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NBA FINALS: CELTIC v LAKERS

June 13, 2010

Kevin Garnett

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS: Game Five

Los Angeles Lakers 86
Boston Celtics 92

Q. Talk about the position that you guys have put yourselves in, first team to win two in a row, heading out west up 3-2.
KEVIN GARNETT: Just that. I thought the defense was consistent tonight throughout four quarters. I thought we moved the ball really well, and we put ourselves in position to close this thing out.

Q. You've seen Kobe have a hot hand many times. For a defense, how much is that something to dread, how much is that maybe a good thing if other guys fall out of rhythm on his side, and how much is that something to ignore and stick to your own game plan?
KEVIN GARNETT: From the standpoint that he's providing points for his team and he's in a rhythm, it's a bit dangerous. But for the rhythm of his team, then it works in our favor. I can't even come up with any kind of words because his flow is just deliberate. He was very keen on what he wanted to do, he got the shots that he wanted. I thought the second half he was really keen and hitting threes. He was in a nice rhythm. I thought for the most part we pretty much controlled everybody else, but in that scenario you put your hand up and play the best D that you can. And strategically and all our defensive schemes and stuff that we have, you just hope that he misses.

Q. Is it tempting to try to do everything, throw out the kitchen sink defensively to try and change what's going on when he's that hot?
KEVIN GARNETT: Well, when a player is in that kind of mode, man, you just put a hand up and you trap him and you do different things. Other than that, you're at their mercy.

Q. Big game for you tonight, but talk about the ability to limit LA's big men to 26 points.
KEVIN GARNETT: Well, like I said, I thought Kobe for the most part provided a lot of the offense. He provided a lot of scoring. They usually run the triangle, and it really wasn't typical for what they did tonight. Our thing was to come in and rebound. That's the thing for these Finals. We've definitely got to do better on the boards as a group.
But for the most part those guys -- you know, I thought Pau did a good job when he did have it. He tried to get aggressive towards the end or whatever. But like I said, Kobe provided a lot of points for them. He was in a rhythm, and that's what it was.

Q. Kobe also said he has all the confidence in the world that his team can win two at the house. How do you feel about that?
KEVIN GARNETT: That's Kobe. He's got a lot of confidence. I've got confidence that my team can go out there and get a win. So we'll see.

Q. In the fourth quarter Phil Jackson was wired, and he was heard saying that the Celtics are one of the best teams in the league at blowing fourth quarter leads and they're showing it right now. As a player how do you react to that?
KEVIN GARNETT: No reaction at all. I'm looking forward to Game 6. I couldn't care less what Phil Jackson is talking about.

Q. When the Lakers signed Ron last summer, conceivably it was partly to add some toughness that maybe they didn't have two years ago when they faced you guys. Today Rajon has your back when you hit the deck. Toughness is something you guys are pretty darned good at. What role is that playing at this point in the season?
KEVIN GARNETT: At the end of the day it's basketball. We're not out here boxing and guys are not out here -- everybody has played tough when it's out here with three refs and a crowd full of people. We try to just tell everybody to control their emotions and protect one another, but you know, they way they call the game and the way they hand fines out and flagrants, all that goes out the window to be honest.

Q. Earlier Doc mentioned that you were responsible for calming most of your team's nerves late in the game. Can you mention what you did to accomplish that?
KEVIN GARNETT: I have no idea what Doc is talking about. (Laughter).
You know, I just try to talk to guys. I try get in guys' faces and be one-on-one versus say it in group, or if I've got to say it in a group, so be it. That's funny that he says that. Sometimes I might have all my emotions together, but in situations where I can be a decent teammate, if not a better teammate and try to help a guy out, I do that. I try to be very upfront and truthful with them, and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. But it's for me to say it.

Q. You mentioned a little bit earlier about when Kobe got hot, the Lakers' offense might have got a little bit out of rhythm. Does that kind of play into your defense's hands a little bit?
KEVIN GARNETT: No, I wouldn't say that because he's scoring the ball and you have to give him the attention that's needed, and if not double-teams, if it's sometimes triple-teams or whatever the scheme is, we try to apply that type of pressure. But he's scoring the ball, and when he's in a rhythm like that, it's very hard to stop him.

Q. Talk about the play that Rondo made that kind of sealed the game. And talk about just how big that was.
KEVIN GARNETT: Which one, where he got the tip or when I threw it to P and we got the lay-up?

Q. Right, the one you threw to P.
KEVIN GARNETT: Well, it was designed for him to get it on the run and they took that away, and Derek Fisher was guarding Paul, and I threw it over him and he found Rondo cutting back door. A huge momentum play. I wouldn't say the dagger, but it was definitely a momentum shift carrying into our direction. Huge play because if we don't get that play, then they come out, and if they score it's a tighter game, so I thought we did a good job of just holding onto the game and ending it.

Q. Two-parter: How much of your physical play down low intimidated the Lakers from finishing tonight? And what do you expect to see Tuesday night at Staples?
KEVIN GARNETT: I think both teams are playing very physical basketball. I think the intimidation factor is not even a question or even an issue. They're playing at home. Home is always where your heart is. And with the severity of the game, it's all out on both ends, for both teams. This will probably be the hardest game of the season, if not of the series, if not of everybody's career, this game coming up.

Q. You guys have always been brutally honest with each other in the locker room, on the court. How important is that when you guys are on the floor, things are getting frantic or emotional that you guys can communicate that way?
KEVIN GARNETT: It's very important. A lot of times it ain't what you say, it's how you say it. We've been around each other for a while, and we've had numerous and different type of conversations. We know how to deal with each other, and obviously when things get heated, I think we do a good job of communicating the right way, versus just saying anything. But it's been situations where we've had to learn from that, what we've learned over these years of dealing with one another, and it's definitely helped us in games.

Q. Was that something tonight? It seemed like it was a very emotional game, very kind of frantic from where we were sitting. Was that in play for you guys tonight?
KEVIN GARNETT: It's damn near every game. But we're a very passionate team, man. Our practices are the same. If not even more passionate. Our practices are very, very emotional. We carry some of that over to games. You've got to know how to communicate with a teammate and talk to him, definitely when things are either going well or when they're not. You've got to have a level of communication and you've got to have a level of -- you can't be sensitive. You've got to hear what a guy is saying to you and vice versa. And I think we communicate really well on this team, A through Z.

Q. I'm looking at your stats for this game. Overall your best game of the series. What do you think accounted for that?
KEVIN GARNETT: I don't know. The severity of this game is huge, man. You don't want to go back to LA with them having a chance to close out and it being on their floor. Tonight I thought for the most part I was active. I got my hands on a lot of loose balls. Some knucklehead plays in the fourth quarter that I would like to take back, but I'll watch film and apply them to the next game. But for the most part, I was talkative, I was loud. Just got to carry that over and be all out. We've got, what, four, five days left, so it's all or nothing from this point on.

End of FastScripts

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