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NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: SUNS v MAVERICKS

May 28, 2006

Avery Johnson

PHOENIX, ARIZONA: Game Three

COACH AVERY JOHNSON: Well, this was a good win for us tonight. We tried to hang in there. Didn't have too good of a first half, but we had a pretty good second quarter where we closed the deficit a little bit when Phoenix had that 11-point lead. But we just battled for 48 minutes. The game is never over against the Suns.
And you know we had some guys that had some key contributions right at the right time. So good total overall team effort. We're in the battle against a special basketball team in the Suns and the way that they play. We know we gotta get back on defense and try to take away some of their easy baskets and try to guard the three-point line. They made seven tonight but I thought we did a decent job of trying to guard the three-point line. So we'll get back to work tomorrow and see what happens in Game 4.
Q. Coach, your team looked different defensively in the second half. What did you tell them at half time and how strongly was that message delivered to them by you?
COACH AVERY JOHNSON: Well, again, we changed the lineup at the half and I wanted to go with Diop. I thought that was a key for us. We tried to save his legs for the first half that's why I left him out so long in the first quarter and he was able to come out in the third quarter and finish strong for us and just help us around the basket. You're going to give up some threes maybe when he's in there. Hopefully not too many. But, man, when those guys are driving to the basket, if he's in the vicinity, it is good to just have somebody around the basket. And we think the rebound game has been key for us all year.
And we think when we rebound we give ourselves a better chance to win. So Diop helps us in both of those areas.
Q. Coach, can you talk about especially in the second half a lot of offensive rebounds and the ball kept -- seemed to just bounce to the right people and how big was that for you guys in the second half?
COACH AVERY JOHNSON: Well, again, I think we don't get enough credit for being the team that hustles. That's something that we talk a lot about. And if you don't try to hustle out the Suns with the way they play for long rebound, short rebounds, loose balls, you're going to be in trouble. Because they're a three-point shooting team, and a lot of rebounds are long, and you gotta have guys that have that quickness to get to the elbows and get those long rebounds, and just hustle. That's what it really boils down to.
Teams are so evenly matched during this time in the playoffs, it really comes down to will. And this team is very resilient.
Q. Coach, I know that the Suns don't run plays for Marion, but even so you guys were really effective at taking him out of the game offensively. Were you able to do anything --
COACH AVERY JOHNSON: Well, I don't know we took him out. I just think he missed some shots. We tried to be as physical with him as we can. He jumps over our whole team. He looks like he's on a trampoline and we're just jumping. So we have nobody really to jump with him.
But I think Josh Howard came in and made a weak side play that was incredible when they set up a play for Marion. For Josh that was special that play he made.
We were much more alert in the second half. Guys were really getting after it defensively. We were really embarrassed by our defense in the first game and I think they kind of have an idea of what they need to do now and nothing short of it versus this team.
Q. Do you know if you were able to control their fast breaks and up-tempo, what did you do differently?
COACH AVERY JOHNSON: Well, I think just part of that having more of a balance offense, not taking bad shots. When we take bad shots they hurt us on the end. So I think when we can just do what we do and work our offense and work our plays, we have better balance and transition. You know if you can get ten steps on a guy that's faster than you going down the other end of the court, you're at an advantage, but some of these guys we can't run as fast as those guys so we better get a head start.
Q. Avery, time of possession is a football expression but it seemed like you guys just played keep-away there for a while. How important is that to keep their hands off the ball sometimes?
COACH AVERY JOHNSON: It is important. You know, again, when you get to the playoffs, you just gotta try to make some adjustments. And when you're dealing with a basketball team that's very dangerous offensively you better have a solid approach to your offense. That's something we've talked about.
We haven't solved anything yet. This is a seven-game series. Nobody I think really has an advantage. So like I said, for me the best part of this week is being able to get back on the practice court because that's been a key to our season, having guys that really not like to practice but love to practice.
Q. Avery, you look like you finally got a little bit of a read on Boris tonight especially in the second half. Can you talk a little bit about that?
COACH AVERY JOHNSON: Well, he's hurt us. We haven't had an answer for him. He had 14 points on us, burned us really early in the game, 8 out of their first 12 or 14 points. We thought starting Diop in the second half would give us a better opportunity to try to guard him. He's really obviously turned into a great, a heck of a player right now, and you know when he gets in the 30s, that's something that we have a problem with. So we gotta try to make it as difficult on him as we can because he's turning out to be a special player.
Q. Avery, you guys looked a little ragged in the first half but you had the nice close to the second quarter. How important was that? And I know you made the lineup change. What else did you say in the locker room at half time?
COACH AVERY JOHNSON: Well, it was just in a situation there where our defense was soft. So I just wanted to turn it up a little bit and trap Nash, and we were fortunate enough to get two traps on him where he turned the ball over and then we got some baskets, easy baskets on the other end. Terry got loose for a lay-up when we got a turnover. Just wanted to turn up our defense a little bit. I thought we were a little soft defensively, we turned it up. It was fortunate to get a couple of turnovers and we think that gave us a little energy going into the half time.

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