NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: SPURS v SUNS

May 23, 2005

Shawn Marion

Steve Nash

SHAWN MARION: I think we're going to change a couple of things, but other than that it will be the same game plan. We don't change much stuff up. We're going to do the same thing, just go out and get it done.

SHAWN MARION: We should have played better defense than we did, at the same time we scored 114 points. That's enough points to beat this team, so we have got to go out there and realize that and just look at the little mistakes we had here and there, like a missed rebound or a missed assignment, all that stuff will add up. If we can eliminate all the minor stuff, all the loose balls and rebounds and stuff, we could have won the game.

SHAWN MARION: I think so. We have to win this game tomorrow. It's a 7-game series, but it is one game at a time. That's what we have got to take it as.

SHAWN MARION: Very hard. He's M.V.P., plus he's 7 foot tall. Do the math. I am only 6' 7'', 225 pounds. 30, 20 pounds bigger than me and at least five, six inches taller than me. I am not supposed to be guarding him but I can. Best thing I can do is make it hard for him the best way I can, and to go out and just play.

SHAWN MARION: I am just going to play my game.

SHAWN MARION: We played great defense at times but not for the whole 48 minutes. We have got to buckle down and get it done.

SHAWN MARION: Extra energy on the other end doesn't affect your offense at all.

STEVE NASH: First of all, they played great in the fourth quarter. We gave them some open looks but they knocked them down, threes or otherwise. They caused us a lot of problems. We're going to try to do some things to combat that and give ourselves a better chance.

STEVE NASH: Yeah, they did. They trapped it a little bit late in the game. But we lost the game because they made all their shots in the fourth quarter, so we're going to have to do a little better job defensively. We scored enough points to win.

STEVE NASH: I think we scored enough points. Once again, to win the game we weren't quite there defensively. We have to kick that up. If we don't play defense, it's going to be really tough to beat this team.

STEVE NASH: Steven was great. He came in and provided us with defense got some rebounds, made a few buckets and free throws for us. That's huge, especially with their huge front-line. If he can come in and give us some minutes consistently, that really gives us a great chance.

STEVE NASH: Obviously, we're not quite the same team offense, but he still does a great job, gives us a different look. Huge benefit for us when Steven can play the way he did last night.

STEVE NASH: I think we have been in this position before where our backs are against the wall a little bit. We feel like we have got to come out and play a lot better. We put that pressure on ourselves earlier in the playoffs and we have responded. I feel good about tomorrow.

STEVE NASH: Well, we're not going home if we lose. It's not the end of the world, but at the same time you know, it's not going to be very pretty to go over there down 2-and-0. It's a huge game for us. Primarily we just want to play better. Have a little bit more energy and spark and desperation and give ourselves a chance.

STEVE NASH: I think we started tired. We started mentally unprepared, maybe it was a quick turnaround, whatever reason we started sluggish. I think that was a big part of it. We dug ourselves a bit of a hole and we fought back but didn't have enough to keep them down, so, hopefully we will be better from the tip.

STEVE NASH: That's why they are as good as there is around. That's why they are one of the favorites. We realize that but we also feel like we can keep improving. This is a team that's young and getting better. Once we figure it out we get a win under our belts everything will change.

STEVE NASH: It's something we weren't used to. Our guys were so used to me getting in the lane, so we have to kind of just prepare for that, what spots we need to get to.

STEVE NASH: It's a matter of us getting used to being in the right spot and making them pay for that. We did that against the Memphis series. We'll come back.

STEVE NASH: I think they are realizing they are good in transition now and they are willing to run. Manu and Tony, they really were in scoring transitions, so I think they are more comfortable.

STEVE NASH: Well, yeah, we can all improve. We can all be more efficient and make less mistakes. He's been terrific and we're going to lean on him.

STEVE NASH: We scored enough points to win. We started the game a little bit slow emotionally and mentally. In the fourth quarter we just couldn't stop them. They played really well. They deserve a lot of credit. But we also have to do something to try to make them miss a few more shots.

STEVE NASH: You have got to pick your poison. Very much like teams like to do against us. At some point you are gambling. We just like to take the best possible (inaudible).

STEVE NASH: Not letting Tim score and not letting their best shooters tee him up.

STEVE NASH: I think we're okay at that. Offensively we're going to be fine. We scored enough points to win. Biggest thing for us is playing with a lot of energy. We can score 114 points and win this series.

STEVE NASH: I think that we can force them into shots they don't necessarily want to take.

STEVE NASH: You have to tip your hat off. That was terrific. They played phenomonally in the fourth quarter. We got to do a better job, but at the same time there was a lot of areas that let us down. That was one of them. We have got to adjust a few things.

STEVE NASH: I think energy and emotion are a part of our success. We're a smaller team so we have to play with a lot of energy especially on the defensive. It kind of fuels our game. Emotion is a big part of it for us.

STEVE NASH: Just playing less than 48 hours the last game, I mean, you almost didn't have a chance to really get over it, let alone get a nice sleep. But that's the way it is. That's not an excuse at all. You have to overcome that.