Things people said today

Q.  Would you agree with the characterization that you just haven't been able to run an offense against these guys?
  PHIL JACKSON:  No.  I think that a lot of what we're doing is running what we call our pressure releases because the pressure on the wings, pressure up court is creating pressure releases, so a lot of what we're doing is just running pressure releases.  And as a consequence, you know, we're getting our offense at a different level and a different spacing, but our spacing hasn't been good.  I said last night, it doesn't look like Laker ball yet, like we're playing Laker basketball.

Q.  Is there any truth to the fact that maybe the European player fits into your offense a little more easier than American players?  And then the second part of that, what do you think the future of your offense is or the triangle is, 5, 10, 15 years down the road in the NBA?
  PHIL JACKSON:  Question number two, I really don't know.  It's a very difficult offense because it's an offense that requires a considerable amount of time in breakdown drills to get execution.  A lot of times we have too many changes and too many personnel changes in the course of a year or injuries, et cetera, to get everybody working at the same level in this game.  A lot of coaches don't have the time because defense takes so much time in this game, also.  So concentrate that amount of time for execution and fundamental skills of offense.
    But I think that you are right in a lot of ways with the characterization that European players might fit better into our offense, simply because their shooting    perhaps there's a little more emphasis on shooting. Our American ball, a lot of it, is interior ball, driving to the basket, penetration, one on one, an individual game.  A lot of their game fits well within this system, particularly if you have penetrators or post players like Gasol or a penetrator like Kobe Bryant.

Q.  Given all the time with officiating after Game 2, is what we all saw last night something that you would consider acceptable for the duration of this Finals and for 82 games next year and the year after?
  PHIL JACKSON:  You know, with the bang bang kind of night we had last night, I'm through three quarters-- not quite through the third quarter, watching the tape.  I thought there was an imbalance, again, in free throws between the two teams in the first half.  Obviously there's four free throws by the Celtics late in the first half.  We kind of balanced it out.
    They did take a lot of jump shots instead of a lot of penetrating moves that they had taken in Boston, and consequently, jump shots are usually not going to be foul situations.
    But the balance at the end of the game is probably what you're going to see as far as foul shooting is going to be, spaced out in the game.  Now, there could be less, 25 20, whatever.  But that is kind of like indicative of the way the game was played.  Boston came heavy second half, aggressive, more foul shot situations for them, again.  I think the emphasis has been there in this series about the aggressor is going to get the favor.
    I thought our referees did a good job controlling the game.  The game got a little bit skaty in one period of time where there was some physical contact and they separated guys, got technicals assessed, the two players moved on, and that was good.

Q.  You talked about last night looking at the officiating, the way it's governed in the NBA, and you said that several coaches, you've talked through the years about separating, creating an entity to create some separation between the league and the officials.  Are there any ideas, firm ideas, how you would do that?  How extensive have these conversations been, and what are some suggestions?
    PHIL JACKSON:  You know, I don't think it's developed far enough to talk about actually an entity that would operate separate and apart or satellite apart from the NBA and run the referees from outside the league office and then have a certain sense of their training, their policing and their governing those people.  But it seems to be more consistent with what we want to have happen to keep it from being influenced or being    somehow or other indiscretions happening inside the refereeing in the league office.  It's cast aspersions in the quality of what we're getting.
    I think these guys have an impossible job.  It's a very difficult game to referee.  Judgment calls on many, many situations in the course of a game, and these guys are doing as good a job as they possibly can.
    But given the latitude or the freedom that could come away from the constant harangue or penetrating discussions or    there are even teams posing basic websites that kind of critique the referees from game to game.  I think has put a lot of pressure on the quality of the job that's getting done, and I think once you took it out of the league's hands or once the league took it out of their own hands, it would give them less of an oversight or overwhelming presence over the top.  They wouldn't be so defensive about our refereeing all the time.  Our refereeing has kind of become a sacred cow.  On the outside they can criticize it, and on the inside they say do the best you can with what you got.

Q.  Garnett and Pierce had poor shooting nights and yet the game still comes down to the final two minutes.  What should you guys take out of that and what do you think Boston takes out of that?
  PHIL JACKSON:  Well, I think they have to understand that this is a game that was just a down game for them.  They'll adjust to this court.  They'll get themselves in better shape for the next game. They'll have a better offensive opportunity.  You know, Kobe had a big game.  They can probably get him back in a position where they'll feel more comfortable with what he gets done.
    I'd agree that Pierce is going to play better.  We've said over the past three games that we can't let all of their scorers hurt us, Allen, Pierce and Garnett.  If two of the three have good games, we have to keep one of those guys at a subpar game if we're going to have a chance to win, and last night was a good example of that.

