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NBA FINALS: MAGIC v LAKERS

June 7, 2009

Rashard Lewis

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Game Two

Orlando Magic - 96
Los Angeles Lakers - 101

Q. Three assists shy of a triple-double. Talk about your game tonight.
RASHARD LEWIS: I felt good coming into the game tonight. I think I wanted to be aggressive early on in the game, if not get shots for myself but create shots for other guys, and I was able to do that. We made it a good game. But unfortunately didn't get the win.
When you lose a game like that, the stats doesn't really mean anything.

Q. Can you talk about two things, the turnovers, concerns with that in this game, because that really killed you. And what you expect to be different when you get in front of your home court.
RASHARD LEWIS: Turnovers was the reason we lost the game tonight. We had 20 turnovers, and I don't remember the last time we had that many turnovers. We're pretty good at taking care of the ball, and that most definitely was the outcome of the game. We created a lot of fast break points for them. If you turn the ball over against a good team like the Lakers, they're going to take advantage of it.
Hopefully we're looking forward to going home with a lot of energy in the building, and hopefully we'll get wins when we go back home.

Q. What did you think of Courtney's attempt there at the end of regulation?
RASHARD LEWIS: He got a good look at it. I don't know if it was a bad pass. It seemed like he was a little bit under the basket when he caught the ball for the lay-up and it was a tough play for him. He had to get it off quick because there was only 0.6 seconds left. From the angle I was at it looked like he was a little under the basket. Maybe he was a little off. It could have went either way, and you've got to roll with the punches, and didn't get the lay-up so we had to go into overtime.

Q. Stan was just in here talking about percentage just being still so low, and a lot of the players getting good looks and not being able to get it in. How do you get the offense going in Game 3?
RASHARD LEWIS: Got to keep shooting the ball. Shooters never stop shooting, and I think he's talking about the majority of the team as one unit. Only a couple guys are making shots here and there, but we need everybody to step up and making shots, especially when Dwight is getting double-teamed. We've got to open it up somehow, it can't just be one guy, as a unit, from the point guards down to me. We've got to hit threes or jump shots, so Dwight can have a one-on-one.

Q. Talk about guard play, guard rotations. It seems like the guards on this team, on your team, they had a tough night tonight, but it seems like the rotation isn't what you guys are comfortable with or accustomed to and whether that's Rafer and Jameer or whatever. Are your guards in sync and how do you get them back on a roll?
RASHARD LEWIS: Our guards are great for us. I thought Rafer and Jameer did what they were supposed to. They did their job out there. But early on we got in foul trouble, I had two fouls, Courtney Lee, Pietrus had two fouls and we had to bring J.J. in off the bench and he played great, so Coach rolled with him and he hit a couple big shots for us that kept us in that game.
I thought the only thing is we just have to make more shots when Dwight is get being double-teamed. We've got to look in the mirror and point at themselves and not point the finger and see what you can do to make our team better the next game out.

Q. I know you don't dwell on the loss and team has proven itself to be resilient, but if I can ask you a question about a chance, you had the chance to win, is this a bit heart breaking when you're ahead with a minute to go in regulation?
RASHARD LEWIS: It is most definitely heart breaking when you feel like you had a chance to win this game and you let it slip right out of your hands, especially playing on their home court. We most definitely wanted to get this win, take home-court advantage back to Orlando. We feel like we play very well at home. But the ball didn't bounce our way. The last lay-up Courtney had could have easily went in and we could have easily not gone into overtime and went home tied 1-1. But it didn't happen, Lakers are 2-0 and we have to go home and take care of home just like they took care of home.

Q. Did playing the Cavs and now the two games against the Lakers, a couple key variables that make the Lakers so successful, I know they have LeBron, the Lakers have Kobe, but was it the big guys here? They had Ilgauskas and Varejao, but is it Bynum and Gasol and the big guys that the Lakers have that's the difference?
RASHARD LEWIS: Well, their big guys are very good. Bynum is a great player, Gasol, as well, is a great player. But I think the difference is with the Lakers, you can't have 20 turnovers and expect to beat a good team like the Lakers. They're a very smart team. They're a veteran team with Derek Fisher and Kobe Bryant, who's a great talent and a great player. When you have 20 turnovers against a talented as well as a smart team, it's going to be very tough to win that game.

Q. Monster resolve from your Magic squad, but to take four out of five, you've learned over the process of the playoffs how to come back in series. Is this any different?
RASHARD LEWIS: Coach talked about that in the locker room. We were down to Philadelphia 2-1 and were down to the Boston Celtics and went on to win the series. This is nothing new for us. The next game is very important. It's a must-win. You definitely don't want to dig a three-game hole for yourselves. We'll look at the film. But we're a team that bounces back. I thought we played great tonight, gave ourselves a chance to win the game, and we've got to go home, and this next game is most definitely a must-win.

End of FastScripts

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