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NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: CAVALIERS v PISTONS

May 26, 2007

Donyell Marshall

CLEVELAND, OHIO: Practice Day

Q. When Mike goes with the shooters, is that hard to match up with as a team?
DONYELL MARSHALL: I think it's hard because it's pick your poison. You know, LeBron is so good at getting to the basket, I think if you look at the way Detroit -- the way they've been trying to sag it in on him, we're out there in the games and we're making baskets and you have to decide what you want to give up; you can either take us away, then he can get to the basket a lot easier, or you want to pack it in and he's such a good passer he's going to kick it out so one of us three can put up a shot.

Q. Is this round more physical than last round?
DONYELL MARSHALL: Definitely. This is the Eastern Conference Finals. That's what you've got to expect.

Q. Is it physical enough do you think?
DONYELL MARSHALL: I think we are. I think we just weren't ready for it. We just had to get used to it and know that this is their territory. They've been here five years in a row, this is our first time here. They knew what to expect right away. We didn't know what to expect, but I think we're definitely prepared for it now. They hit us a couple times, we know we've got to try to stop that. They're like bullies. They're going to keep messing with you until you hit back, and that's what we're going to have to do, we're going to have to hit back.

Q. How much of a factor tomorrow night will it be in this building, having a home-court advantage?
DONYELL MARSHALL: It's going to be a great crowd. I think that this is something they haven't experienced in 15 years. They're going to be ready. I think you guys did a good job of putting in the paper about how loud it was in Detroit, so hopefully a lot of people read that and they're ready to match that energy.
When you're down or the game is close, that really helps the players. Maybe when we're getting tired in the fourth quarter or something, our crowd gives us the energy we need, so we're going to definitely need it.

Q. The first eight minutes of the third quarter in both games, what have you noticed?
DONYELL MARSHALL: They've come out, they've played more physical. I think that's probably when they played the most physical. Everyone talks about the end of the game, but I thought third quarter is when they played the most physical. I guess that's them used to being in that atmosphere. They picked us up full court, they tried to take the ball out of our hands, they just did different things. I think that's why you have a series and you've got to make some adjustments. We watched a lot of tape of both third periods, and I think we're prepared for it.

Q. Do you think you should be up 2-0?
DONYELL MARSHALL: It can go either way. I definitely think we should be, or at the worst I think we should be at least 1 and 1, but we're not. We were in this situation last year and we know how to come back from it, and we're going to continue to fight. We feel confident, and we're going to be that way until the series is over one way or another.

Q. (Inaudible).
DONYELL MARSHALL: I don't know if it is, but I mean, obviously that's the way we're going to approach it. We know we can't get down 3-0 to these guys. They have a killer instinct, and we've got to go out there and just keep playing. We know this is a very important game for us confidence-wise and everything, so we're going to go in there and....

Q. (Inaudible).
DONYELL MARSHALL: It is because you never know who's going to explode. You never know who's going to come out and play to try to help the team. I've known Rasheed for a long time. He's always been that way. He's an exciting player to watch. I think if he really wanted to, he could have been all-star many times over. He could have definitely been a superstar in this league. He's a good player. We've just got to try to do our best to make sure his energy level doesn't get better in the fourth quarter.

Q. Are you familiar with his personality?
DONYELL MARSHALL: Off the court he's a good dude. I think a lot of people wrote about some of the things he's done off the court, and that always doesn't -- is not a person's personality.
Like I said, I've known Rasheed since he was about in the tenth grade and we've talked off and on since then, and every time me and him get together we talk and joke. He's a good guy. He's actually very laid back, a family guy and stuff like that. You know, we just like to have fun and play basketball. I think a lot of people look at the technicals and stuff like that, but he's a passionate guy and he wants to win. Sometimes when you're emotional like that, sometimes you're going to get techs. But I think that's the way he likes to play the game and the emotion he has for the game.

Q. (Inaudible).
DONYELL MARSHALL: I mean, we're all different in our own sense. We're all different. It's just how much are we willing to let you guys see. That's what it really is. We're all different. Some people aren't able to keep it to theirselves. He doesn't care. He's going to let you see him to the fullest.

Q. (Inaudible).
DONYELL MARSHALL: Well, I think coming home is going to help regardless. Even if we were up 2-0 coming home it would have helped. We've been on the road the last two games, and we just want to come home and get the crowd and have some fun and have some excitement. I don't think it has anything to do us and them. It has something to do with all of us. We want to come home and let them experience with us in this arena something that hasn't been experienced in years.

End of FastScripts

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