NBA FINALS: PISTONS v LAKERS

June 10, 2004

Larry Brown

COACH LARRY BROWN: Well, let's think about this. It was 18 seconds when we missed. By some quirk of fate, they didn't call a time-out and they got it with 12 seconds to go. Now, I'm a coach, what happens after the game, I'm not going to tell you guys what was said in the huddle and what -- I mean, how would that be as a coach? We did what we were supposed to do. 12 seconds to go, I'm worried about a quick two. I think all of us talked about that. If it was four or five seconds to go, that might have changed, but to be honest with you, I don't think I need to tell you guys what we talked about in practice. The one thing I do know is when we're in a late-clock situation, usually with 12 seconds to go, we would never foul. With the clock running down, if there was four or five seconds to go, we would almost always foul. But I don't think players when the play is going on exactly know what the time is after the ball is inbounded. We wanted to jump-switch and keep the ball on one side of the court. Kobe ended up dribbling, and all I'm thinking, and all Rip Hamilton is thinking, he's going to ball fake, draw the contact and, boom, shot it, maybe we put him on the line for three, maybe he makes a four-point play. But to be honest with you, if I'm going to come in here after a game and talk to you guys about what we said in the huddle and what we were supposed to do, I think that would be disrespecting everybody I coach. So, I live with it. He made a great shot. We still had an overtime and a chance to win the game and they got it done and we didn't.

COACH LARRY BROWN: What happens to the Lakers when Karl Malone is not on the floor? They put in Luke Walton and they go home with a win. (Laughter) I guess. I mean, one, I hope the guy can play, because I don't think they would be in this position right now if he wasn't a big part of their team and the sacrifices he's made and the commitment he's made to come into this team and to be a part of it is, I think is pretty special. So, I hate to not see him in a position to play. If he doesn't play, the other thing is, I usually feel like when you lose a key player like that, sometimes the guys in my locker room might be thinking this might be easier than what it will probably be, and that bothers me. I always have a tendency to see championship teams rally in situations like that. But then there's some issues we have to face. If he doesn't play, we've got to throw it to the guy that maybe has a matchup in their favor, and I don't think we did that, you know, very well in our last game. In Tel Aviv you guys foul when you're down two, take a three to win the game.

COACH LARRY BROWN: They lost the semifinals, right? They fouled, put the guy on the line and they won in two and they missed the 3. But that's another story.

COACH LARRY BROWN: We'll only find out tonight. But you've got to understand about this team: We lost Jon Barry, Michael Curry, Cliff Robinson, Chucky Atkins, four guys that helped us win 50 games two years in a row. We made a change in the middle of the year and picked up Rasheed Wallace, or late in the year. We got a lot of new people. That group has really moved forward and done some incredible things, and the way I look at it, we showed character all year. We showed character against Milwaukee. We did unbelievable things after losing three straight to New Jersey. We did a similar situation in Indiana. I believe in them. We should have won Game 2; it didn't happen, but the way I looked at it, be miserable on the flight back, because we would be miserable anyway. Let's get over it. We've got a great opportunity and let's move forward. I really believe we are over that. I think the biggest thing we talked about, is the things the Lakers did extremely well to put us in a position to lose. We had every opportunity to win that game, aside from Kobe's shot, there were areas that we didn't play, you know, up to our ability and I think we have to focus more on correcting that and figuring out a way to play better the first possession tonight and I think we're about at that point.

COACH LARRY BROWN: No. I mean, that's what makes -- that's part of my job. Again, nobody knows what I said, and I'm confident in what we talked about was the right thing for our team to do to be successful. I also think that a kid -- you know, by second-guessing me, they are taking away from what that kid did. I mean, that was pretty darn special, I think. I read some of his comments, you know, about what was going through his mind. You've got the ball with 12 seconds to go and end up taking a shot with two, now think about that. There had to be some God looking at -- usually I think you would shoot it pretty quick, wouldn't you, and try to have another opportunity to foul or get an offensive rebound? So, the way it happened, this kid made a super play. But I don't -- I don't doubt what we did was right. You know, nobody knows -- God forbid we did foul and he shoots the ball as he's getting fouled. Or, if you remember the possession that killed us: Shaq pushes Ben Wallace, gets a layup, nobody fouls him, they put him on the line. What if we foul and they allow that to happen again, you know, with ten seconds to go or with 11 seconds to go? And Ben Wallace fouls out of the game by fouling and so we can talk about what's right or what's wrong. But again, I should be second-guessed on everything we do. That's what makes talk radio and that's what gives you guys an opportunity. I haven't seen any of you suckers at my practices or us going over late-game situations and talking about what we do. So, you have the right and that's what makes it fun. I respect that. That's why my job is the way it is, and that's why I'm looking forward to tonight. You know, maybe I'll have another opportunity and I'll remember what happened in Europe and we'll go from there. (Laughter).

COACH LARRY BROWN: You can ask, and if I knew my players were going to be on time all the time, I would have it open every day. (Laughter) And I do like people to come watch us practice. You know, I think that's a great, great thing. Anybody, our guys, they watch our shoot-arounds and stuff like that. You know, if they ever ask me, I would never tell them no.

COACH LARRY BROWN: You have to take your hat off. (Laughter).

COACH LARRY BROWN: Well, I think when we were watching the film, there were certain quarters, I asked Ben how many times he touched it and Rasheed how many times he touched it and Tayshaun how many times he touched it. There were very few times they could fill up that hand. So, I think you're absolutely right. We've got to have much better distribution. We've got to get in positions where we can get fouled, you know, or get second shots or stop their break. And we've got to get more people involved and that starts with our guards. Not to say, I would never have a problem with our guards taking a lot of shots, if they are good shots, if they come after good ball movement. But to shoot it quickly without the other people handling or having opportunities, puts so much pressure on them when they do get a chance to shoot the ball, so we've got to do a much better job there.