Spurs 101, Suns 95
Western Conference Finals, Game 5: Post-Game Quotes
Posted: June 1, 2005
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D'Antoni: They just we just ran into a better team. They played well tonight. (Tony) Parker and (Beno) Udrih had some big shots that we were kind of conceding. They made enough to beat us.
I thought obviously the third quarter was the telling point. We just didn't shoot the ball well. We kind of got into a little bit of a one on one kind of mode and, you know, once they get you down a little bit this is a tough team to come back on. I think we got paid the price for it in the third.
Question: Do you kind of want to wrap up the season and just your thoughts on it?
D'Antoni: My thoughts are I was very proud to be able to coach these guys. These guys have been resilient all year, been great. We have a great nucleus that we can keep together. Been together seven months and had the franchise record you know, it's been there for been in existence for 37 years and we tied that and we did a lot of great things.
I hope, I think, we hope that it's just the first step and we got to keep building. We understand that by now San Antonio is a better team, a couple of other teams that are maybe a little bit better. But there's no reason why us being so young and just new together that we can't improve and next year have a better year than this year.
Question: Those opening minutes of the third quarter maybe the first 6, 8 minutes, is that a little bit of your inexperience with a team like this?
D'Antoni: Well, again, I don't know if emotion wise or whatever just didn't seem like we had that extra pop again tonight. Probably we just didn't execute real well.
You have got give them credit too. They can lock you up sometimes and they did a good job defensively on us. We just didn't seem to be able to move the ball and get in our stuff. We weren't real fluid. We have done that a few times this year. Again, give them credit too because they kind of put the clamps on us that quarter.
Question: Steve Nash had such great first half then he struggled in the first part of the third quarter?
D'Antoni: Probably ran out of gas a little bit. That's us being kind of short. And I thought Joe (Johnson) ran out of gas a little bit also, and that will happen.
But again, I thought we played pretty well. Amaré (Stoudemire) had a game that's incredible. Just think, the guy is 22 years old and the series that he had against Tim Duncan is unbelievable. I think you can see a pretty good future that we can have here.
We hate to lose and we're kind of down today, but I think we start working for next year right now and come back this summer and put together some pieces and see if we can do it a little bit better next year.
Question: I know you struggled in the third quarter, you came back in the fourth, Tony Parker layup was one of the keys. Talk about that play?
D'Antoni: I am trying to remember. The one we doubled and he came back? Yeah, we didn't quite get to him. They have been doing that when we double off Joe (Johnson) he kind of circles back in there.
I have to look at the tape, but obviously we didn't get to him and that was I thought the big back breaker was the 3 seconds they had the ball out of bounds and Tim Duncan missed the shot tipped it back in. Got back up to 5. That hurt us.
Question: Put in perspective what this team has done since October?
D'Antoni: We exceeded expectations, no doubt about it. I just thought that the quality of people that we have and how they came every day and the entertainment that they gave the fans, was super. That's why I am really proud to be associated with these guys.
They did everything that I asked and even more and I just think it's a great group and there's no reason why, you know I didn't, you know it would have been a fairy tale if we came out and won the championships. And that doesn't happen; you have to earn it and you have to lose some battles along the way.
But this is a great first step and we know to be able to duplicate this it's not going to be easy. We're going to have to come out and everybody is going to have to come back in September ready to go. No reason why we can't get a lot better with the youth and playing together a little bit more.
Question: This will be the second time in three years the Spurs are going to the Finals. They might have gone last year if not for Derek Fisher usually teams adjust to the top team in their division. How do you prepare, how do you build yourself to beat that team?
D'Antoni: Obvious answer, we have got to get better defensively. We will still keep our style. We'll probably beef up a little bit more and try to get some more size and strength.
But more or less we're going to play an up and down game, with Steve Nash running it and Amaré getting loose in the middle. We're going to keep the style, but we have got to get a lot better defensively. We can get a lot better. We're very athletic and we're young. No reason why we can't guard people. Probably try to get a little bit deeper also.
