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NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: SUNS v LAKERS

May 28, 2010

Phil Jackson

PHOENIX, ARIZONA: Practice Day

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Coach Jackson.

Q. Can you put into words how happy you are Ron scored, what you said to him on the bench regarding the alleged three-point shot.
COACH JACKSON: I don't think it was alleged, I think it was (laughter). No doubt about it.
I just said to him, Those are the judgment, decision-making things that we're asking you to make good choices on. I just emphasized judgment, you know. You know, he was kind of feeling badly about it, obviously. The redemption one minute later was great for him. I mean, how else can you say it?
I kept saying to my coaching staff, Can Ron give us a boost out there? Is he going to help us or hurt us while he's out there? We found out he did, he helped us.

Q. Can you explain Ron Artest?
COACH JACKSON: No, I certainly can't. I tell Lamar that he's his guardian. Not the blind leading the blind, but probably the deaf leading the blind (laughter). You know, these two grew up together. They do have a history.
The thing that I enjoy more than anything else is the excitement, the happy faces that surrounded Ron after he made the shot of his teammates who all knew he had messed up and were rooting for him to have a comeback.

Q. Ron said he feels disrespected by the way other coaches bait him into bad shots, that's been a game plan. Have you talked to him about that before, they're trying to do that to him?
COACH JACKSON: Yes. We usually tell Ron and Lamar, There's a reason why you're open. I don't know if that makes enough sense saying it that way.
We told Ron in our game plan last year against Houston that we anticipated this type of behavior, and we're ready and willing to allow you to hit a three in those situations. We believe you can hit them, but you have to have good judgment when you do.

Q. All in all, how do you think he's done in not taking the bait?
COACH JACKSON: Not very well. There's still room for improvement.

Q. From what you've seen of Ron, does he seem to be disinclined to let good news in? He keeps telling us he wants to move on. Do you see that in him, he doesn't want to acknowledge something actually happened good?
COACH JACKSON: In the moment, I thought he was very excited about it. So obviously he did. It was a great feeling. But, you know, Ron has penchant for little things tripping him up in the process, incorrectly reading the board as to practice times of day, not being on time to practice by half an hour. Those type of things continually follow him. He is kind of dogged by his own nature.

Q. Has that improved at all over the course of the season?
COACH JACKSON: No issues with him being on time. One of those nights, I think he was so excited after the game, all that processing of things that were on the board didn't all register.

Q. Did you find him?
COACH JACKSON: Oh, yeah. That's all a part of it.

Q. The relationship with Ron and Lamar, how has that helped him get acclimated?
COACH JACKSON: I think he feels comfortable. Obviously, Lamar getting married, having a life, an engaged life, will change the relationship. But on the road and stuff, he's fully engaged.

Q. Throughout your career you have had guys come out with quick shots. Why do you think it is you always seem to be on the winning end of those big shots?
COACH JACKSON: I don't know. There's one that I still rue that's back with San Antonio, Robert's shot rimmed out, Game 6, we lost that series to San Antonio. I can remember all the ones that didn't quite well, to be honest with you.
But those are what you call 50/50 chances. I've been fortunate to probably be on the stronger end of the 50%.

Q. On Pau Gasol, obviously been a top player for a while. Has he during these playoffs raised his game in terms of consistency, rebounding more? How would you characterize it?
COACH JACKSON: Well, take a large role, fit into it. In Phoenix, at the end of the fourth game, I was encouraging him to find a way to the ball when he wasn't getting involved in the game. So there's pressure on him to perform, and he knows that. He willingly accepts that.
They're paying an awful lot of attention to him. He very rarely gets a lot of room or space out there to work with right now. Even on his rebounds, they're attacking him, guards are hitting him low in the legs. He's taking a lot of heat.
But, you know, in a way, that's an honor. It's a responsibility you have to the game when you play as well as he does.

Q. You've had some success in closing out teams on the road. How much emphasize do you place on that and how much do you relish to?
COACH JACKSON: We don't plan going to Phoenix and losing three times on their home court. We're not making this trip over there just to fill a date. We're going over there to win a game.
We're highly motivated for this game, but we understand that if it has to go seven, we're damn well ready to come back home and defend our court again.
This is a series that has taken a lot of different faces during the course of these five games. We don't expect Game 6 to be any different.

Q. When Steve Nash said he's coming back for Game 7, do you hear that?
COACH JACKSON: What else is he going to say? We're going to go home and lose (laughter)?

Q. What patterns emerge as far as what you have done well to close out games?
COACH JACKSON: Defense sharpens a little bit. I think game mindset is very important on the road. What is our mindset on the road? How do we pace the game? How do we accomplish the tasks we have to accomplish? High numbers, threes, et cetera, but not spring loose, a lot of turnovers that are going to end up in a fast break or points at the other end.
There's a variety of ways. You play looser, quicker. On the road you have to tighten it up.

Q. Do you think the game last night can help ensure that type of mindset?
COACH JACKSON: I can't speak for that at all. I have to think that Phoenix is going to take affront to the fact they lost the game on what they consider a lucky shot, even though they made one to tie the game and they had some chances on that. That's their prerogative. That's probably what I would do, too, if I was coaching their game. We have to go out there and seize the day.

Q. Do you allow yourself during the course of that game or in the moments afterwards to appreciate the entertainment factor, what a great playoff game that seemed to be?
COACH JACKSON: Yes. In fact, I walked immediately off the court so I didn't have to relish in that energy out there because I don't want to get too involved in it.
But I did go home and stay awake till 1 in the morning.

Q. (Question regarding the inside game.)
COACH JACKSON: The inside game is very difficult against the zone. They're in front of our bigs. They are fighting the outside shot. We really have to be very specific on how we do that.
But that doesn't mean we're not going to get the ball inside; just we're going to have to work a little harder to do it.

Q. How do you deal with the momentum their bench has been able to create for them?
COACH JACKSON: As long as I can say, one half, went out there and gave them two points off the bench, I feel great. They had a two-point first half, second quarter. Dudley, Frye, et cetera, they got hot in the second half. They played the minutes. They played starters' minutes. I can't complain about that. I thought we did a great job because of that last night.

Q. Do you think this team, if they were able to win a championship this year, would have a couple more in them? Do you think they have that kind of dynasty potential or is it too early?
COACH JACKSON: Way too early to talk about that. We're still here trying to get back and defend our title. I mean, we all know how difficult it is coming through just a regular season. We can't talk any farther. Trying to go back and get Game 6 in Phoenix.

End of FastScripts

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