Q.  You've made the point that the referees are under pressure and both sides are working the referees all the time.  If there's an imbalance in free throws, human nature and practice is that they will correct it the next game.  Given all that, do you have any question about the basic credibility of the system in the fact that they're not cheating one way or the other for anybody, or do you have questions about the credibility?
    PHIL JACKSON:  No.  I think that influence, opinion, all the things that go into making us humans lemmings, which we are, we follow fads and fashions in whatever we do, is much as effective in this game as anywhere else.  But I don't think there's anything you cast any aspersions on a delivered output or outlay of which direction or how referees are going to judge a game from series to series.  I think that it's as fair as they can make it. These guys come with an open mind, and that's the way the game is played.  I think that the decision of how a game is played, the house teams have, the energy that ball players put out there on the court all influence the referees as to making calls, and that's what this game has always been about.

KOBE BRYANT 

Q.What does winning the first game of the series do for your team's confidence?
  KOBE BRYANT:  I don't know if it's so much about confidence at this point, just about winning.  We're a pretty confident bunch as it is, but like I said, at this point it's not about that.  It's just about doing what we've got to do to win the game.

Q.  Do you feel like it changes the momentum of the series at all?
    KOBE BRYANT:  No.

Q.  If Tim Donaghy, what he said was true yesterday, you had some help basically your 2002 title was helped by a conspiracy, as an athlete when you hear that, how do you respond?
    KOBE BRYANT:  I don't.

Q.  Do you feel at all like people might listen to that and feel like something you accomplished is discredited at all?
    KOBE BRYANT:  Maybe.

Q.  As a player this came out last year and ruined your first day of USA Basketball when the story broke.  Now it comes back when you're in The Finals.  Are players getting tired of this at all?
    KOBE BRYANT:  We don't think about it too much.  I'm sorry to be Belichick-y, but we don't think about it too much, to be honest with you.  It's not something we focus on as players.  I think it's more talked about outside of our circles more than it is inside.  We know whatever legal proceedings they have going on they'll get to the bottom of the situation, and for us as players, all we can do is play.

Q.  Pierce and Garnett had really poor shooting nights last night, and yet the game still came down to the final minutes.  What concerned you about that?  What do you take out of that, and what do you think the Celtics take out of that?
    KOBE BRYANT:  I don't think we take anything from it.  In this kind of series, I don't think there's any particular game that will carry over to the next. Every game is its own isolated thing.  So whether or not they shoot well the next game or shoot poorly the next game, I don't know.  We struggled, as well.  Pau didn't play too well, Lamar didn't play too well, and I missed seven free throws.  It just depends how you want to look at it.

Q.  15 in a row at home, can you talk about especially in the 2 3 2 format the importance of having to take care of business at home?
  KOBE BRYANT:  Well, it's critical.  You have home-court advantage for a reason.  You want to try to lock it down at home as much as you possibly can and take care of business.

Q.  Just your reaction to Curt Schilling's blog where he sort of painted you in an unflattering light screaming at your teammates and some of them rolling their eyes.  Are you disappointed that he would write that sitting behind the bench?
    KOBE BRYANT:  You're asking for my response to it?  Go Yankees (laughter).  I mean, look, I know my team.  We almost pulled off    after the time of all those bleeps, we almost pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in history. It seemed to motivate them pretty well.

Q.  Do you worry sometimes  sometimes you're hard on teammates at times.  Do you worry that he takes that the wrong way, or are you confident that he understands what you're after?
    KOBE BRYANT:  No, they're used to it, and we all have thick skin around here on the team.  That's just how we (are).  We're brutally honest with each other.  Our team is built for that.  We all love it.

Q.  Is that just because you've seen them in the course of the season, or you just have confidence?
  KOBE BRYANT:  We're playing a great defensive team.  It's not like it's going to be easy for them.  It's a matter of them figuring out where those spots are going to be attacking them.  They're both very smart, intelligent basketball players and they'll be fine.  Lamar was playing OK yesterday, he just couldn't seem to stay on the floor.

Q.  Phil was just saying that you guys haven't looked like the Lakers on offense.  You've been trying to crack this defense four games basically.  What is it that you guys aren't doing that you're talking about doing?
    KOBE BRYANT:  Just keeping it simple, just moving the basketball.  We did some things today to build some of our rhythm a little bit and use some of their pressure against them.  If we just move the ball, knock down shots, and we'll be all right.

PAUL PIERCE: It's amazing how all scorers, whether Kobe or anyone else, all sound basically the same after a bad night. 

Q. Can you talk about coming home to L.A.?  Are there pressures you feel from that, a lot of people you have to see, and how much have you been able to shut that out and just focus on what you're doing?
    PAUL PIERCE:  Well, I'm just approaching these games like any other game, not really spending a lot of time with family, just going to be around my teammates, stay at the hotel, do the things I would normally do if I was somewhere else on the road.  I'll have plenty of time to visit with family and friends in the summer, so I'm just approaching these games the same I would as if I were playing anywhere else.