Probably take a step, another step and it might be another two steps or three steps, you never know. But we don't want to take any steps back or do something that, okay, that doesn't work, now let's try this, and that's where you get in trouble. We want to inch our way there, and hopefully we can make a big step. But if not, just get a little bit better next year.
Question: How did the 3 point shooting affect you?
D'Antoni: We didn't make any, that wasn't good.
Again, simple terms, they had a couple of guys that were shooting about 14 percent for the series and they hit one, hit two for two and one hit two for six. We didn't hit ours. We're supposed to be the 3 point shooting team, so I think it's almost like Tim Duncan missing his foul shots the other night made the difference.
The difference we didn't make our threes and if we made them maybe we would have been there at the end. You can analyze the game with stats, that's an easy way to look at it. We just didn't make enough of our threes.
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Question: Extended yourself in the second quarter, and then you looked like you struggled coming out in the third?
Nash: I was a little stiff, to be honest. I couldn't get going. I felt a little constrained and just couldn't get loose again.
I didn't really play well enough in the second half for us to win, so a little disappointing. But I will take my responsibility and lumps with that and, you know, try to build on it and not be too depressed.
Question: Was that the difference in the third quarter? Struggling offensively, obviously?
Nash: Yeah, I mean, we just didn't play great in the third quarter. I can't to be honest, I can't really remember at this point what happened. But they just outplayed us there and went on a couple little runs and usually we will go on ours, but we didn't really get on ours in that quarter.
We just didn't play as well as them in the second half.
Question: This series come down to defense, the way San Antonio executed and the Suns' defense?
Nash: Yeah, I mean, I think we really it was tough. We didn't really find an answer for Tim (Duncan). He's just such a terrific player, and Manu (Ginobili) also I thought was just outstanding from start to finish.
It's difficult. Tim makes all those guys better. He's a tremendous player and he's a team player and a winner and, you know, it was difficult. But it would have been nice to have had Joe (Johnson) the whole way because we're not a deep team as it is.
But they beat us fair and square tonight and they deserved it.
Question: What does it mean for Amaré (Stoudemire) to have a series like this at his age against a team as good as San Antonio? What does that do for the team's mindset going into the future?
Nash: I think we're already excited about our future and Amaré’s future in particular. I think collectively we have got some great pieces, some great guys, we have built a terrific chemistry this season and we all should be excited and inspired for the future.
Question: It was really a story book season, obviously didn't end the way you want to. Talk about that?
Nash: I think that kind of sums it up.
In some ways we got almost all we could ask for out of this season except the one thing we really wanted. In many ways it diminishes everything we accomplished this year, but hopefully in time we'll be able to look back and really feel proud of our accomplishments and really enjoy them more than right now. Because it's really difficult to enjoy anything we did this year going out before the Championship.
So we'll just have to live with that and try to get better for next year.
Question: Ultimately, is this as frustrating a situation as you have ever been in either internationally or professionally?
Nash: Well, I think it's always frustrating when you lose and so I don't think that this is any more or less frustrating. You always feel frustrated when you get beat.
We got beat by a team that was a little bit more seasoned than we were. They have got a lot more Playoff games under their belt and together.
So in many ways maybe it just was never meant to be for us. Joe went down and going from 29 wins to 62 and playing Championship team in Western Conference Finals, maybe it was too much for us. All of us feel like we could have won the series, but maybe this is something that we're going to have to build on in order to do so.
Question: If you had Joe Johnson in games 1 or 2, do you think you might have won one of those games?
Nash: I think so. I think if we had J. J. (Joe Johnson) we may have gotten a split at least in the first two, but we didn't and that's a part of it. They didn't have Timmy (Duncan) down the stretch of the season and that's a part of them not getting home court. Got to live with that.
Question: As a competitor, what do you most respect about Tim (Duncan)?
