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NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: NUGGETS v LAKERS

May 28, 2009

Phil Jackson

DENVER, COLORADO: Practice Day

Q. Coach, do you agree with the saying that the hardest game of the series is the closeout game, especially since you're going on the road in order to do it, and how does that apply?
COACH JACKSON: Well, there's no doubt about the fact that this is going to be a difficult game to win. I think we're all geared up to even as we talk now I think all the guys are thinking about the game and getting ready for that contest. Just making adjustments as the game goes on that has to be done.
And this team knows each other, both these teams know each other very well. So whoever makes the adjustments in the game who will be the winner.

Q. Seems like every time Lamar has a game like last night, the reaction is that's the Lamar fans have been waiting for, want to see every game. And then it's where does that go. Is there a simple answer to that puzzle?
COACH JACKSON: Well, some of it is just even ball game, and right off the bat he got hit with a pass on the move. Fumbled the ball but he got it back, made a little jump hook, which is his go-to shot.
And then he had a couple of opportunities at the basket, got stuffed and got him animated, and got really active, and he's been fighting through some things physically that I think has just made him sit back, rather than being as aggressive as he can be. We hope he stays aggressive in this game.

Q. Even though he's at full strength he seems like one of those players, he is a big tease sometimes?
COACH JACKSON: A lot of it is about his shot, people backing off of him and should he shoot the shot or not shoot the shot. And when Lamar just shoots the shot doesn't think about it a lot of times he's much better.

Q. What's the difference of that fourth quarter, even for the first three quarters, then all of a sudden something came out at the very beginning what was the difference between that quarter mentality wise?
COACH JACKSON: We found something that could work and we stuck with it for about six minutes or so. Got stops at the other end and make some plays at the offensive end and carry it through. And it's just a run that we had that was probably the biggest run in the game on either side. And that's the right time to have it. We're fortunate about that.

Q. When their defensive light went off, more so than at any point in the season seemed like the team was defensively committed to it?
COACH JACKSON: There were so many blocked shots and replaying and looking at it from an unjaundiced eye or jaundiced eye, whichever one you want to say, there were some very physical play, a lot of blocked shots, maybe four or five in a sequence there in the fourth quarter that made the difference in the defense.
If they go to the line, that's 10 free throws. Then we're back up to 49 free throws or something. But this time we got the breaks and they looked good, the blocks looked good. Guys stayed high and played the ball the right way and we got the benefit of the non-calls in this situation, and that was the defense. We knew they were going to take it to the basket, and we were able to prevent.

Q. Does it give your team, not call it balance, but every player that played yesterday kind of made a contribution. Not just as a team but individuals.
COACH JACKSON: You know, I think that we know we're not functioning at 100 percent of what we can be functioning at but everybody had a big impact in the game. For Pau Gasol to have as limited amount of shots that he had, 14 points, and play as well as he played, exceptionally well, you know, just doesn't stand up to the standard of what we are as a team. He should have more touches, more of this, more of that.
But it's however you have to win these games that count. Everybody plays a role. Just has to do the right thing. Sasha just hitting a shot at the end of the half and not even seeing time in the second half, that's just what has to happen in the playoffs. Guys know they have to sacrifice their roles and sacrifice part of their game sometimes.

Q. You've been in the situation a couple times in the playoffs where you've been kind of one game away from winning the series or clinching it. What did you learn from the game in Houston, Game 4?
COACH JACKSON: I can't tell you we learned anything. We'll have to see tomorrow. It's just desperation that the team comes out with. Their backs are against the wall and how desperate are they going to be to win the game. And if we don't come out and match that same kind of intensity, we're going to be down 10 points.
We were down last night right off the bat to start, because we didn't get a lot of things accomplished and Billups hit a 3-pointer and Dahntay Jones got to the basket, there's a variety of things that happen to us. But we righted ourselves somewhere in the middle of that period and got the ball where we wanted to get the ball.
We have to have better direction. And especially on the road you can't flounder like that and expect to come up on top. So we're trying to do that.

Q. You were talking last night about how the minutes change, it's kind of situational. But do you like the idea of throwing something a little bit experimental, a little bit new in there? Are you conscious of trying to give them a look they haven't seen much of?
COACH JACKSON: We have players that specifically could do things for us that are unique. A lot of them are guard corps, Jordan, Sasha, Shannon, that are our reserve guard corps, all have a different personality to bring to the game.
We like that. If you could roll them all up in one and have one guard, you'd be playing a three-guard rotation. But that's not the personality of these players.
So it's kind of interesting, because the fourth quarter we're both standing there. I think Karl was waiting to see what I was going to put on the floor as the lineup. I was waiting to see what he was going to be putting out there as a lineup so I could match up.
Billups played the whole quarter. He was sitting there with foul trouble during the rest of the game. And I had Jordan slotted to go in if it was going to be Carter, but it happened to be Billups, stayed with Billups, and I stayed with Shannon and it was a matchup that worked for us.

Q. How did it help in the fourth quarter to help orchestrate if they were going to set the trap early with Kobe, got in the right spot and carry on for you?
COACH JACKSON: He's a willing passer and he's also capable of working across defenses and reading how they're playing. He and Luke in there together were really catalysts for us for being able to move the ball and finding the right people.

End of FastScripts

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