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NBA FINALS: LAKERS v CELTICS

June 8, 2008

Doc Rivers

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS: Game Two

Q. Could you discuss Leon Powe tonight and the contributions specifically, and just in general your total scheme of things?
COACH DOC RIVERS: Well, tonight I thought he was terrific. I thought he was terrific in Game 1. We thought coming into this series just his advantage down low. We made a concerted effort to get him the ball in the post in that one stretch in the first quarter, and when he came in the second quarter he responded. So it was great. You know, we need to start out in games like that, as well. I thought that first six minutes of the game we established no post game. We actually had to go to Leon to establish a post game.
So I was happy that Leon could do it.

Q. Just talk about the craziness at the end of the game. And also, as a follow-up, what does this mean now to have this lead going to LA?
COACH DOC RIVERS: Well, it means we're up 2-0, and now we have to go on the road. We've played well of late on the road, so that gives us confidence. We've got to play through the game for 48 minutes and I didn't think we did that. I thought we got cute when we got the lead. We started trying to make sensational plays instead of keeping it simple, and when you play a team like that, that has the arsenal, they made a lot of shots. But you allowed them to get comfortable, and we had a chance not to allow them to get comfortable and we did.
Obviously like I told the guys, we're up 2-0 and I'm happy with the win. I just wasn't very happy with the way we played. I thought we played terrific in the third quarter. We made a concerted effort to come out. I didn't like the way we started the game. I thought the first quarter in my opinion was awful, and I thought the fourth quarter was awful. Thank God for the second and the third.

Q. What was going through your mind when Paul was making those free throws at the end, shooting those free throws at the end?
COACH DOC RIVERS: Just make them. Not much. Really, I was thinking about the next play and what they were going to run and where Kobe was going to shoot the ball from. You know, that's what I was thinking. Clearly if he misses one, now you give them a chance. But I've got pretty much confidence in Paul, and I was really thinking about the next play.

Q. And with Paul, players when they go back to the place they grew up, it kind of tends to go either way, they either get nervous and play poorly --
COACH DOC RIVERS: Thanks, Rachel.

Q. What do you notice about the way he's been playing so well in Los Angeles?
COACH DOC RIVERS: I'm not worried about that. He's a veteran now. You know, if it was a young guy going back home you'd be more concerned. He's been home before, and I think veterans pretty much have figured out how to enjoy their family and then keep them away at the same time. I think Paul has pretty much mastered that.

Q. Why do you think he's played so well at LA?
COACH DOC RIVERS: Well, he's comfortable. His mom cooks, so I'm sure that helps. Paul has home cooking in LA, that's not all bad.

Q. Can you just talk about Rajon's penetration tonight.
COACH DOC RIVERS: Yeah, it was great. I told you guys after Game 1, that was the one thing -- the two things we didn't do well in Game 1. I thought we could have gotten into the paint more off dribble penetration, so that's what we worked on yesterday, and he was terrific with it. And then the second thing, and I'm still not very happy about it, we just aren't posting the ball up enough, in my opinion, and we have to do that more.
But we solved the first one, so now we have to work on the second one.

Q. Are you more surprised that Paul Pierce played 40 minutes tonight or the fact that the home team had 32 more free throws and struggled at the end the way you did?
COACH DOC RIVERS: Well, I'm not surprised by Paul playing 40 minutes. I thought before the game he felt great, he looked great, so I liked what he was going to do.
I don't know if I'm surprised. I just wasn't happy with the way we ended the game.

Q. It seems like your bench is really starting to assert itself. Talk about that.
COACH DOC RIVERS: Well, they've heard how bad they were, and so they have pride, too. You know, I just think overall they're aggressive and that's what we've stressed. But to me they're just playing within themselves, they're keeping the game simple. I thought in some ways our bench played better in stretches because they just kept the game simple. They didn't try to do anything fancy. They just made the extra pass and played simple basketball. The ball found open guys, and that's how we have to play overall, and I thought our bench set the tone in that.

Q. It seemed like midway through the fourth quarter you had 99 points, and it seemed like it was a lot. Were they doing anything, I know you already addressed it, but defensively?
COACH DOC RIVERS: No, I thought we waited until eight seconds to get into our offense for the last five minutes of the game, where you just start your offense and play. I thought we tried to run the clock out instead of playing through the game. And you know, if you miss shots when you do that and they start making shots, then it's very difficult to then turn it on. I thought that was it.

Q. Back to Rondo, is his hesitancy with his jumper a little bit of a concern?
COACH DOC RIVERS: Yeah, you know, I don't worry about it. He's getting better at it. If he doesn't shoot the jumper, we just want him to make quick plays, quick decisions. I thought down the stretch, it wasn't just Rondo, I thought overall we all did that. We'll watch film and show Rondo where his spots, where his shots are. We've got to convince him that it's all right to miss a shot and then take another one and then take another one. If they're going to leave you open, you've got to keep shooting it or making plays. I thought for three quarters he made plays. I thought in the fourth quarter he just looked more to get the ball out.

Q. Just talk in general about being up 2-0 going on the road now.
COACH DOC RIVERS: Well, it's nice to be up 2-0. We've done what we should do. We took care of home, and that's what we should have done. Now we have to go on the road for us to keep attacking. I thought we were the team driving in the paint and that's why we shot 38 free throws. If you attack off the dribble, if you play through the post, if you're the more aggressive team, you can get to the foul line, I thought we did that. But we can't go on the road and not do that.

End of FastScripts

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