Nash: : I think mostly that he's a team player. He will do whatever it takes for the team. He's always looking to help his teammates. His ultimate goal is always winning, never any ulterior motive and I think that's very admirable in our business today.
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Question: How frustrating is this game after having such a good game?
Stoudemire: It’s tough. I felt we fought tonight. It’s great when you go out fighting because you can almost accept that a little bit. The Spurs played a heck of a series.
Question: How long before you can put this behind you and reflect on what a great year it was?
Stoudemire: It’s not going to go behind for awhile. We’re going to use it as motivation—that’s what it is. It’s going to make us work extremely hard this offseason—and use it as motivation.
Question: What does this team need to take it to the next level?
Stoudemire: We just need to understand how important every possession is. We have to work on our games as individual players and come back ready to become a better team defensively. Then we’ll be in good shape.
Question: Can you share what Tim Duncan said to you after the game ended?
Stoudemire: He said I played a heck of a series and that there will be plenty of more times that I’ll be back in that position. So it was good to hear from Tim. He’s one of the marquee players in this league, and best of luck to him.
Question: Do you feel like you as a player grew?
Stoudemire: No question about it. I grew a lot as a player this postseason. I think my confidence level went up and I think my IQ as a basketball player has gotten better. So, it was a great experience and I’m looking forward to coming back next year.
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Marion: We went out there and we left it all out there on the court. What more can you ask?
Question: What was the difference tonight?
Marion: We were missing some threes we normally hit and they were knocking them down.
Question: You guys were concentrating on sagging in on Duncan and leaving them open for those threes. How bad did that hurt you guys?
Marion: They were hitting them. I think we were contesting them and they were knocking them down. It hurt us a little bit because we weren’t hitting ours, but we had to give up something—and that was outside shots.
Question: What did you see from Amaré’s performance in the conference finals?
Marion: He had a great conference finals. I wish we could’ve won, though. He developed more as a player and I wish we could have kept going. My stomach is sick right now. I’m disappointed it’s over with, but the upside of it is that I left it all out on the court. There are certain things on the floor I can’t control but I went out there and played with energy and tried to help my team the best way I could.
Question: Talk about the team’s season.
Marion: We did have a great season. It was a great run, and it’s something we have to go into the gym and learn from. For us to go and do what we did this year, we made believers out of non-believers that we can play this style and win. There are some certain kinks we have to work out to get over this hump and get to the Finals next year. There are going to be some adjustments made but its what we have to do to get ready for next year.
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Question: Reflect on the great season.
Richardson: This is my first time getting eliminated from the playoffs so this is just tough right now. Question: How disappointed are you in the finish to this season?
Richardson: Anytime you lose you don’t get a chance to finish. We felt like we had more to give and we didn’t really get to do that.
Question: What happened in the third quarter?
Richardson: It was a rough stretch for us. That was how the game went—a rough stretch.
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Popovich: Very happy that we don't have to play those guys again. One heck of a basketball team and, you know, Brian with his staff, Mike and his staff, the players, had an unbelievable season.
They were great from beginning to end. They deserve all kinds of credit and kudos for doing what they did this year. They were one of the best teams to watch in the league because of the way they played and I feel fortunate to be in the position that we're in because they are so darn good.
Again, I am thrilled we don't have to play them again.
Question: Long time ago, beginning of the season, you were the one who said that this would work in the playoffs. Phoenix, were they kind of a looming nightmare for you?
Popovich: know, I did say that because I believed it. I thought everybody said, well, in the playoffs they will go half court, everybody said they can't make shots, and I believed from the beginning that they can do exactly what they did in the regular season and they did. They played their style and it was great. So that's why I give them so much credit. They stuck with it. Mike did just a great job in being consistent with that club and doing something that other people haven't really done, and they benefited from it. I am sure they will stick with it. They will just get better.
Question: Was the difference in the series not only the series, but today's game, especially in the third quarter, defense?
