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NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: NUGGETS v LAKERSMay 22, 2009Kobe BryantDENVER, COLORADO: Practice Day Q. Comparisons to what you guys were in the last series going to Houston 1-1? KOBE BRYANT: Yeah, a little bit. Obviously Houston is a hostile environment and Denver will be, too. Q. You said last night real quick you have the best road record in the NBA. Seems like you guys want to make a statement; is that accurate? KOBE BRYANT: You just got to respond to the challenge. It's playoffs. It's not easy for anybody. Denver's a great team. And so are we. So it's going to be fun. Q. They played really well in the two games here at Staples. How much better do you expect them to be at home? KOBE BRYANT: Much better. Playing looser, more confident, more aggression, more energy. Q. Speaking of energy, talking to some of the teammates last night, they were talking about how you guys have to out-hustle this team? KOBE BRYANT: I think we played hard. They played hard. I don't think -- gotta keep them off the free throw line, things like that. Create easier opportunities for them at the end of the ball game. Q. (Indiscernible)? KOBE BRYANT: It's always been a tough place to play. They had a great home record last season, too. This year is no different. Q. Statistically, it's an even series. Statistically, you won by 2, they won by 3. You and Carmelo within a point of each other. Does it feel that close? KOBE BRYANT: Well, yeah, we had two really close ball games, man. Great ball games to watch. Comes down to the last minute of the game. So it's really that close. It's different than the last series. We had big leads and gave the game away. And this series it's not like that. Q. Anything about the series that surprised you so far? KOBE BRYANT: Not really. Not really. We know what they're capable of doing with the ball. Now it's about stopping them, which is obviously harder to do in the Western Conference Finals than the first or second round. Q. In this series of shifts, who makes the next big move? KOBE BRYANT: The team that loses. It's on us. I mean, it's always the team that loses that makes the adjustment and kind of go back and forth. Q. Carmelo really said that he asked to guard you down the stretch last night. Knowing him like you know him, what do you think of him asking for volunteering for that challenge? KOBE BRYANT: I rubbed off on him. Q. Talk about the in the second quarter. Do you recognize in the middle of the spurt, is there anything you can do? KOBE BRYANT: Try to get to the free throw line, get some stops, the momentum. Q. What makes him a tough defender for you? KOBE BRYANT: When I guard him? Q. No, when he guards you. KOBE BRYANT: (Chuckling) I think what you try to do is try to get the basketball, try touching all over the floor, tries not to let me catch him. Q. What do you think he has learned from you that you taught him? KOBE BRYANT: To be a good player, gotta be able to do everything. Play both ends of the floor. I told him, you challenge both, don't do just one, do everything. And he seems to be respond to go that challenge. Q. To a certain degree is it kind of strange going against someone like that? KOBE BRYANT: Not at all. Not at all. It's fun. Asked for this competition. It's excitement. Q. (Indiscernible) again after seven under in the quarter? KOBE BRYANT: No, that happens. Q. Do you think it will or -- KOBE BRYANT: No, I mean he's in the ball game expecting to win. Q. What do you guys think more concerted effort to get the big men involved in Denver? KOBE BRYANT: Gotta stop their business, first and foremost. You've got to stop them. As good as they are. As far as ours go, Pau did a great job for us last night both on the boards and his production. And we gotta get some more of that. It's funny, Game 2, some plays down the stretch, some free throws here and there. It's like you have to reinvent the wheel. We do what we do. Q. Is it at all -- Phil said not letting Chauncey get to the free throw line 16, 17 times. Did you do something defensively different there? KOBE BRYANT: Tried to keep him away from the ball. Chauncey is using his big body to draw fouls and draw contact. And some of the things we have to prevent. Q. Are you concerned your height advantage hasn't been more of a disadvantage? KOBE BRYANT: It's all in the situations. We haven't been able to take advantage of it as much as we would love to. Like Kenyon Martin and Nene have done an excellent job. So hopefully we can take a little more advantage of it in Denver. Q. Talk about that play where Chauncey got the ball behind your back, what was going through your mind? KOBE BRYANT: Watching Carmelo coming up to screen. End of FastScripts |
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