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NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: CELTICS v MAGIC

May 18, 2010

Paul Pierce

ORLANDO, FLORIDA: Game Two

Boston Celtics 95
Orlando Magic 92

Q. Could you talk about what kind of physical game it was out there, and the hit you took specifically from Dwight Howard?
PAUL PIERCE: It was a good foul, man. Playoff foul. Didn't warrant an ejection. When he gets to the hole in the playoffs, you have to expect hard fouls. It's going both ways. You look up, we got 29 personal fouls; they got 25. So you have to expect it to be physical. That's about it. Keep taking your lumps and keep your composure and keep moving on. It's that type of game.

Q. What's been different about this series offensively? Did you have the mindset coming out of the gate you want to get off to the big start?
PAUL PIERCE: The biggest thing is I don't have to guard LeBron James. You sit at home before the series, I'm watching so much LeBron, how to play him defensively, you forget about your offense. I have the opportunity to be a little more aggressive in this series than I did the last series, since I don't have such a huge defensive responsibility. Not taking anything from Vince, Vince is a great challenge and he's known for having big games. But you are talking about playing the best player in the league, it's tough physically and mentally. I just thought after that series I have a little more free reign to be more offensive.

Q. Paul, in the third quarter, you guys held them to about scoreless for a significant stretch. Coming into the second half, what did you guys say at halftime about coming out in the second half?
PAUL PIERCE: Just to push it up and put more energy into the second half. I think since the playoffs started we've been playing pretty well in the third quarters, at least the last few games that's been our quarter where we come out real aggressive. Especially on the road you have to be. Because you have to expect the other team to come out with a lot of energy, especially since we got the lead. So we wanted to come out and make a second-half push. We said to ourselves we have to take it up another notch, because it wasn't going to be easy. The guys were able to match their intensity and also raise it.

Q. Paul, why is it home court doesn't seem to matter to you guys the way you play?
PAUL PIERCE: Well, if we're going to carry over one thing from the regular season, I think it's the way we play on the road. All year long we've been a great road team. Doesn't matter what building we go in. We've been in all type of environments as a unit, being together three years. That's really nothing that fazes us going out on the road, because we expect hostile environments. We expect calls really not to go our way.
We know what to expect, truthfully. We go out there. It really doesn't faze us.

Q. We always hear coaches say you can't just turn it on for the playoffs. Did you guys just turn it on for the playoffs?
PAUL PIERCE: I know it's starting to look that way. But I think even though we lost some games down the stretch, there were some things we were doing down the stretch of the season the last ten games, we were seeing that we were turning the corner. Even though some of the things didn't result in wins, I thought Coach really saw some things that we did in those last five or ten games that were some positive things that we really didn't do for most of the season. I think we saw it coming, we stayed positive. I know it's starting to look that way, but maybe you can.

Q. Can you give an example of some of the things you were doing late in the season?
PAUL PIERCE: I thought our intensity went up really well late in the season. I remember the Milwaukee game at Milwaukee just the way we played. Even though we lost I think the last two games, it was because we were kind of resting our starters and resting some guys. Going to Chicago we lost that game. There were some things we saw and the way we played that Coach was real positive about. He started to see the signs. There's things you can learn from losing and winning. I think in some of those games we saw that. And eventually when the playoffs started, it turned full circle for us.

Q. Paul, have you guys been inspired by the fact that even though you guys have won a title that coming into the playoffs you were kind of considered an afterthought in the Eastern Conference? Has that inspired you guys at all?
PAUL PIERCE: I use a number of things to inspire me. Just playing the underdog role, me individually, that's been a role I've played pretty much my whole career. A lot of these guys I think in the locker room really take that personal.
Our goal still was the same going into the playoffs, to win a championship. We said it in the pre-season, we said it in training camp. The good thing is we are keeping our eye on our goal. It doesn't matter what people say about us. What people write, what people say on the television. We know the team we have in this room is championship caliber. It's just starting to come together at the right time.
But the things that were said were probably deserving. We didn't play well. We didn't play consistent. So a lot of the flak we got we probably deserved.

Q. Paul, with everything you guys went through this season, to be two wins away from the NBA Finals going home, can you describe the feeling of the team right now?
PAUL PIERCE: The feeling of the team right now is just focus. Only thing we did was win two games. In order to get to the NBA Finals, you have to win four. This is a team that doesn't take that stuff for granted or get overjoyous for two wins. This is a great Orlando Magic team. They've proven it all year long. They definitely have the talent. You can't take these wins for granted.
So we still got to put our hardhat on even though we're going home, because home isn't necessarily a place we play well pretty much all year long. We have to keep our same intensity and really take it up to another level at home.

Q. You and Doc both joked about not knowing what it felt like to win four games or how you were going to handle the success of having those four straight wins coming in. Just talk about that, remaining focused and putting the wins aside and individualizing this one game.
PAUL PIERCE: What's that again?

Q. Talk about how you guys were able to handle the success as opposed to the regular season where you had those short winning streaks and lay an egg, you guys were able to come out today and remain focused even though you had that success coming in.
PAUL PIERCE: As a veteran group, maybe as a young team you get pretty joyous with the way you beat Cleveland and you come in here and win two games. Like I told you, we have bigger goals, to win the championship. Even though it's a nice streak going, we don't settle on just what we've done right now. Because it's such a big picture to what we're trying to do, that just being a group that's won a championship, that knows what it takes, that's been to the mountain top, you know, these games are meaningful. The guys are happy we win them. We know what our ultimate goal is. We don't get complacent. The thing is one game at the time. The focus, the drive, you can see it in the shoot-around, you can see it in our meetings, in practice. This is a very determined group, I would say. You can see it every day around these guys. And with every win that comes, the more and more confident I think we grow.

Q. Paul, you've been on a lot of teams, how good is this team this year?
PAUL PIERCE: It's hard to say. Until you win a championship or until the end of the season comes, it's hard to rank them with other teams. Right now we're the second best team I've played on. If we win a championship, then I guess that conversation can be brought up.

Q. Paul, you guys have another long stretch between games coming up. Last time you seemed to lose a little bit of your edge going into Game 3 in the Cleveland series. How do you work against that this time?
PAUL PIERCE: Yes, it's definitely a long stretch. But I think it's a stretch that's much needed for this group. Kevin has a couple of little small ailments. Perk is dealing with some stuff. Even myself, even Rondo is dealing with some minor stuff. So it's going to be a good break for us to get a couple of days off and get back to practice and hopefully become a little more fresh, come Friday and Saturday. So we can get the job done at home. I know last time we laid an egg at home in Game 3. I don't feel this team being complacent when we get home. It's a very determined, very focused group, that really doesn't want to come back here to Orlando.

End of FastScripts

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