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NBA FINALS: CAVALIERS v SPURS

June 12, 2007

Tony Parker

CLEVELAND, OHIO: Game Three

Q. Can you talk about LeBron and the way he's played in this series? It seems like so many times he has the ball in the flow of the offense and he kind of stops and waits and you guys are kind of able to shift your defense and get into place. Do you sense a tentativeness with him as the series wears on?
TONY PARKER: I don't know. I just think we're playing great defense. I can't talk about our strategy, but we're just trying to contain him. He's a great player on pick-and-rolls. We try to not give him anything easy, no lay-ups, that's our rule, no lay-ups, no dunks, and just try to stay in front of him. At the same time cover the other guys, make sure they don't get the easy threes, and we're just trying to do a good job. I don't think it's a special, magic defense, we just have to take the effort and try to stay in front of him.

Q. Talk about now the mentality you guys have to have trying to close out this series.
TONY PARKER: I think the same one tonight. I thought we approached the game very good. We didn't have a bad start. It's always the key when you're playing on the road in their arena. It's very loud and they're going to play with a lot of energy and confidence. I thought we did a good job in the first quarter being patient and get the ball inside to Timmy, and I thought we went out with the same approach. Play defense, don't get too many turnovers and try and contain LeBron.

Q. Would it make it even more special for you guys this week?
TONY PARKER: That would be nice. That would be nice, but it's going to be hard. It's going to take a lot of effort and a lot of energy. I know Cleveland, they have a lot of pride and they're going to play with a lot more energy in Game 4.

Q. They obviously did a better job on you tonight than in the first two games. What did you see that they were doing differently?
TONY PARKER: They played a little bit like we do on LeBron. They stayed with me on the pick-and-roll. They were making sure -- like not a double-team, but making sure I give up the ball, and then the big left. So they did a good job of containing me and did a good job on the pick-and-rolls. I was just trying to be patient, make sure I don't take bad shots and run the team and wait my turn. Timmy was great tonight, Michael Finley hit a big shot in the fourth quarter, Bruce Bowen hit a lot of threes tonight, so our bench played pretty good.

Q. You're not known as a three-point shooter, but you hit some clutch ones and you hit a big one tonight. Can you talk about that?
TONY PARKER: I always try to squeeze one or two (smiling). Coach Pop doesn't like me to shoot threes. But he told me next year I can go back and shoot threes like my first three years, so I decided to start a little bit in the playoffs (laughter). I know he was screaming when I took it. It's one of those kind of shots, like, "Nooooo," but it was all right.

Q. Do you have the sense that you guys are now becoming a dynasty if you were to win -- you're just one victory away from winning your third in five years for the team that you've been on. What goes into a team that can become a dynasty, and how would you describe what your team is doing now?
TONY PARKER: I can just talk about my own experience being a Spur, and it's just consistency. Every day in practice, Coach Pop, everybody knows he's crazy, always looking for perfection, and I think that's the only way you can keep winning. Keep winning, we play the same way, and we believe in our system. We've got a great organization. It's like a little family. I think that's how you build championship runs, and over the years it pays off. We're one win away to have a third one, so that's nice. I've felt very blessed and very lucky to be with that organization.

Q. I know you have to win one more game, but how do you think that you have the possibility of being the first European ever to win the MVP of the Finals?
TONY PARKER: That would be nice, too, but this will be Timmy. This is Timmy's team and it's always been Timmy's team. I don't even think about that. I just go out there and try to be a difference and try to be aggressive and just play my game. If it happens, I'll be the first one to be very happy. If it goes to Timmy, I'll be happy to win a third championship.

Q. Tim Duncan is one of the best of all time, but right now if we have to vote you'll be the one.
TONY PARKER: Well, we'll see, one more game.

Q. Talk about the atmosphere. You guys have been in Denver, Utah, Phoenix. Was this that intimidating at all compared to those other places?
TONY PARKER: If I say something then it will be very loud and they'll scream about me. I don't think it was as loud as Utah and Denver.

Q. And what is it about you guys that when you do play on the road you never seem fazed?
TONY PARKER: I don't know, we just get in that mode, that mentality. I always say we play better on the road than at home for whatever reason, I don't know why. Like more focus on the road, and we play better basketball and we execute better on the road. It may be ugly, but we'll take it.

Q. Can you talk about the team strategy in the last five seconds? Was Bruce supposed to take a foul there?
TONY PARKER: No, not at all. We were just trying to play defense, trying to stay in front of him. And if he went for another lay-up we had confidence in Manu taking two more free throws, and if he went for a three we'd live with that.

Q. So why did Bruce run him?
TONY PARKER: I don't know, ask the referees. I'm not a referee. I'll take the win.

End of FastScripts

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