Popovich: I don't know. You all have to judge that. I mean, what was the I don't even know the score. What was the score? 101 95. There's a little bit of defense there, I guess. Maybe a little bit at least it wasn't 120 to 115 or something like that.
But for us to beat them, we have to make some stops because we were not as good as them offensively. They are better than us offensively, so that's what they try to do, probably on the whole we're a little better than them defensively, so we had to make those stops and we made some tonight in the third and fourth quarter that allowed us to maybe have an opportunity to win the game. But we're just different. .
Question: What is your thought now on having over a week off now before you have to play anybody else?
Popovich: I won't obsess over it because it is what it is. We'll just try to figure out how to keep guys in shape, how to stay sharp and do the best job we can.
And when Detroit or Miami come along, we will find out if we were successful at doing it. Other than that, I won't worry about it.
Question: Talk about Tim Duncan's play, he came out particularly aggressive. Was that a carryover from the last game, how he felt coming out of that game?
Popovich: Absolutely. Tim Duncan was a possessed individual. You would never know it by looking at his face or talking to him, I haven't talked to him for two days. I just leave him alone in these situations if he has a game like he did the other night.
And he doesn't need anybody to talk to him. Especially a coach. He's a very mature individual who understands what needs to be done. And what he did tonight he's done many, many times. It's just who he is. It's what makes him so special.
Question: How hard do you think it will be to switch to a more grinding game no matter who you play in the next round than what you saw in this series?
Popovich: Well, I think our guys are more suited for that overall, you know, Manu and Tony (Parker) would like to run. We sort of have a split personality because of the personnel on our team. We'll play the same way. We'll try to push it. If we don't have it we will try to do something decent in the half court. But Detroit and Miami do that too.
You all have a tendency to label people as half court or running teams, and it's not very accurate very often. Teams are a little bit more multi faceted than you might guess.
Question: Going to be your third Finals appearance in seven years. Three very different versions of your team. What has enabled you to sustain this over such a long period of time with so much change?
Popovich: David Robinson and Tim Duncan. You don't have to say anything else. What franchise has been more fortunate than that to draft a guy that can go 10, 12, 14, whatever David did and then add another 10, 12 with Tim Duncan.
What we have done really well is we haven't screwed it up. But that's it. Without that having happened, we're not who we are. So we have been very fortunate.
Question: Has anyone ever done to you what Amaré (Stoudemire) did this in this series?
Popovich: Never. Never. I don't know what to do with him. I mean, he's just unbelievable. He's a real unique player. He's only going to get better. I don't know how. I don't know what he can do, score 60, I don't know. What did he get tonight?
Question: 42 and 16?
Popovich: That's the Spurs, we held them to 42 tonight. We're a hell of a defensive club. Detroit and Miami are licking their chops waiting to get to us (laughter).
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Question: Your thoughts now on moving on and having over a week to either celebrate some of this and then prepare for whoever is coming next?
Duncan: Do exactly that. You celebrate it for a little while. And it's a great time for us, got a week until we get right back into the mix. Love a little shorter time, but you can't beat that.
Manu (Ginobili) is a little dinged up, and I am a little dinged up. Tony (Parker) could use a day or two with his knee. We're all going to take that time to heal, but also to stay as sharp as we can.
Question: Now that this series is over, talk about how injured your leg was in this series, how much pain you were in during the series? Was that much of a factor for you?
Duncan: It felt all right. Once I got warm, it kind of went back and forth because my opposite ankle isn't healed either. So I played through both of those. It wasn't it didn't hold me back in any way.
I think once that first five, six minutes passed and I got warm and I was moving around, I felt pretty good.
Question: Pop kept talking about the way you ultra focus after what you consider an off night or not a particularly good game. Could you feel that in yourself?
Duncan: I knew I had to put together a better performance than I did the last game, whether it be lack of focus the last game or just a bad night. I didn't want to have one of those again and I came in here just to rectify that, whatever that may be, whatever that may mean. I wanted to put together a better game, give our team a chance to win and not be what I call a hindrance in that respect where I go and miss 9 free throws and can't finish plays, things like that.
