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NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: SPURS v LAKERSMay 25, 2008Phil JacksonSAN ANTONIO, TEXAS: Game Three Q. Coach, being up 2-0 is a pretty commanding lead. How do you keep your team from becoming complacent here? COACH JACKSON: First of all, we don't consider it a commanding lead, not in a series like this with seven games. Home court, we did this against Utah. They won both their games on their home court, so we know what that's like. We try to be pretty straight about what we are trying to get accomplished here, how much energy it is going to take to win a game. Q. You don't hear a lot about Kobe's finger anymore. Is that still bothering him from day-to-day? COACH JACKSON: He banged it in the Utah series one time but it didn't bother him the next time. That was a couple weeks ago. It is generally in pretty good shape right now. Q. I know you make a priority of keeping Parker out of the paint. Do you think some of Ginobili's ineffectiveness is a byproduct of that? If the paint is so packed, that there is no room for Ginobili either? COACH JACKSON: Well, we're trying to corral these guys. These two guys are great penetrators. And we are trying to give them tough looks so we have more than one person trying to guard them in those situations. Backing it up or stacking it up a little bit so that they have a group of people that have to drive through, or two. So we have been effective so far. You know, there have been a few things they made changes on. We expect that's going to happen tonight. Q. Phil, in past series you have collapsed your defense to keep Parker out of the paint. Is that what you are doing now? COACH JACKSON: It is a little different. We have been more aggressive on the screen rolls. As you know with the Shaquilles or other centers we've had, we have mostly said send them to them and let him be the shot blocker or a guy who intimidates in the lane. In this situation, Pau is a little more agile and quicker on the outside, so we have used him to come up to the screen, more or less. Q. Boston obviously finally won on the road in the play-offs last night. From your view from afar, is that maybe the breakthrough they needed? COACH JACKSON: I don't know. Detroit a lot of times has had trouble just getting motivated at home this year. I thought they came out just with a step behind, and the other thing is, Boston has always been able to have home-court advantage. It is something to rely on. And they lost that reliance by losing at home and they came out very aggressive. I thought they played a very aggressive game. They looked, you know, like they're back to their normal self. Q. You cruised through the Denver series and had the tough series with Utah. Do you believe mental fatigue, emotional fatigue is a big factor in the long stretch of the play-offs? Spurs have had two tough series back to back. COACH JACKSON: Yes. Fatigue is a big factor in play-offs. And, you know, as players go through it year after year, it becomes even more of a fatigue factor. You know, I can remember going into Game 6 in Utah back in the '90s where Jordan said he hadn't slept more than four hours in the last two days, that type of thing. The pressure of the games, the fatigue, all those factors. So I know that it affects the players as well as the coaches. But I think San Antonio getting back home, coming home the other night after the game, getting two nights in their own bed, I think they will have recovered. I think they'll be all right. Q. We haven't seen Kobe on Manu yet. Are you saving that for in case -- if and when it heats up, or is that not a matchup you like at all? COACH JACKSON: No, it's been a matchup we've used before. It just works out that that's a situation that can create fouls. And, obviously, we just assume him not get in foul problems. It has been a factor that he's been teamed up with Sasha who has done a good job on him so far. Q. In your own words, can you describe how Pau joining your team has helped Lamar Odom? COACH JACKSON: Well, it has taken decisions away from Lamar, having to make bigger decisions like "should I shoot this shot? Do I have to get active? Kobe is out of the game, I have to take on the role of scorer" those type of things. He has done a good job at it in times. But it is a pressure situation, which he's better off just staying in what comes available in transition or opportunities that present themselves. Q. Derek has been one of the best three-point shooters you've had. I don't think he has taken any in this series. Is there a reason for that? COACH JACKSON: Parker has been on him. I think he's had -- he is attentive. He knows what he can do. He has been through numerous play-offs versus each other. So he is aware of his shooting capabilities and I think they've done a good job so far. But we are trying to find Derek some opportunities as we go through. End of FastScripts |
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