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NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: SPURS v LAKERS

May 23, 2008

Phil Jackson

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Game Two

Q. Phil, were you pleased with that first half compared to the Game 1 first half? Obviously seemed to come out stronger than two days ago.
COACH JACKSON: Well, defensively, I thought we played a better first half, but we got mired up in the offensive end and broke that game open -- not open, but just some separation before halftime. A little burst there that opened up the game. And, you know, we were able to come out the second half and extend it.

Q. Phil, you held them to 34% shooting. Was that your defense or did they just have an off night?
COACH JACKSON: I think they had an off night. I think they had some tired legs and I think that's what happens sometimes. You get to playing a lot of play-off games back to back. We're every other day here in this situation. Kind of crept up on them perhaps.

Q. Phil, what does it mean for this team to be and for you to be where you're at in the NBA finals? Won two games. Need two more.
COACH JACKSON: Well, this is certainly, you know -- the old adage is you just won the games on your home court, which is the important part, and extended the series to six games. We know that. Now, nothing happens until we win on their court. And someone wins on the other team's court. And that makes a difference in this series to what the definition of it is going to be.

Q. Phil, what was the difference for Lamar tonight after that subpar Game 1?
COACH JACKSON: He is more aggressive. I thought there was a couple shots in the first quarter that he still looked like he was shooting the ball off the floor. He was looking -- you know, he went to Manu without the kind of energy that he has to go, especially against this team.
And, you know, the time-out game, and I think about four people said you got to go harder to the hoop, Lamar. And he did and he started going with much more determination.

Q. Coach, did Lamar make shots that he had last game and they just simply went in? Same with Derek Fisher or did they get different looks this time around?
COACH JACKSON: I think Derek had good looks on Wednesday night. But I think Lamar's shots, he had a better base. He had the same distance shots, especially he had a couple jump shots, I thought he had good rhythm in shooting his shot. But both of them, you know, we needed both of them to play that kind of game.

Q. Phil, do you expect more energy, more everything from them?
COACH JACKSON: Oh, without a doubt. They came back in the third quarter when they brought Ginobili back out there after the time-out with 9 minutes to go in the third quarter and played with really intense energy for a period of time until I called time-out at the 3:50 mark.
We were able to play it even, actually extend the lead by two points. But that's the kind of energy that you will see them play with down on their court.

Q. Would you say it was a breakout game for Jordan Farmar in the play-offs?
COACH JACKSON: It is good for him to have this kind of game. He has been looking for an opportunity to get some rhythm in his game and get some open looks. Did a lot of good things out there.

Q. Phil, early in the third quarter, you are shooting almost 60% against one of the league's best defenses. What do you attribute that to?
COACH JACKSON: I think it is the same thing as their open looks that they missed shots. I think they might have had some tired legs and they just -- we had some open opportunities. Guys took advantage of it. I thought their open opportunities that they made, they had some good looks at the three-point line in the first half. I think they were 3 for 12. This is a time that it's not unusual for them to hit 50% of their shots from the free-throw line. That makes all the difference in the world.

Q. Can you take anything away from the six minutes you saw from Trevor Ariza?
COACH JACKSON: I was glad he got out there and had a chance to play. How he is going to help us is yet to be determined. His energy out there, his ability out there is always nice to have that kind of speed and quickness.

Q. Phil, it seemed like in the first half Pau was beaten up a little bit, still struggled but in the third quarter turned it around. What was different?
COACH JACKSON: Every shot he shot was short. He was shooting the ball, weeny shots, I call them, weenying it up there instead of shooting the ball like he meant it. He came back after the 8:50 time-out that Gregg called for the Spurs, he got on him a little bit about hitting the shots because that's what he can make and that's what he can do.

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