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NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: NUGGETS v LAKERS

May 29, 2009

George Karl

DENVER, COLORADO: Game Six

Los Angeles Â– 119
Denver - 92

COACH KARL: First of all, my congratulations to the Lakers. I don't feel good about congratulating them, but they are a great team and they've earned the series and they've earned the right to represent the Western Conference.
In a strange way I was anxious all through the series trying to -- I saw little cracks in the Lakers and somehow we've cemented those cracks back up, and I think they're the best team right now in the NBA.
And I don't know if they will say that or not. But we gave -- I think we gave them a spirit that they had to come together and I think they did.
And I also want to thank my players. I've coached a long time, and this has been a pretty special season for me as a coach. And I couldn't have asked anything more from almost every guy in that locker room.
I think every player on our team is a better basketball player than they were in November. I think they're a better professional than they were in November. And I think right now my whole thing, I told my staff, was forget about tonight. Tonight wasn't Nugget basketball. And I apologize for the Nugget fans, who have been fantastic, that we didn't deliver a better performance.
But there's a lot of energy that this team can be really, really good, and I think that's what we should focus in on at this moment.
The fans, you've been incredible. Thank you Denver Nugget fans. Thank you the streets of Denver, thank you for the spirit of basketball being around in May.
It's been good to be back to that type of moment. And the disappointment will linger for whatever. Sometimes it takes 24 hours. Sometimes it takes 24 days. But I think all of us will have a special feeling about the season. And anxious, anxious and energized about what can be, what can be, should be and will be.
Whatever story you want to write tonight, write a good one. Write a good one about Nene. Write a good one about Chris Andersen. Write a good one about Carmelo Anthony. Write a good one about Dahntay Jones and Kenyon Martin and write a good one about A.C., and don't think about what happened for the last two and a half hours, because there's too much good in this season to not celebrate.
And I'm not sure I'll celebrate tonight, but there will be some celebration this summer, I promise you, for a great Denver Nugget season.

Q. During the series, what was it in the Lakers' game that may not have matched your expectations of them? What about their tactics surprising you any? Or did they play the way you expected them to play?
COACH KARL: Well, any series it's the time that gets a little bit better as the series goes on. And I think that's what they did. Up until tonight they just got a little bit better than we did.
Tonight their offensive execution was the best it's been all series. We didn't have a defensive toughness in the game that we have had for the last five games.
And their -- whatever you want to call, their elbows and box defense, kind of frustrated our offense. And in the first half you had I think what I call kind of three bombs go off on us.
We kind of didn't get into the game. We didn't get the push by the crowd. And then I thought we had a very ordinary offensive game going. And then the guy, No. 24, had a great five minutes at the end of the game that no one in basketball could have covered him.
So I don't care what you said. He made about four shots in that stretch that I think Jesus would have had trouble covering him. And that took the game from a manageable game to 13.
And I think the second half was -- we tried to outscore them rather than outdefend them, and just got caught up into one of those games that right now I personally would just rather forget and celebrate the good.

Q. Is this more difficult to deal with than some of your other playoff losses (indiscernible)?
COACH KARL: Every playoff loss has a very heavy anger to you. And for about five, eight, ten days, we had people thinking we were the best team in the Western Conference. I think they've proven that they are the best team in the Western Conference. And whoever woke Lamar Odom should be fired because we thought we had him under control, and he's been sensational the last two games.
We've had leads in a lot of the games, but great teams can play from behind all night long. We were the energized, anxious team up until tonight. And that's a compliment. That's a compliment to our guys to be able to do that in this situation with as little experience as we had as a playoff contender.

Q. You said tonight wasn't Nuggets basketball. Defensively with Denver, what were some things that you wish they had done better, your team?
COACH KARL: We never got in control of their post-ups. Their post-up game was -- when we doubled it they scored the 3 or the 2. Or the easier basket.
And when we didn't double it, they scored on the post-up. But I still think -- I'm not going to watch this film for a long time, maybe never. But I think offensively they got in control of us more than we got in control of them.
I think in general that would be my thing that would -- they got their zoned-up defense -- taken away our confidence of the pass. We never got the pass in the game tonight.
And then their efficiency offensively was at a higher level than it's been in any of the games tonight.
And I tip my hat. I mean, Phil does that quite frequently in his career. And tonight he probably kicked my ass as a coach.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Coach.

End of FastScripts

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