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NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: PISTONS v CELTICS

May 24, 2008

Flip Saunders

DETROIT, MICHIGAN: Game Three

Q. Your offense flowed so well in Game 2. Did they change up their defense quite a bit or you guys just weren't executing the way you normally do?
COACH FLIP SAUNDERS: I think it's a combination. I think, one, they came out really aggressive. I think one thing in these three games has proven whichever team has been the most aggressive team has been the team that's been on runs, and whoever can maintain an aggressiveness over the 48 minute span is going to have success. I thought we came out aggressive, we missed some shots. We had some good looks, we missed some shots.
They made shots early. I've always said, we're the type of team the way we play, when you try to grind it out, it's tough to play from behind like that. I thought that when we fell behind, we played a little bit out of character at times and rushed some of our offense. We didn't look to get to the weak side like we did really in Game 2 nearly as much and attack to the middle and attack to the weak side.

Q. They had a lot of dunks, lay-ups and controlled the glass. Just talk about what happened on the interior for you guys.
COACH FLIP SAUNDERS: Well, I thought we had a lot of energy sucked out of us when we were missing some shots and we had a lot of defensive breakdowns in our coverages. When you're not scoring and playing transition defense all the time, you have a tough time getting your defensive set up, and they took advantage. They rolled Garnett to the rim a lot. He got to the rim, they got him the ball, they played off him, and it was a key example.
In game No. 2, what we did is we choked off their role players, and tonight their role players really are the ones that really hurt us. Garnett had a huge game and Paul did some steady things. But you look at what Perkins did, you look at the guys off the bench when the score is a close game and Cassell comes in and makes a couple big shots, and they go on a 10-0 run to finish the quarter. And they took the game over at that point again.

Q. Before the game you were mentioning that the winner of this game would take a definitely strong hold on the series. How has everything changed now?
COACH FLIP SAUNDERS: It hasn't changed. Right now they have home court back. Our game that we're going to play as far as on Monday is a crucial game for us. No ifs, ands or butts, that's our biggest game of the year. We've got to come out and be aggressive in everything we do. This is the first time they were in a situation, Boston, where they had to win to kind of keep a hold of the series, and they did it. They did what they needed to do, and now we've got to do what we need to do as far as at home. I think both teams know right now that they can win on the other team's floor, so you'd better be at the top of your game.

Q. Chauncey only had one basket. Do you think that had anything to do with his health or he just had a bad game?
COACH FLIP SAUNDERS: I think more than anything it had to do -- he just didn't have a real good game. He didn't play well. I think when he sat out for a long time, maybe sometimes what happens, the first thing you need to get back when you've been out for a while at times is consistency. He didn't have it, whether he was a little bit slow or sore or whatever from the last game, I don't know. But I'm sure by his own admissions he didn't play the type of game that he needs to play and keep the pace we needed at the pace we needed.

Q. How do you account for the lack of aggressiveness coming out of the gate in the first quarter there?
COACH FLIP SAUNDERS: Well, I think, one, we've kind of been that way in our three games against them. Every game that we've come out, we've been down 6-0, 8-2, 10-2 and played our way into it. I think tonight at some time, I thought early we were almost hyperactive offensively, and sometimes what happens, when you miss some shots like that defensively all of a sudden you don't react and you look bad because by overreacting sometimes you're giving up wide open shots at the bucket, and that's what we did.
So I think that we've got to have that middle ground. We've got to be aggressive but yet we can't lose our focus and our concentration, what we're trying to do.

Q. You talked about the how the Celtics' bench responded after Ray and KG got two quick fouls.
COACH FLIP SAUNDERS: I thought they came in when we really had an opportunity to take advantage of the situation. They came in, Sam had a big three, hit a two. Big Baby came in and got some free throws. I thought they really withstood things, and like I said, went on a 10-0 run the last two, three minutes and retook charge of the whole situation. That gave not only their bench but their starters a lot of confidence that they could go in there and do what they did.
Like for us tonight Stuckey was unbelievable again. It's a shame we played how we played, the way he played.

Q. At halftime what did you say to your team?
COACH FLIP SAUNDERS: I just said, one, we've got to get in the flow offensively and be more aggressive. We were not aggressive at the point of attack. Our bigs were calling out some coverages and they were where they needed to be, and our perimeters got beat on some coverages. And then it was vice versa the other way. Like most teams, like how we were the last ten possessions against Boston, if a good offensive team is in flow and you're not in the right coverage, you're going to look bad, and we weren't all in sync, not all five guys.

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