedly after Game 3 that you needed to protect the basketball. You talked about the importance of offensive boards. Why were you unable to make the adjustments that you talked so much about making?
TIM DUNCAN: We made the adjustments. Things just didn't go as planned. Sometimes it goes that way. They did an excellent job of once again defending, sending their pressure and it took us too long to adjust to it.
We thought coming in here, we had that adjustment made, but it didn't happen for that period of time.
Q. When you see seven players in double figures on the other side, what does that tell you?
TIM DUNCAN: They moved the ball great. They did it great. Every board they got, they pushed it up the floor, their bigs were running the floor, they hung on the offensive glass. They got it done in many different ways. They played an excellent game all the way around.
Q. How physical is it in there?
TIM DUNCAN: It's a very physical game. Those guys they throw a lot of bodies into you, and each with their own little style. Some are physical, some are loose or whatever it may be.
But as I said, they just did an excellent job all the way around.
Q. Last game you guys scored last game 79 and now 71, your two playoff lows
TIM DUNCAN: Their defense started well. It is also about the shots falling. I can think of about five shots that I should have made, not that that changes the game that drastically, but at the same time, it's a momentum swinger. It's time to hit shots and they had an opportunity to run, so I can put that on myself. I know there's a lot of my teammates that would love to take back a couple of shots that they took.
But, not taking any credit from them, they had a heck of a defensive game. They are a very good defensive team from one to five. And they put it all together tonight.
Q. What happened to the ball circulation of the first two games? It's like with their pressure, is each guy trying to do too much individually? It seems like things were slowing down and getting stagnant and the ball is not moving that much.
TIM DUNCAN: We had that problem early on, the ball was sticking a whole lot, people were attempting to make moves as individuals, and the ball just stopped and they are an excellent defensive club when that happens. When they are able to lock into an individual and know where their rotations are, maybe get across the lane and affect shots, that's when they are at their best. We didn't counter that early on, and they got up on us and then late, late in the third, fourth quarter, we started playing a little better, but we were already down 20 points, so it just didn't work.
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TONY PARKER
Q. Yesterday you kind of brought up that it was on your mind what happened in the Laker series last year, the 2 0 deficit, is it more on your guys' minds that they have tied it 2 2?
TONY PARKER: A little bit. They played great tonight, they played great defense, they really pressured us and didn't let us do anything on offense. We need to find a solution.
Q. Do you feel like this series has gotten more physical since it got to Detroit?
TONY PARKER: Well, a little bit. When you're going to play at home, you're going to play with a lot more energy, and they have got great fans and they play a lot better defense. The pressure is more aggressive, and then the boards, you know, they really control the boards. That's how they get all of those easy points, baskets and all of those layups and that gives them confidence for the shot.
Q. In a series losing by 30 points, does that have any effect for the next game on your confidence?
TONY PARKER: No, not really. It's just one game. We didn't play well at all. We missed a lot of easy shots. A lot of easy stuff, we missed layups, and then on the other end, you know, they played great. You have to give a lot of credit, they just played a great game tonight, and we didn't let one game affect our confidence.
Game 5 is definitely going to be a must win, and we definitely need to make some adjustments and try to compete.
Q. The number of turnovers you had again tonight as a team, is that something the Pistons are doing, or is that something that you guys are doing yourselves?
TONY PARKER: A little bit of both. They pressuring us and so we try to maybe force it too much, especially in the first half, try to make some stuff happen, and when you play in a hurry, that's where turnovers happen. We just have to take our time and be patient and get in our sets, even if they pressure us, we need to take our time and get the ball inside to Timmy, but at the same time, watch him and you just have to find some solution. We just are struggling right now on offense.
Q. What message did Pop send you guys after the first half?
TONY PARKER: Well, I think he was just disappointed by the effort. We came out very flat in the first half, just missed shots, a lot of turnovers, got beaten on the boards. All of the stuff that we talked about after Game 3 happened again tonight. So I think he just wants to see some reaction to guys and we definitely need to show up on Sunday. We need to refocus, we have two days, three days to think about it and come back strong on Sunday.
Q. It seemed like as the game wore on, it was harder for you guys to get into the lane. Can you talk about how difficult penetration was tonight and what is it like to get in the lane and have those guys just collapse on you.
TONY PARKER: They played great team defense. Every time I penetrated or Manu penetrated, they did a good job to help the bigs, always watching us, make sure they were either blocking shots or just helping. We just have to find solutions, try to do better pick and rolls and set picks and take our time on the offense and try to be patient.
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MANU GINOBILI
Q. What has changed so dramatically from Games 1 and 2 to Games 3 and 4 for you?
MANU GINOBILI: Offensively, I'm just not finding the way to the basket. They are really collapsing in the lane a lot and when we move the ball, it's just not there. We're not finding the open shots that they were there in Game 1 and 2.