I just wanted to have a better game.
Question: Talk about the defensive execution from the Spurs in the third quarter and the whole series and also the tip in late? I think you went up by 4 after that?
Duncan: Honestly, those guys are amazing. They are an amazing offensive team, Steve (Nash) and Amaré (Stoudemire) and especially those two, they are the catalyst to it. But all the other guys that are out there ready all the time ready to go.
We had a tough time with everything they did, but we were just persistent with what we did. We stuck to a game plan. They scored on it. They got layups sometimes and threes sometimes. But we stuck with it. In the long run we felt it was going to work out for us, and it did.
As for the tip in, I think it was just an out of bounds play with 4 seconds left, something like that, and I actually thought I got by Amaré. I thought I had a layup, Shawn (Marion) came out of nowhere. I had to get it up over his hand and I didn't know if I had a chance to go in or whatever. But as soon as I hit the ground, I just went back up with it, popped back up to me, I had a chance to tip it in.
Question: When you were looking at the scoring sheet in the locker room after the game, what are your thoughts, what sticks out at you?
Duncan: Amaré (Stoudemire) is usual. He had an incredible another incredible game. He's extended his game so much. He was the hitting 15, 18 footer tonight like it was nothing. And with his athleticism and his ability, just knowing that he's going to get even better, it's kinds of scary.
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Question: You were more of a shooter tonight.
Bowen: It’s kind of hard to shoot the ball all the time when they give it to you. I’m not used to shooting the ball like that. I was so wide open I rushed some of them. In the second half, I said I was going to take my time and they’re going to go under and I’m just going to knock them down. I hit those two big threes and that gave me confidence.
Question: How was the teams’ focus?
Bowen: It was great. We watched film of game four and we saw we had some let downs, slow in transition, didn’t play the same defense, we kind of rushed everything on offense, not being patient. That wasn’t how we had played the first three games. I thought our focus was great. In the second half, that’s when we had our run and we kept it the whole game.
Question: Talk about playing against Steve Nash.
Bowen: It was great to play against him. He’s a great player and he can do everything; shoot the ball, pass the ball. It was a great challenge for me to go against him.
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Question: Is the team relieved?
Horry: It’s a relief because we were playing a really good ball club. This is a very scary team and they can hurt you with so many offensive weapons. We’re very fortunate we got a win tonight, so we’re happy it’s over.
Question: Did the veteran side of this team get the win tonight?
Horry: That’s what it’s all about. That’s the maturity that we’ve gained this season. There were periods in the season where we lost our cool, but that’s the thing about when you play 82 games it prepares you for the playoffs. I think the 82 games we had and the two tough playoff series before this one kept us alive and prepared us very well for this series.
Question: What Isn’t this getting old for you, going to the finals?
Horry: You can never get to the NBA finals too much. I’m just so happy that Pop and R.C. allowed me to come onto this team and play with the great players I’m playing with. It’s just a blessing we’re on our way there again. Question: What are your thoughts on the third quarter run?
Horry: It was crucial. If you look at the last game, they had a very good third quarter against us and that was why we lost the last game. And we just couldn’t let that happen again. We had to go out and play a good strong third quarter and make that push and put some doubt in their mind and put some fear it them. We came out, played aggressive, played good defense. We’re very happy with what we.
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Question: Is this emotional for you?
Ginobili: I think it’s a great thing, but I think if you go around the locker room and talk to our guys, there’s a quiet sense that this is great, but not what we’re really shooting for. We have a bigger goal in mind. But there’s certainly reason to celebrate, winning the west is awesome. We have a couple more games to win, and that’s what we’re focused on.
Question: Is the team relieved after this series?
Ginobili: I don’t think our team was relieved, I think we were focused. We just won three games in Phoenix against a team that won 60 some odd games this year. We won the series 4-1. To me, that’s not so much a relief as it is pretty impressive.