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NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: CAVALIERS v PISTONS

May 21, 2007

Mike Brown

DETROIT, MICHIGAN: Game One

COACH BROWN: What a game. We felt that for the most part we came in and we tried to execute on both ends of the floor and do the necessary things to get a win, and I thought our guys did that. We had a couple of breakdowns during the course of the ballgame that cost us and cost us big when we broke down.
It's one game. We understand it's one game. It's going to be a long series, but we have to be better for a longer period of time than what we were tonight. That's a very, very good basketball team in the Pistons, and if you expect to beat them, especially on their home floor, you've got to do your game plan, discipline -- you've got to have a game plan, discipline, and you've got to cover for one another for when things break down technically, you've got to cover for one another and just keep scrambling because if you relax or give somebody an open shot at any time during the course of the ballgame, they'll make you pay.
But I'm proud of our guys' effort. I thought the effort was there. We just have to clean up a few things and do it for 48 minutes. I thought Z was terrific for us, inside, outside. He also rebounded the basketball, and Andy brought great energy to us off the bench. Obviously in a close game like this, we've got to concentrate a little bit better and knock down free throws because it can come down to one or two possessions at the end of the ballgame.
It's tough, I've got to go back and watch the tape, but I don't know how LeBron plays 45 minutes and doesn't get a free throw attempt. I thought he went to the hole a couple of times. Obviously with the zero free throw attempts, he must need to go harder. So that's something that we can work on. I thought other than that he played a solid game. He was one assist away from a triple-double.
They obviously had individual guys step up big for them. Rasheed was terrific, especially down the stretch. He had seven blocks today, and one thing our guys have to do, they have to attack his body because he's long, he's athletic and he's got a great feel and understanding for the game. So we've got to force the referee to make a foul call when we're driving to the basket because he's going to be there. So we've got to do a better job of attacking his body and not allowing him to get those seven blocks.
Rip was also terrific. He was terrific the entire game, especially in that first half when we had a chance to create a little bit of separation. He kept them in there.

Q. The first half Ilgauskas was doing lots of damage inside and the second half he seemed to move outside, was that part of the plan, or did the Pistons do something that caused that adjustment on your part?
COACH BROWN: Well, Detroit did a nice job taking his post-ups away. They started to come on him a little bit more aggressively. They turned it up a notch defensively in terms of their aggressiveness, so what we did was we moved him around and put him in some pick-and-rolls because we knew they were going to be aggressive playing the pick-and-roll game. We're trying to defend the pick-and-roll game, which allowed him to pop for some jump shots.

Q. Two things: The third quarter, again, they come out, start 7-0, 17-6 run. I think this is the third straight guys you guys have allowed that to happen. And the play with LeBron, was that designed to kick out to Donyell?
COACH BROWN: We had to do a better job of coming out in the third quarter. We can't allow teams to go on huge runs. Obviously New Jersey did it in New Jersey and they did it here today. We just can't relax. We've got to understand that it's a 48-minute game and we've got to play with the same sense of urgency. We can't coast in to start the second half. We've got to do a better job in that area.
The last play was for LeBron to decide. We had the floor space with shooters, we told him to go ahead and attack and make a play. If you get to the rim, go ahead and finish. If you feel like the defense is going to collapse, you've got to kick out. So it was his read.

Q. Has LeBron ever played a game where he hasn't went to the free-throw line the full game?
COACH BROWN: I don't know. Again, that's surprising to me that he had zero free throw attempts. I need to go back and watch the tape, but I don't think he took all jump shots tonight. A guy that big and strong and quick and athletic, the whole nine yards, for him not to be able to get a free throw attempt was pretty surprising.

Q. What did you think of LeBron's decision, the decision that he made at the end of the game?
COACH BROWN: You know, I have not gone back and watched the tape yet, but you know, looking back on the game, it looked like everybody had collapsed because there was nobody near Donyell. I mean, he could have sat and had a cup of coffee before he even shot the basketball. LeBron trusts his teammates, his teammates trust him, and if he's put in that situation, you've just got to step up and knock the shot down.

Q. Rip Hamilton was just in here and he said they felt pretty good about their team defense on LeBron, that they didn't let him do what he wanted to do. How do you tell LeBron to get past the Pistons?
COACH BROWN: He's going to continue being aggressive. He's driving the ball and being aggressive, even at times if you put the onus on the referee in terms of calling a charge or block at times. He's just got to be aggressive, and if he gets triple-teamed then he's got to make a pass, and there were times when he did get triple-teams, and that's why he was one assist away from a triple-double.

Q. Just to follow up, is that the right shooting number of shots that you want him to get? I mean, 15 shots in a game like this, was that enough? Do you think there was a enough balance for your offense?
COACH BROWN: Any time you've got LeBron James, if he shoots 20, 20-plus shots, you're okay with that. I thought, thinking back on the game, I need to go back and watch the tape, I thought he took some pretty good shots. I didn't think he forced anything. I don't mind him being more aggressive and more selfish at times. But when he does it's not about taking jump shots, it's about getting to the rim and putting the onus on the referee to make a charge or a block call.

Q. Looking at the stats, 16 turnovers for Detroit, 7 for you, you win that battle, you win the points in the paint, the second-chance points, rebounding total. Do you feel this one slipped away, that it should have been a victory?
COACH BROWN: Yeah, I felt we played well enough to win the ballgame, but there are a lot of things we can still clean up and get better at. We have to make sure we go into the next game with the same mindset knowing that we can beat these guys, whether it's at our place or their place, but it's not going to be easy. They're not going to say, hey, come take this one. We're going to have to earn it because it's a tough, veteran team. There are a lot of areas that we'll be able to clean up after watching the tape and hopefully it'll help us play a little better and help us get a win the next time-out.

Q. You guys really reined in Chauncey Billups for four quarters, what was he able to do at the end of the game to hit some low shots?
COACH BROWN: Well, I know when he hit the last three, we didn't do what we were supposed to do defensively. Rip Hamilton drove the basketball, and we had two guys run at him. Any time you commit -- you have a guy on the ball and then you have two guys coming to help, that's three committed to the basketball, then you're backside is going to be real short. You know, so we broke down with our game plan, discipline, on that shot when Chauncey hit the three. Rip made a tough pass to Tayshaun in the corner, Tayshaun made the right pass to Chauncey at the top of the floor and Chauncey knocked down a shot.

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