I think that in the first half in Game 1 and for a big part of Game 2, I couldn't penetrate anyways but we still moved the ball, we push it, try to play faster and we find solutions.
I don't think it's a matter of just me attacking the basket, it's a matter of how the team is playing as a team.
Q. You did on the first possession of the third quarter drive to the basket. Were you trying to get yourself started at that point?
MANU GINOBILI: Yeah, I was. Pop tried to run a couple of plays for me, but at the same, it's not a play that's going to revert 15 or 17 point lead, so it's a matter of us playing with more determination, wanting the game more.
I think they showed they wanted the game, and there was no minute in the whole game that we were close. So it was a really ugly loss.
Q. Is it time for some radical, tactical changes, like maybe going to small ball, four small guys, play more up tempo, because here you guys have slowed it down in the last two games I mentally compared to the first two, and maybe try some zone because they don't shoot many threes.
MANU GINOBILI: I don't think that it's so much about X's and O's. I think the determination that they showed, aggressiveness, it was the reason why they won. I think it's important for us to try to push the ball more, try to get a couple easy baskets, but today, we were not there in any part of the game. Rebounds, turnovers, passing the ball, in every part of the game, they just killed us. So even if you make some changes, you've just got to wish to win that game more than them.
Q. The two games here have seemed a lot more physical than the games in San Antonio, how much tougher has that made it on you with your style?
MANU GINOBILI: I don't think it was so much physical, at least I didn't feel it. What I just saw, it was that it's less room. We are not moving the ball in the right way. We are not finding the open guy as we were in Game 1 and 2, so we just make things more difficult.
As I said in Game 3, we have too many important players not playing well. Probably the only one that played good was Bruce, so there's no way we are going to win against a champion like that. We all have to step up, play better, with more heart and try to get that Game 5, because we all know how important it is.
Q. You're saying it's not X's and O's, but still, do you feel like their defense has decided not to let you and Parker penetrate; they prefer that you take the outside shots?
MANU GINOBILI: Yes, but it's been like that against Denver. It's been like that against Seattle. So we know it's going to be like that. The other teams watch videos, too, and they know that when we penetrate so much it's harder for them. But they try to do that in Game 1 and 2, but we moved the ball better. We just were more aggressive. We don't let them slap the ball out of our hands. As I said before, it all comes back to aggressiveness and physicality that they showed.
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NAZR MOHAMMED
Q: Did the Pistons step it up that much or is that you guys aren’t playing as well as you can?
Mohammed: It’s a combination. I think they played hard every game. It’s a combination of us turning it over in key situations during the game. And then their crowd is behind them. They have a pep in their step so we just have to come out and play harder next game.
Q: Were those turnovers a matter of being too aggressive and trying to do too much?
Mohammed: That’s one of those things I need to watch to really answer that question. Because when you’re in the heat of the battle sometimes you don’t really see everything.
Q: Were you a little frustrated with the officiating?
Mohammed: I was definitely disappointed with some things that happened out there but that’s another thing I need to watch the film about because sometimes you’re wrong. So I’ll go back and watch that. But I was disappointed at times out there.
Q: How would you assess your own play tonight?
Mohammed: I guess I would call it mediocre. I really didn’t do anything. I felt that I could have played better. I felt it was a combination of things too that I’m not really going to get into. But it’s a combination of them too. They played tough. I’m going to give credit to them. They won the game.
Q: Have the Pistons found another gear?
Mohammed: No. To say that would be disrespectful to them considering that I think they take a lot of pride in the way they play, and I would hate to say that in the first two games they didn’t play hard because to find another gear means you didn’t play hard in the first two games. I think things are clicking to them. They’re making shots and they’re doing everything hard and they’re doing them well and it’s just like they tried in the first two games except that they’re clicking for them now.
Q: What did coach Popovich say to you guys during half time?
Mohammed: At half time he told us to go out there and play hard. It’s just the way we play and our system. He told us to go out there, play hard, don’t turn the ball over, execute the offense.
Q: You have two days off, what do you do to turn things around before Game 5?
Mohammed: Get a lot of rest because we definitely going to have another battle. Concentrate, watch the film and everyone is going to see which way they can go out there and help us win a game.
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DEVIN BROWN
Q: What is going on out there?
Brown: We’re not reacting well to their intensity. They’ve been able to put us on our heels. We have to be strong with the ball, take care of the ball, get more shots. I don’t know what the stats say, but I would have to imagine that had at least 25 more shots than we did. We have guys who have been here before, who know how big the next game is and I’m sure we’ll respond.
Q: Did the Pistons play the perfect game tonight?
Brown: It’s hard to describe the emotion they came out with, especially in the second quarter. To match something like that, I know we can do it. But, we have to prove that we can do it. I hate to say it, but we collapsed.
Q: What has to be done to turn this thing around?
Brown: We have to get off to a good start. That’s very important. We have to do what we like to do, keep them to between 15-20 points per quarter, be patient and take care of the ball, I think we’ll be alright.
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