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NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: PISTONS v HEAT

May 28, 2006

Dwyane Wade

MIAMI, FLORIDA: Practice Day

DWYANE WADE: These are the Conference Finals, so I don't really see a problem tomorrow. I think both teams are going to come out and go at it, and it is going to be a team to make the best plays going down the stretch that's going to win the ballgame. It's going to be a close game, both teams are going to really come out and know that both teams really want the game.
Q. When you were up 2-1 last year and then 3-2, does that teach you a lesson of you've got to sort of stomp when you can and not just keep playing it out to 2-2 and 3-3 like last year?
DWYANE WADE: You can't really worry about it. You've got to play each game for what it is, take it game by game and you try to win. That's all we're going to do. We're in Game 4, we're just trying to win that next game. We're not worried about what can happen or what could happen and what did happen. We're just trying to win the game tomorrow. We're at home, we're trying to hold things at home like we're supposed to in the playoffs, and if we do that, we'll be fine.
Q. There's a lot of superstars that sort of play on -- two guys on a team, and sometimes they click and sometimes they don't. What works with you and Shaq playing together?
DWYANE WADE: From the getgo it clicked. I'm a guy who I drive to the basket, and when I do that, I draw a lot of attention so I'm able to ditch off to Shaq, and as I'm able to do that, he gets easy buckets, and then he's dominant, man. It's easy to play with Shaq.
Q. I know that you were looking forward to playing to him when he first came, but what's it actually been like now that you've done it?
DWYANE WADE: It's been great, man. I wish I could have started my rookie year with him, and I wish he could have been younger when I played with him. But I'm just happy that I got the opportunity to do it, and hopefully as long as he plays this game, we'll be a dominating duo together. I'm looking forward to the future with us.
Q. Some of these guys went off last night. What do you have to do to make sure they slow down on Monday?
DWYANE WADE: Man, you can't take everything away. You've got to do your best job. I think we did a great job on the other guys, and Chauncey had a big game. He really was aggressive from the getgo. When he's shooting the ball like that, all I can do is just try to do your best job defensively. You cannot take everything away, you can take away what you can. I think our big guys did a great job with not letting the inside guys go up.
Q. You shot lights out last night. Would you say you were in the zone? Did the basket look bigger?
DWYANE WADE: No, no. I just hit some shots, got in a groove. That's the kind of player I am. If I get into a groove, then I can go for a couple of buckets in a row, and that's all I did. I was very aggressive, but it wasn't like one of those zone nights, I just hit some shots. I was concentrating on hitting my shots, and I did.
Q. I know you're focused on your team. Did you sense any frustration from them, hear anything as far as any of the players?
DWYANE WADE: No, no. I don't pay attention to that.
Q. (Inaudible).
DWYANE WADE: I think when I don't have the ball they do a good job of denying me the ball, so it's kind of hard for them to -- even if I bring it up the court to stop me from getting it unless they run two guys at me and then we've got somebody open. They're a powerful team. They're a good defensive team, so they're not going to totally go away for what works for them the last couple years.
Q. The one game they won, they did a lot of trapping. Were you surprised you didn't see it last night and do you think you're going to see it on Monday?
DWYANE WADE: They did a little bit of trapping, I don't think they did a lot. They still did some last night where I was bringing the ball up and they brought guys at me at half court. The only difference was yesterday I got off the ball and guys made plays, and in the other game we didn't make the plays we needed to make. We'll be ready tomorrow if they come with it.
Q. Are you surprised how easily you've been able to get in the lane, your guys 50 points in the paint last night?
DWYANE WADE: No, that's our game. That's what we do best. We're not at our best when we're settling for jump shots. We're at our best when we're attacking, getting the ball down to Shaq and I'm penetrating. That's when the Miami Heat is at our best. We're playing to our strengths right now.

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