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NBA FINALS: HEAT v MAVERICKS

June 15, 2006

Dwyane Wade

MIAMI, FLORIDA: Game Four

Q. Can you just talk about how dramatically this series has changed since midway in the fourth quarter last game to now?
DWYANE WADE: I mean, it's a series now, you know, it's 2-2, the way we knew it was going to be if we came out and played the way Miami Heat can play. A lot of people was doubting us and we thrive off that. We've been doubted all year.
It's a series. Now it's the best-of-three. Looking hard to the next game.

Q. I was wondering if you could talk about what your bench was able to do, especially Posey tonight?
DWYANE WADE: Man, Posey did an unbelievable job for us tonight, scoring, rebounding, just being active, taking charge. That's what it's all about. That's what the playoffs about is about guys coming in and stepping up, and give a lot of credit to Posey for doing that.
Everybody came off the bench. Alonzo did an unbelievable job for us down there low to block shots.
It's team basketball, man, and everyone played good tonight. For the first time in this series we played good as a team. We just want to continue to do that coming into Sunday.

Q. When you're down 0-2 or even down 1-2, what was it Coach Riley was saying to you guys to get you motivated to get back into the series?
DWYANE WADE: If you ain't motivated in The Finals, man, it's nothing to be said. That's what he said. Ain't nothing I can say to motivate you guys. We know we've got to play a lot better. You've got to go out there and you've got to want it. But there ain't no motivational speeches that can be said in The Finals, man. You've got to go out and do it. We understand that. We've got a lot of veterans on this team.

Q. Are you getting the ball at the top any more than you did in the first couple of games? Are you in a better attacking position than you were the first couple of games?
DWYANE WADE: No, I'm probably the same. I'm just in a rhythm. I'm a rhythm player. First two games in Dallas, I was kind of off my rhythm and now I'm in a rhythm now. I'm able to look and see the defense come before it's coming and make my moves, pull up or attack.
Just seeing the game early now, and hopefully stay into that rhythm. And my teammates are doing a great job of spreading the floor and giving me the ball in the right spot so I can make plays happen.

Q. It seems like y'all are being more physical against Dirk; is that a conscious effort you have made to be more physical with him?
DWYANE WADE: You know Dirk, he's seven foot, man, shooting fadeaway jumpers. Only thing you can do is corral him and try to make him take a tough shot. We have guys like Posey and Udonis who are doing an unbelievable job of making him take a tough shots and crowd him and get under him. If he hit it, take the ball out but if he didn't, you did a great job defensively. Great job by Posey and Udonis on Dirk but a tough job the next couple games.

Q. Are you seeing anything different because of the way you all are playing?
DWYANE WADE: Just not letting him get the ball in his sweet spot as they does in other series. They were just switching him and letting him get in sweet spots. Our guys are doing a good job of making him work harder for it. That's the only difference, but he's getting the shots, and they can contest it.

Q. You said this morning that Shaq was back to being more talkative after Game 3. What do you think he's like after Game 4?
DWYANE WADE: Oh, what do I think -- well, did he come in here yet? I'm sure he had some quotes for everyone, you know, to listen to.
You know, he's back. I think he understands that this team needs him. We need his personality, also. You know, when he's quiet, the team kind of gets quiet. But when he's alive, we're alive. He played excellent tonight, man, you know, for us tonight, and looking forward to more coming in the next couple of games.

Q. And you said Pat really didn't have to give motivational speeches the last few days. So what did he do between 0-2 and 2-2 that really helped you guys?
DWYANE WADE: Just showed us what we did wrong, you know, from one game to the next, what we can get better at. Just point out things like defense transition we can get better at. We're still not doing a good job with turning the ball over, and that's one thing he said, and rebounding the ball was a key. He knew that offensively we would get it going eventually. Just concentrate on that and it's worked for us the last two games.

Q. What was your mindset when Shaquille went out with his second foul in the first quarter and for the next four or five minutes you scored three or four times?
DWYANE WADE: Just to be more aggressive. I take it upon myself to be more aggressive on the offensive end. We just wanted him to get to the bench and get back in. We know Zo is coming in and Zo did an unbelievable job for us, very underrated, especially on the offensive end does a great job of setting picks and getting rolls to the basket. We don't lose too much when Zo comes in, we have another kind of player. We have best backup center in the league and it works for us.

Q. Were you surprised they did not contest the outside shot as much, in the first quarter, Nowitzki didn't step out on you?
DWYANE WADE: I think they said I can't shoot, that's what it was said, right, in Game 1. So why would they contest my shots? I can't shoot. So, hopefully, you know, I'm going to continue to keep shooting the shots they're giving me and step up and make them. That's all I can do.

Q. It seems like especially in this game a little bit of bad blood has brewed and spilled out a little bit. In the locker room the Mavericks were saying that you were even faking for the TV cameras a little bit with your injury. How do you respond to that and do you see it building at this point?
DWYANE WADE: No, I don't care. I don't have to fake. If I'm hurt, I'm hurt. If I'm not, I'm not. It's whatever, man. It's the Finals, we're not best friends. We could care less what they say and they could care less what we say, until The Finals are over.
Right now, it's two teams battling each other and going to war. It's whatever. Everybody knows I don't fake. If I'm hurt, I'm hurt. Y'all have seen me, I don't have to fake.

End of FastScripts...

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