Suns-Mavs Quotes: 4/5/2009

(On the Mavs big 24-3 run in the second quarter. Defensive breakdowns?): “If they make a 24-3 run it’s probably defense. We didn’t do a very good job. They scored anytime they wanted to. They scored against our zone. We played man and figured we could go into a zone. They scored against our zone, there’s nothing else we can play. Zone or man it’s about where it gets. We just didn’t do a good job. I take a lot of the responsibility. I’m supposed to have them ready to play, and they weren’t ready to play. I thought we came out with good energy and we did a good job, but we hit that one streak right there and they got separation and we never got back in it. When you do that then things like what happened at the half with Josh Howard’s shot, is going to happen. You can’t allow a team to get on that kind of run and get into that kind of comfort zone. The most important thing for us was that we had to keep the pressure on them so that they could feel the pressure. They got to a comfort level where there was no pressure and you can see what a good team and a good scoring team they can be when they get into that zone.”

(On what you tell your team after a game like that): “To be honest with you there wasn’t a whole lot I could say. But I was just disappointed. I thought we did a good job. We came out ready to play, but we gave up 39 in the first quarter, and that’s too many. We’re going to score, we had 33, but we can’t give up 39. I think the most important thing was we can’t run when we’re taking the ball out of the basket all the time. And they were scoring at such a pace that we were always taking the ball out of the basket. So eventually somewhere along the line that’s going to catch up with you because it keeps pressure on us to go down and score all the time also.”

(How hard is it to tell your guys that you still have a shot at the playoffs): “Realistically we don’t, guys. I mean let’s be honest, it would have to be a total collapse by them. They would have to lose every game, and they’re not going to do that. We’re probably not going to make it quite honestly, that’s pretty obvious. But what we can do is we can show the professionalism that we have by now going and playing in the last four or five games that we have. That’s what we have to do.”

(On getting better): “We have to get better defensively and more consistent defensively if we’re going to be a good team. We’re not going to be a good team if we’re doing that in spurts of games, one night we’re ok and one night we’re not. We have to get to some kind of consistency where we know what we’re going to get every night, and then we can make adjustments from there. But to give up 140 points is very disturbing and it’s not a good thing.”

(Was tonight more to do with bad defense or poor shot selection on your team’s part?): “Little bit of both. Certainly the offense wasn’t the problem, but they did get some shots in transition. I thought the turning point was when they started to go post-up Kidd and we just had some mental breakdowns. Terry hit two threes in the corner – he got free on a little cut on the baseline. We had problems with Nowitzki - he hit a three and that really just kept the momentum going. And where it might have been a close 2-3 point game it went to 12 and 15. So in hindsight it would’ve been best to just let J-Kidd beat us. But he’s just going to kind of keep on backing down – kind of like Mark Jackson used to do with Indiana . Back you down, space the court, and whoever doubles he’s going to find them. [We] should’ve just let Kidd beat us, so I think that was the turning point, at least in my opinion.”

(It wasn’t for a lack of focus or effort early in the game): “Yeah. They had an incredible night shooting the ball and we got progressively worse. [They] put us out of our misery. We obviously gave up way too many points tonight and weren’t very good defensively.”

(On Jason Kidd being effective in the post): “I think we have to recognize that more and more. I think Kidd is great down there. He is a big body, 6’4”, but really goes strong. We did some of that in Memphis against Conley and I think once the other team has some smaller guards, I think that is something that we have to look at, because he can score down there. But, also that sets up some of the passing. I think Jet (Jason Terry) had some wide open corner three’s that got him going. He (Kidd) was able to post up twice back-to-back and he (Terry) was wide open in the corner and you know that is the kind of night it was and he had it going on all cylinders.”

(On playing well at home): “Ya, I can’t really put my finger on what really changes, but you know, usually the role players and everybody just play with more confidence at home. The past years that has always been the case. We will just keep working. Actually we have a tough schedule coming up, but a lot of games at home which is pretty good and we are confident at home that we can beat anybody. So, there are some tough tests coming up. You know, Utah is tough and is right in front of us and New Orleans has given us trouble all year and we haven’t beat them yet. It should be a fun week.”

(On the offensive efficiency today): “Definitely, I think when we are playing together on offense, everything comes easier. It is when we don’t focus too much on the strong side or play too much one on one. That is not really our game. We want to move, we want to get Kidd on the run. We went to get Jet (Jason Terry) on the move because he is tough to guard when he is running around and going to his right. I am usually on the move, a little better. So, that is what we usually want to do is pick up the pace if we can.”

(On just missing out on 20 points to go along with his 20 assists): “At that point in the third quarter I told coach I wanted to come out, just to get a break and just in case it was going to be a game that I would be rested going into the fourth and so I wasn’t really worried about the 20-20. I wanted to get more rebounds, but unfortunately my teammates were making them, so I wasn’t getting them and we were just going. The biggest thing is that we had fun in a big game and when we do that we are dangerous.”

(Talk about your accomplishments): “The more I think of it, as a kid growing up you don’t think about stats, you are more just concerned about winning. In the past Magic (Johnson) was my idol growing up and they talk about Oscar (Robertson), Magic, Mark Jackson and John Stockton, those were some pretty good point guards.”

(Talk about your matchup against Nash): “Well, I think you are talking about a two-time MVP and you know, we knew he was going to come out and be aggressive and it that first quarter he did everything we expected offensively to shoot and get his teammates involved. So, we just tried to put him on the defensive end to get him as much as possible and that worked for us.”

(On Jason Kidd): “Jason Kidd has an iron will. Just absolutely unbelievable. Nineteen points, 20 assists. Some of the stuff that he was inventing out there offensively for us was just phenomenal. It kept giving our team more and more confidence and we rode the wave.”

“Never underestimate greatness at any age. People used to ask me about Reggie Miller and I would say that. When I was in Detroit my first two years, Jordan was making a comeback with Washington and I said the same thing. We played Toronto my first playoff series as a head coach back in 2002 and Hakeem Olajuwon was playing. I said the same thing and he came out and he put about an 11 point run on us in four minutes during Game 2. It was very scary and he was toward the end of his career. You can’t ever relax on these guys. There’s a reason that Nash and Shaq are going to the Hall of Fame on a first vote. There’s a reason Kidd is going to the Hall of Fame on the first vote. And Dirk and Grant Hill is a Hall of Fame player who happened to miss a few years. That’s how much respect I have for him. He started out the game 6-for-6. In my mind, they (the Suns) have three players that are Hall of Famers and our guys knew this was going to be a gut-check kind of game. The pressure was there. It was on them just as much as it was us. Our ability to make shots and get stops in the first half that got us momentum was key. Kidd had a lot to do with it and so did Dirk.”

(On where Dallas stands now): “Phoenix is a damn good team. Nothing is sewn up yet. We still have to win one or two more games to make sure we qualify but make no mistake, we feel we are a dangerous team. We’re looking to move up. That’s where things are.”

(On Brandon Bass): “Bass did a great job. His job today was to play with force everywhere on the floor. To pursue the ball when it was in the air, any rebound situation and to attack the basket hard. He did that. Our guys did a great job finding him. He was the recipient of a couple alley-oop passes. A couple of great passes where all he had to do was go up and finish. Defensively, he’s come a long way. Offensively, we know what he can do. He’s a great mid-range shooter and he’s tough to deal with around the basket.”