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NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: SUNS v LAKERS

May 27, 2010

Kobe Bryant

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Game Five

Lakers Â– 103
Suns - 101

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Kobe Bryant.

Q. How concerned are you that you all let an 18-point lead dissipate, gotta put back in to win the game as you head into a close-out game in Phoenix, Game 6?
KOBE BRYANT: I'm concerned. We had a mental lapse. Mental lapses, in transition defense, and giving up 3-point shots and great looks when our defense had been steady pretty much all night, except for that spurt where they got back into it.

Q. You've been talking about defense the whole week, and how defense is more important than just scoring. Now, you guys had an 18-point lead, but you only won by two points. Can you evaluate the defense tonight?
KOBE BRYANT: Defensively, we were terrific. We did a great job. Had a stretch there where it enabled them to get back in the game. But for the most part we did a great job.

Q. Would you describe that 3-point that Ron took late a mental lapse?
KOBE BRYANT: It was a good look.

Q. (Off microphone)?
KOBE BRYANT: It was a good look. I'll give you a double entendre and leave it at that.

Q. Could you describe what this means for the team and Ron for him to have the game-winning shot?
KOBE BRYANT: I think it means a lot for him. You know, he's kind of been going up and down. I think emotionally for him is a big boost.

Q. First of all, that was a hell of a pass. Nice job.
KOBE BRYANT: Thank you.

Q. Can that be a demoralizing loss for that team, do you think?
KOBE BRYANT: Not for that team. I think that team just bounced right back. Lucy Goosey bunch. Just go out and play. I don't think they'll linger at all.

Q. After Games 3 and 4, both those losses, how do you feel you guys did execution-wise and the things you need to take care of, get it down low, penetrate the zone?
KOBE BRYANT: We did much better, aside from that stretch that enabled them to get back in the game. We had mental lapses on Channing Frye and Dudley and transition and things like that. I mean, against this team you have to shore that up and be solid for as close to 48 minutes as possible, because if not they can get back in the game just as quickly as they were out of it.

Q. Is this the kind of game that makes a squad stronger and the ability now to go into the desert and close this thing off?
KOBE BRYANT: Well, I mean, there are a lot of things we did right. So I think it's important for us to focus on that. As a group, you know, it's always fun to have wins like this, at the buzzer, especially for Ron. I'm very happy for him.
But we'll leave it here and go up there and try to win one.

Q. I was going to ask you if you thought Phil acted any differently before Game 5 than he ever has, and what is it about him that put you guys in a mood that you can rebound from any disappointing performance before that?
KOBE BRYANT: He's the same old, same old. You really couldn't tell if it was a Game 5 or Game 7 or Game 1 or Game 1 of a regular season. His mood is always the same. His message is always the same.
And I think for us it instills a stability that other teams might not have.

Q. Can you talk about the game Fisher had and what he gives you guys this time of year?
KOBE BRYANT: You know, he played fantastic. He was aggressive offensively. Took what the defense gave him. I felt defensively he did a great job. Got a couple of calls that didn't go his way in terms of being physical defensively, but I think he played a marvelous game.

Q. Can you talk a little bit just about how if you have a little more space maybe on the inbound maybe the shot is different and Ron isn't available to catch the ball and all that, just how little things can turn games and series and things like that over the course of a playoff?
KOBE BRYANT: It's just amazing, you go through all this preparation and all this stuff. It comes down to just fundamental things. They knocked down a 3-pointer because we didn't box out. They wind up losing the game because they didn't box out. It's just little things like that that are the difference between winning big playoff games and losing them.

Q. In the first round, after you got through that, you said we'll never see anybody like the Thunder again. Same hold true for the Suns, there's just nothing else like them?
KOBE BRYANT: They're a completely different team. They're the only team that plays this style of ball, outside of the Nicks, but Phoenix has so many more shooters and very powerful one-two punch. So it's a very different team.

Q. This time of year you always talk about the challenge. What's it like right now, are you enjoying this challenge, especially the way it's coming down to crunch time here?
KOBE BRYANT: Well, yeah, this is why we do what we do. It's the fun part. It's probably nerve-racking for the people at home. But for us it's just as it should be.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about just the relentlessness Ron plays with, never seems to stop ever?
KOBE BRYANT: Yeah, he just puts his head down and just goes, just goes. I felt the second half, you know, he did a much better job in the first half. I thought he was thinking a little too much. And the second half he was more active. Got his hands on balls, very aggressive defensively.

Q. What did you see on that last play, after you took the shot, could you see that Ron was there? How did it unfold from where you were at?
KOBE BRYANT: I saw him coming, actually. I felt I had a good look. Grant Hill stuck his hand in there in the last second, forced me to double pump. Other than that I was going to shoot over Steve. And once I released the ball, I saw Ron sneaking in. I was just hoping that he got it off in time.

Q. At the beginning of the game, the two quick fouls, were you surprised -- how did you feel about that. Three minutes in, you had two fouls. Probably not the start you wanted to get off, just talk about that. Were you overly concerned, or was it just unfortunate way to start the game?
KOBE BRYANT: Unfortunate.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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