NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: PISTONS v HEAT

June 2, 2005

Rasual Butler

Udonis Haslem

Alonzo Mourning

ALONZO MOURNING: We just did what we didn't do in Game 4. I mean, they shot like 38 percent and that had to do with our defensive intensity. We just played with a lot more sense of urgency. The approach to the game was, you know, tremendous. When you play with that type of intensity and aggressiveness, defensively, then that's the result. You get those results and across the board, everybody came in the game and did what they had to do to contribute on both ends of the floor, offensively and defensively.

ALONZO MOURNING: It looked kind of freakish to me. He hits the floor so much. I wonder if he's okay every time he hits the floor, you know. But this time he was a little slow getting up, so I just hope it's not as serious. He had that this look on his face that he WAS going to be all right. Just seeing him sitting here in the locker room. Obviously we have the best doctors and they are going to do what they can do to make sure everything was okay.

RASUAL BUTLER: Just suck it up and play hard. You know that with someone going down that you're going to get more opportunity to play. You'll get more shot attempts. You'll get more minutes, more everything. Once Dwyane went down, my mindset doesn't change. It just raises my focus. I was nervous. You don't want to see anyone get hurt. It's definitely difficult to make up what he brings to the table.

RASUAL BUTLER: I mean, it feels good, but those are shots that I've been taking my entire life. They were my go-to moves in high school and college and even here last year. For it to go down in Game 6 like that with such an electric crowd, it felt really good. I never experienced anything like that before. It's not like I went to the NCAA Tournament or anything coming out of the south, so it felt good.

RASUAL BUTLER: I actually didn't, but I was listening to the crowd. I heard that they were counting down, so I knew how much time I had to get it off so, I just tried to just get a good shot off over the top.

UDONIS HASLEM: Not at all. We know we can't afford to let up. These guys have a lot of fight in them and they are going to give us all they can and we have to prepare for it.

UDONIS HASLEM: Just come out and just put all the energy on the floor and let everything take care of itself and that's what we tried to do tonight.

UDONIS HASLEM: It's like anything, you just get used to it. I know what to expect and how it feels. I have to go out and play. My teammates need me. I can't let my finger stop me from helping.

UDONIS HASLEM: Most definitely. My job is to rebound, and I haven't been doing that the first couple of games and I just tried to put the emphasis on it tonight and chase those rebounds.

UDONIS HASLEM: Yeah, like Coach said before the game, he called upon everybody to give a team effort, not just Dwyane or not just Shaq. He called everybody up. I think I think everybody came and stepped up to the plate tonight.