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NBA FINALS: MAGIC v LAKERS

June 13, 2009

Dwight Howard

ORLANDO, FLORIDA: Practice Day

Q. Obviously the fans have jumped on the bandwagon here with you guys. What's the last home game at Amway Arena mean to you guys?
DWIGHT HOWARD: We did talk about that today. We talked about going out and giving the fans something to look forward to so when we travel back to LA, looking forward to it. Want to give the fans a good show. It's the last home game, and we can't wait.

Q. You know how resilient your bunch has been coming back against Philly and coming back against Boston. It seems like you've been through every situation so far in the playoffs. Does that help you going into this situation?
DWIGHT HOWARD: Well, you know, it has, but our focus is on winning Sunday and then going to LA and getting two games. We're just taking one game at a time right now and focusing on Sunday. Give it everything we've got, and hopefully Sunday will be a better outcome than it was Thursday.

Q. All the stuff that's from the outside, if you will, people basically writing you guys off, does that factor into the equation in terms of how you guys go into the game and approach it, or is all the stuff just kind of outside noise if you will and it doesn't bother you one way or the other?
DWIGHT HOWARD: It doesn't bother us. We've been written off since the beginning of the season, so that doesn't really bother us. We really don't pay attention to what's being said about us. We just go out there and try to get the job done on the floor.
That being said, we know what's ahead of us, we know what's been said of us as a team, and in the situation that we're in, but we won't stop believing.

Q. Some of your teammates are saying that one of the key elements of the resilience this team has is you and your personality. Can you explain what it is about you that makes you always project that to them?
DWIGHT HOWARD: I don't know. I think I'm a resilient type of guy (smiling). I'm just kidding.
I think I always kept my teammates at a place where they don't feel uncomfortable around me, around any situation that we're in. And you know, just try to keep everybody lighthearted. I know everybody was upset about the game and losing and being down 3-1, but you know, if they see me being down, then everybody's spirits is down, and we really don't come back well when everybody sees that my spirit is down.
I was hurt after the game, but I couldn't let my teammates see me hurt, because me being the leader, they see the leader doubt, then they're going to have doubts. Being a leader on the team, when my teammates have bad moments they can always look to me for hope because I've never had a day where I've shown them that I was hurt about any type of situation. Basketball is a joyous occasion for us, and I'm not going to let a loss or anything mess up what we have as a team.

Q. You just said that the team is in a good mental place right now. Is there a more specific way to describe the mentality than how you've described it?
DWIGHT HOWARD: Everybody is ready to go. We were upset about the game, which we should be. You know, I think if we wasn't upset about what happened Thursday, then it showed that we really didn't care. Everybody was upset. Everybody was hurt that we lost, but today everybody's spirits are high. We had a good talk with the team yesterday, me and Coach, so everybody is ready to go. We're focused, we're excited, and nobody has their head hanging. We still believe and are pretty much everybody in Orlando and everybody following the Magic still believe in us, so we're going to keep pushing.

Q. Can you describe that foul Kobe gave you late in the game on Thursday where he kind of dragged you to the ground. How often does that happen with you and a guard fouling you like that?
DWIGHT HOWARD: Well, I've been fouled like that all season. Watch some of the Magic games; I've always been pulled to the ground. It really doesn't affect me. I really forgot about the play until I saw it on SportsCenter, thanks to Rachel Nichols and her crew.
But no, it's okay. I get hit all the time. It's something that I have to deal with, but my teammates did talk to me about when I catch it in the paint, instead of banging it down and try to power it up, finish it high. There's a lot of stuff I can learn from a guy like Pau Gasol. My teammates told me every time he catches it in the paint, he never brings it down, he keeps it up, so I've been watching a lot of stuff on him and trying to put that in my game.

Q. I think you just said a couple minutes ago when you guys go back to LA. Is that an indirect guarantee or is that a direct guarantee?
DWIGHT HOWARD: Well, that's me saying that I believe that we're going to win. You want me to get up here and say the season is going to be over tomorrow? That's not what anybody should do or anybody should think. I believe that we're going to be going back to LA, and you should, too. You're from Orlando (laughter).

Q. Coach said that maybe you guys would be broken if the Lakers had blown you out three or four times, but you've been right there in every game. Do you feel almost like you should be up in this series had things gone another way or two in games?
DWIGHT HOWARD: Well, you know, we've been in a lot of different situations during this series. Courtney makes the basket in LA, we're up, or we're even, whatever. We come back down here, make my free throws last game, series tied. There's a lot of situations that could have happened, but it was meant to be. It was meant for us to be in this situation, and it's going to be on us to turn it around.
I still believe in our team, I have a lot of faith in what we can do. And I don't think there's any doubt in our team's mind in what we can do.
We want to try to make history. We've done a lot of things this year as far as a team and individuals and reaching a lot of different goals and breaking records and stuff like that, so why not try and do something else?

End of FastScripts

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