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NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: NUGGETS v LAKERSMay 25, 2009Chauncey BillupsJ.R. SmithDENVER, COLORADO: Game Four Denver – 120 Q. J.R., George said he didn't have to keep your confidence up; you had to keep his confidence up. What does that mean? J.R. SMITH: I think just making plays for my teammates. Not just looking for myself and my own shot, but penetrating, getting to the basket and looking for people. Q. What is it that George was saying to you? He said he was saying a lot of things to you. Can you be specific? J.R. SMITH: Just stay focused. I mean, my shots are going to fall. It's going to be a matter of time. But most important just keep looking for my teammates because the Lakers do a great job of packing the paint in and everybody else will be open. Q. Chauncey, how fine is the line between emotion and sort of excessive emotion that may have got you guys in trouble in Game 3 trying to avoid that going forward? CHAUNCEY BILLUPS: It was a fine line, man, because these plays and these games just mean so much, man. They mean so much and we're putting every single thing we have in trying to get wins and when you're not happy, you're going to be emotional about it. So some of that you gotta say all right, you gotta live with some of it. But at the same time you've got to be smart sometimes and say all right, we're not happy about what's going on and what happened. But, you know, you just gotta play. You just gotta continue to play. Q. Chauncey, everyone's saying that you were really the assistant coach tonight. What were you out there saying to your fellas? CHAUNCEY BILLUPS: It's funny, because I kind of know what it's like to be a coach because I say stuff sometimes the guys get mad at me because I'm demanding. I'm real demanding. I know what this means. And I know the feeling when you get all the way to the top and win it. And one day these guys are going to thank me, you know. But I'm so focused on it, so locked in there, that we have a 10-, 12-point lead and I'm telling the guys stay straight, don't give up 3s, try not to foul. Just things that every coach would say. But I'm just trying to lend a hand and just help. And me being out there I think is an added bonus, because I'm out there in the foxhole with the guys. Q. Chauncey, could you talk about, and J.R., how -- talk about Carmelo Anthony's game and how sick was he? How much could you tell how sick he was? CHAUNCEY BILLUPS: We knew Melo wasn't feeling real well from the start of the game, before the start of the game. But he came out and he toughed it out, and that's what warriors do. They go out there when they're not feeling so hot and they try their best. He gave us a great effort tonight. But, you know, we expect nothing less. Q. Chauncey, did coming here kind of give your career, almost give you another gear to go to? Did you feel if you had stayed in Detroit and maybe the team wasn't contending you would have played as well? Did you almost need this, do you think, and what's all around you here? CHAUNCEY BILLUPS: Well, I feel like if I stayed in Detroit we probably would still be contending. But to answer your question, I do. I really do feel like, you know, there's been a lot said about what I've been able to do for these young guys. What I've been able to do for this team. But nobody's really talking about what these guys have done for me. These guys are young and athletic. They make me look three or four years younger, probably. And they've helped me to kind of not revive, but just kind of rejuvenate myself and kind of what people think about the player I've become. So these guys, we owed them a lot of credit, I owe them a lot of credit for that. People talk about what I've been able to do not what they've been able to do for me. Q. J.R., after Game 3 with the technical and not shooting well how down were you on yourself and how did you get through that? J.R. SMITH: I mean, I was really down on myself. Fortunately for me I've got great teammates and great coaches who want to stay in the gym with me, work on my game and conversate with me on what I'm doing wrong. And it was a tough time, but fortunately thankfully I'm out of it. CHAUNCEY BILLUPS: Where am I on that? Am I on the teammate side or the coach side? J.R. SMITH: You might be in the middle. He got so mad at me I had to put a towel over my head and everything. Q. All the showboating from the 3-points, do you hear anything from the Lakers on that? How would you feel if your opponent was doing that after scoring baskets? J.R. SMITH: I really didn't hear anything. It was like a zone thing. But I would be upset. I'm not going to lie. I would be upset if somebody is out there tearing us up and hitting these 3s and showboating. But at the same time, that's the way we play. That's the way Denver Nuggets play. We play with emotion and adrenalin. We've just got to make sure it's positive emotion. Q. Chauncey, is there anything that you or George said in the locker room after the game regarding the next game and the importance of it? CHAUNCEY BILLUPS: We know the importance of it. George always offers some insight on the next game, what we need to do. I'm sure we'll talk a lot about it tomorrow. But just staying focused and we kind of feel like if we have a repeat effort game like we had tonight, that we're just going to be a difficult out. That's how we felt the whole time. If we can effort-wise outplay teams with our athletes and with our offensive ability, the defense-ability we have we're a tough out for anybody. Q. From the outside looking in, some would say that people want a certain matchup. Are you guys using any of that as a motivating factor, any of it? CHAUNCEY BILLUPS: I do. I do. I'm not going to sit here and tell you I don't because I do. And I'm sure the world does want Cleveland and the Lakers. You've got the best two players in the world, a chance to see them play in the seven-game series. I don't want to see it. Man, I don't want to see it. And I'm trying my best not to make that happen. It's tough. But we're trying our best. THE MODERATOR: Thanks guys. End of FastScripts |
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