NBA FINALS: PISTONS v SPURS

June 18, 2005

Tim Duncan

TIM DUNCAN: Yeah, they have made it their repertoire, that's what they do. They were down and they were out, you can call it what you want, heart of a champion or whatever it may be, but their ability to adjust to a series and fight back through it, it's been remarkable.

TIM DUNCAN: Wow, deep question. I think just like anyone else, I remember being around my dad and getting up and attempting to make some sort of breakfast-type meal and taking it to him in the morning. And as for future plans, I hope to be part of the same as that, to see my kids or kid or whatever it may be doing that for me, and having that kind of nostalgia feel.

TIM DUNCAN: Yeah. I'm just fine.

TIM DUNCAN: Their adjustment has been to crowd and pack the lane, and it's been very difficult, of course, as you've seen with our scoring, with my scoring, with the way they have been able to defend us. So we just have to do a little bit better job understanding that that's what they are going to do, they are going to get in that lane and we are going to have to move the ball and make their bodies move.

TIM DUNCAN: I think crafty, intelligent, just understanding what's in front of them, what's in front of all of us. I think we should have to attack the game with a little more intelligence, understanding what they are doing, understanding the physical nature and their great helps on defense and it if we can use that against them, have them overrotate, whatever it may be, that's going to be the way that we're going to be effective against them.

TIM DUNCAN: There where are a couple guys around the league, in a pair or in a group of them, I think they complement each other very well with their styles. They are all 6-9, 6-10 and they are all very long and they are all very strong and they are all very active, and this references the Wallaces of course and Antonio. And they play together very well I think their biggest strengths are not only individually, they are great defenders, but they are great defenders as peers. I'm just talking about the big guys, they defend well, they cover each other's back, they rotate for each other. So they work well together.

TIM DUNCAN: I think the last two games -- I don't know where to start with that. There's so many things I can use from it, and a lot of it I've touched on with some of the other questions: Just being more intelligent, just understanding what their focus is, how they want to really pack it into the lane, making quick decisions when it's time, and involve the other teammates when it's time. Not only just sitting there trying to pound the ball but score the ball. I've got to be able to draw and kick and use their aggressiveness against them.

TIM DUNCAN: I think we have done a great job of talking to each other and using this time more than individual sitting down and really beating ourselves up individually; really talking to each other and trying to get everybody on the same page. We had some time to do that here in the last day or so, and I think that will help us, if nothing else, more than anything.

TIM DUNCAN: I would describe me as night and him as day. (Laughter).