Q.  When you have a shooting night like you did last night, what's your approach to the next game?
    PAUL PIERCE:  Just keep shooting the ball.  I thought I had some pretty good looks in Game 3.  Really not discouraged at my opportunities.  Really didn't see a lot of double teaming.  A lot of those looks I got were looks I can make.  So just stay positive, and if I get those same looks in Game 4, I'm confident that they'll be in.

Q.  Neither you nor Kevin had a good shooting night, and yet the game comes down to the final minutes anyway.  What do you take out of that, and what do you think the Lakers take out of it?
    PAUL PIERCE:  Well, it's hard.  Me and Kevin really didn't play well.  But then you've got to look at the Lakers' side, Odom and Gasol really don't play well.  So you've got to expect me and Kevin to play a lot better in Game 4 as well as Gasol as well as Odom to play a lot better.  But I was happy with our defense.  I can take that away from Game 3 with the way we defended the ball.  We gave up some key offensive rebounds there late in the game.  If we can clean those up, we'll be fine.  But defensively we had them to 87 points, they shot 43 percent and we'll take that all night.

Q.  Phil Jackson said he thought putting Kobe on you defensively was a big key to the game.  Do you agree, and how much different is it for you when he's guarding you?
    PAUL PIERCE:  I don't know.  I mean, he guarded me pretty much the fourth quarter when I went off for five points (laughter).  It was my best quarter out of the last three, so I don't know.  Definitely you've got to respect Kobe what he's done defensively.  He's an All Defensive Team.  But I don't think it changes anything that I try to do out there.

Q.  After the game Doc told you guys to get your rest, Phil Jackson said Kevin looked tired.  Doc also said that you called a timeout to get a breather.  Was it the travel?  What was it you guys seemed more fatigued, if I'm wrong, tell me I'm wrong, but than in the other games?
    PAUL PIERCE:  Could be from the travel.  But both teams experienced it.  We got into town not too much longer after the Lakers landed, so I really don't want to use that as an excuse.  Just didn't play well.  That's just the way it is.  Just didn't shoot the ball well.  I did feel some fatigue there late in the fourth.  That's the reason I called a timeout.  But both teams probably experienced the same thing, so we can't use that as a reason why we lost. 

Q.  Can you talk about how your leg is feeling?  Did you have to do anything on the plane to kind of keep it from stiffening up?  How did you feel last night playing on that leg after not much time to prepare?
    PAUL PIERCE:  I didn't feel too bad.  On the plane I iced it.  That's about it, kept it in a wrap.  But I don't think it had any effect on the way I played in Game 3.  It was just a bad shooting night, just get ready to bounce back for Game 4.

Q.  Doc said it's possible Rondo may or may not go tomorrow.  How important is he to this team, and if he doesn't play, how do you guys adapt?
    PAUL PIERCE:  Well, guys have to step up.  Eddie and Sam are brought to the forefront.  Definitely Rondo is a big key to what we try to do out there.  He sets the tempo for us offensively and defensively, understands what we try to do at the start of ballgames.  So it would definitely be a blow to us if we don't have Rondo out there.  But I think we have guys who bring something different to the game that can definitely help us.

Q.  Tony Allen?
    PAUL PIERCE:  I mean, that can be an option.  That's up to the coaches.  Tony hasn't played a lot in the playoffs to go to him early, but that could be an option we could see.  But definitely I know Sam will be ready, Eddie will be ready, and if we need Tony, he'll be ready to step up, also.

Q.  I know you're real comfortable playing out here in L.A., coming home in front of a lot of people you know and all.  Is it possible you're a little bit too excited, a little bit too-- did you have any more than usual nerves coming in, excited that way?
    PAUL PIERCE:  I was a little anxious.  I mean, you are in the NBA Finals.  But I've been anxious every game, just the anticipation of being out there playing on the biggest stage in all of basketball.
    Probably a little more anxious than normal being that I'm at home in front of more family and more friends.  But got to block that out and go out there and leave it on the court.  I've done it in the past; I've been out here and played and played well despite having family and friends, and it's time for me to do it again.

Q.  Considering that this is Doc's first championship as a coach, what have you noticed about him?  What has struck you as interesting about how he's been handling this and his relationship with you guys as a team?
    PAUL PIERCE:  I don't know.  I haven't put much thought into that.  Doc has been the same throughout the whole year, regular season, playoffs.  What they do behind the scenes, preparation, or his mood or anything, if there's anything different about him, I haven't noticed.  But he's been great for us.