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NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: SPURS v LAKERSMay 26, 2008Kobe BryantSAN ANTONIO, TEXAS: Practice Day Q. What do you got to do a better job of tomorrow that you didn't do yesterday? KOBE BRYANT: We have to pick up our speed. I felt like they drained off a lot of energy and sped up their execution. Defensively, we have to pick up our pace and keep up. Q. Pau and Lamar, I think, combined were 9 and 29, which isn't like them. Was it just one of those nights or do they need to adjust what they're doing? KOBE BRYANT: I don't think they did anything differently. I think they just missed a lot that they usually normally make, so you just chalk it up. Q. When you look at the series, you have fallen behind by 20 points. You are still up in the series. Does that concern you that you fall behind 20 points with a team that good? It comes back, doesn't it? KOBE BRYANT: Not really. I think we are playing defending champs. That's what I think. They are learning quickly. Learning on the fly. Q. The new Hyperdunk thing that hit the Internet, where you jump over the pool of snakes, is that real? KOBE BRYANT: Absolutely. Q. You did jump over the pool and dunked? KOBE BRYANT: I did jump over the pool. Q. So it is not like the Aston Martin? KOBE BRYANT: I jumped over the car. Q. So there were snakes in the pool? KOBE BRYANT: About 140 of them: Anacondas, red-belly snakes. Q. Black mambas? KOBE BRYANT: There were no black mambas; they're a little too deadly. A little too deadly. Q. Are you surprised in the reaction that those things are (indiscernible)? KOBE BRYANT: Yeah, you know, it's fun, though. We have had a hell of a time. The coolest part was the little Wee Man came out of know where and jumped in my arms. Q. It looked like he surprised you. KOBE BRYANT: He did surprise me. Q. Those guys are jumping into snakes. Were they just idiots, nuts? KOBE BRYANT: They are classic idiots. No question about it. Q. Did you enjoy it? KOBE BRYANT: I loved it. Every minute of it. Q. And the dunk was real; you actually jumped over the pool? KOBE BRYANT: I did jump over it. I had a little assistance, maybe. Q. With Hollywood? KOBE BRYANT: From the Hyperdunks. Q. Looking ahead to Game 4, is it a big deal to you to get one here? If you lose, you are still in control of the series, how important is the big picture? KOBE BRYANT: We want to get it. We want to get it in the worst way. I think we learned from the series in Utah and playing in that tough environment. We want to come out here and get it. Q. How much more difficult because you are on the road against the defending champion? KOBE BRYANT: It is tough. It is extremely tough. They are tough here at home. It is going to be tough against the defending champs. They are going to fight. We have to be hungry and want it more than they do. Q. They missed a couple shots. (Indiscernible)? KOBE BRYANT: We missed so many easy opportunities. A lot, a lot of gimmes that we normally put in. That gave us the opportunity to build a cushion. Q. Energy have anything to do with it tonight -- or last night? KOBE BRYANT: I think when Manu came in, he sparked the ball club and got them playing with more energy and more speed. Prior to that, they were kind of stuck in the mud a little bit. I think he came in and energized them. Q. Do you feel like you need to get to the free-throw line more? KOBE BRYANT: Yeah, but they are not going to put me there. They are just not going to foul me. That's their philosophy. That's what they do. They'd rather give me an open layup than foul me and put me at the free-throw line. Q. Time difference affect you at all with practice starting at 9 a.m.? KOBE BRYANT: No. I am an early bird anyway. My mamas get up at the crack of dawn, man. Q. Almost more fun than the years you and Shaq did it together? KOBE BRYANT: We are a tighter crew. We are a tighter crew, from top to bottom. We all went out to dinner last night after the game. It was great camaraderie. We all get along extremely well. Q. By midthird period when nothing was working, the way you stepped in the fourth quarter, the way you stepped up, we have seen you do that earlier. In retrospect -- KOBE BRYANT: No, the defense sucked, so it wouldn't have mattered. Our defense was terrible. We gave up three-point plays. We gave up wide-open looks. So that just would have been a waste of energy. Q. (Indiscernible) made some shots, they might have started believing? KOBE BRYANT: Maybe, maybe. Q. (Indiscernible). KOBE BRYANT: They're all sharing it. It is not one or the other. I think Tim obviously has been the foundation. Manu and Tony, they're all -- they're all sharing that responsibility and they do a great job of it. End of FastScripts |
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