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NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: NUGGETS v LAKERS

May 27, 2009

Kobe Bryant

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Game Five

Los Angeles Â– 103
Denver - 94

Q. Do you feel they've taken your inside game from the series and you got it back tonight?
KOBE BRYANT: No, I think we stretched the defense out a lot more. They've been so ready to trap me and double team me all over the place.
So I just stretched the floor out. Pau, they double teamed him on the post, too. So all we did was just put the ball in my hands, put the ball in his hands, make the defense commit and then we made plays from there.

Q. Can you talk about your team being ready before, your teammates being ready for the moment. When you see these guys contribute in a game like today, can you talk about what it means?
KOBE BRYANT: It means we respond to the challenge. Denver's a tough team. And the way that they beat us in Game 4, I think there was a lot of people having doubts and we did a good job respond to go the challenge.

Q. This game really turned at the end of the third, start of the fourth. You guys went on a 21-3 run. Shannon Brown had a dunk at the start of that. How much did that change the energy in the building and for you guys as a team?
KOBE BRYANT: It changed a lot for us. He came in, gave us a huge spark, and that's what you need. You play the game in spurts. It's about who controls momentum. And that spark that he gave us there late in that third quarter and going into the fourth was huge.

Q. With regard to that same stretch, have you had a better defensive run as a team than that in the midway in the third quarter and the fourth?
KOBE BRYANT: We've had stretches where we played excellent defense, but the competition we're facing with this Denver Nuggets team is unlike any we've ever seen. They have so many scorers, they have an inside presence. So to do as good a job as we did defensively in that stretch, I'm very proud of how we performed in that stretch.

Q. Was it, given the level of competition, was it the best defensive run you've had?
KOBE BRYANT: Absolutely. Absolutely. In that stretch, yeah.

Q. Can you talk about what your teammates were doing in the low post to be so dominant, to get so many points?
KOBE BRYANT: I felt like we were able to draw double teams and then move the ball as opposed to just going in there and just posting. They're just going to double anyway. And then we just kick the ball out, get 3-point shots.
What we did tonight is Pau drew double teams. I drew double teams in the perimeter and then we swung it back in to Pau. Now he's had single coverage in front of the basket. It's different than just trying to pound it in.

Q. Kobe, against the Rockets at this point you said you had to double the effort. Whatever it was, you had beaten them in the same game and went to Houston and the team came out a little bit flat, competed a little bit, got beaten. How have the Lakers changed? What should we expect in this next game?
KOBE BRYANT: What we have to do is execute. That's what we have to do. We can't get all rah-rah about it, that place is going to be rocking and rolling. We have to stay focused and poised and try to cut them up. That's what we have to think about.

Q. You've been pretty honest the last four games about the fatigue factor. You played almost 45 minutes tonight and Pau played 45 from the button. At this point does it even matter how much you play?
KOBE BRYANT: Not really. Get plenty of rest when I'm on a beach in Cabo.

Q. You did a little promo on the big screen there where you imitated Lamar where he got his shoulders going like that up and down the court. He got that going a little bit today. What would you call that? Is it his swagger, his style?
KOBE BRYANT: It's the NY swag, I guess. I don't know. If that's what you want to call it.

Q. How much do you guys -- he finally had that going?
KOBE BRYANT: It's big for him coming off the bench because he gives us that big spark, and then when he's playing with the first unit, his versatility helps us out tremendously as well.
So when things are going for him, like tonight I didn't think he started out in good rhythm, but I think his effort brought him there. And he just did a fantastic job.

Q. Before the series you went on John's show and he asked you about the Mark Jackson quote. You said Mark was right. Since then, every time you've lost a game, there's been people diving off here and some harsh things said, including co-owner Magic Johnson. Are you guys hearing it and is it getting old?
KOBE BRYANT: You know, it's funny to me, to be honest with you. Denver loses Game 3 and they're just horrible and they make dumb decisions and then we lose Game 4 and we have no heart.
And it's kind of -- it's funny to see the same people swing back and forth like a pendulum. It's pretty funny.

Q. 13 shots for you, game high, eight assists, was it about you being a floor general tonight or did you just take it to the defense?
KOBE BRYANT: I just had to quarterback it a little bit. They cocked their whole defense to me. I tried to beat them with my passing a little bit.

Q. Along the lines of the question Mark was asking about you were saying people jumping on and off the bandwagon saying you had no heart, is this Denver do you think better than people are willing to recognize, acknowledge, understand?
KOBE BRYANT: No, I don't think people doing the bantering are that simple-minded (Laughter). You know what I'm saying? It's like good TV. It's good debate. They go back and forth.
The truth is you're in the Western Conference Finals, you've got two great teams, somebody is going to get their ass whooped one night and the other team is going to come back and return the favor.
That's just how it is. The best team is going to advance. It's as simple as that. You can't have TV unless you have spirited conversations.
You guys are just talking.

Q. What would you say that it will take to close out Denver in Game 6? Talk about the intensity of taking out the crowd and what it's going to be like there, taken what you've done tonight here, taking it to Denver?
KOBE BRYANT: Well, the intensity is going to be there. What we have to do is execute, as simple as that. Be cold-blooded, go out there and execute.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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