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NBA FINALS: LAKERS v CELTICSJune 6, 2008Kobe BryantBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS: Practice Day Q. Can you talk about sort of transition opportunities, and you guys didn't get much in transition. How important is that looking forward? KOBE BRYANT: Well, we like to get up and down, so we've got to make sure we rebound the ball. Rebound the ball, get a chance to get out a little bit. They beat us up a bit on the boards and gave them some second-chance opportunities. So we need to get those rebounds and get out and run. Q. With their guys, Kendrick Perkins and Kevin Garnett, very active rebounders, do you have to be more active on the boards? KOBE BRYANT: We've got to put more bodies on them. I felt like the last series against San Antonio, San Antonio has a lot of length but they were lacking athleticism. I think the team we played against in Utah, they were extremely physical, similar to Boston, in terms of how they put their hands on you and shove you underneath the paint. They were really physical. We've got to go back to how we made those adjustments against Utah. Q. Pau and Lamar have kind of taken turns being the No. 2 option throughout the playoffs. What do those guys need to do to be more effective in the game? KOBE BRYANT: Just make some adjustments. I think there's some things Boston did to try to limit the opportunities. We'll take a look at that. We'll take a look at that some more later this evening and tomorrow, and come back Sunday and come with our adjustments and get them going. Q. What kind of adjustments do you have to make in your game when you go from having Ray Allen guard you to having Posey guard you to having Pierce guard you in the course of a game? KOBE BRYANT: Not much really. Their principles are the same. They just want to contest shots. If I go up and shoot, just get a hand in the face. I've just got to put the ball in the damn hole. That sucker didn't want to stay down last game. Q. Derek Fisher last night said that he didn't expect you to get too many opportunities driving to the hoop like you had in the past against other teams because of the way the Celtics played defensively. Do you concur with that? KOBE BRYANT: No question about it. They're not going to let me get to the paint from the top of the floor or from a wing screen and roll. I'll be looking for my teammates in those situations. Other spots where I'm posting up or pin-downs, quick catch-and-shoots, things of that nature. That's what I'll be looking for. Q. As far as pushing the pace, pushing the tempo, how do you change that for Game 2? KOBE BRYANT: We've got to get some steals, get out of transition, rebound the ball, push it, and try and limit their opportunities. But for us it's just about pushing the basketball and getting into our offense early. Q. Did you guys not move the ball well enough yesterday? KOBE BRYANT: We did okay. It wasn't the best that we've moved the ball. I think that's to be expected because we haven't played this team. But we'll make our adjustments and we'll do a much better job the second game. Q. Would you say that Boston probably has defended you better than most teams this year? What is it that they've done that you're shooting like 35 percent or so against them this season? What is it that they do that makes it hard? KOBE BRYANT: Just making me a perimeter player in terms of being able to shoot the ball. Two games we played in the regular season, I shot the ball atrociously. In Game 1 I shot the ball bad, too. Hopefully it just means I'm due. Q. The whole Paul Pierce drama last night, how did that whole thing affect you guys? KOBE BRYANT: Paul Pierce drama (laughing). I don't think it affected us at all. He's a good friend. The thing that I was concerned with was his health and making sure he was okay. But I don't think it had much of an effect on us. I was happy to see him come out there until he made those two damn threes. Q. You talked about not hitting those shots. If you get those same opportunities again, do you want them? Are you going to take those? KOBE BRYANT: I would never be bashful, you know that (laughter). I get those again, I'm foaming at the mouth. I want those looks again. End of FastScripts |
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