	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: HEAT v BULLS

May 15, 2011

Derrick Rose

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: Game One

Miami Heat 82
Chicago Bulls 103

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Derrick.

Q. Can you talk about your team's defensive effort tonight.
DERRICK ROSE: That's the biggest thing we worry about, it's our defense. They got great players on their team. You have to make sure they don't get any open shots, contest all their shots, make sure they don't get to the lane. We did a good job making sure they're seeing bodies when they went to the lane. We were just hustling. They're a great team. We made sure that we tried to get out to their shooters. Tonight it just went our way.

Q. Derrick, at halftime you guys talked about too many turnovers.
DERRICK ROSE: Yes.

Q. They said you kind of stood up and said it was on you. What exactly did you say to the team?
DERRICK ROSE: It was me. Careless turnovers. You can't do that against this team, where when they get in the open court they're too dangerous. Making sure I take care of the ball. I'm the point guard. I have to do way better. In the second half I think I did a good job making sure that our turnovers were down.

Q. Derrick, Kyle just talked about the fact in that third quarter obviously their defense and the put-backs were huge. Whenever Miami seemed to get some kind of momentum, you kind of put your foot on the throat with a big shot. Can you just talk about that in the third quarter, you kind of taking over offensively.
DERRICK ROSE: It really wasn't me; it was defense. Our defense opened up everything, where when we rebound the ball, we play with a fast pace. Especially when it's a turnover.
They were giving me mid-range jumpshots where they were backing up. My teammates trust in me and have a lot of confidence in me when I'm taking those shots.

Q. Derrick, can you talk about what the Heat were also discussing before especially their coach, you won by a pretty wide margin, but you're starting the next game 0-0 and how you can put this out of your mind so you can try to go up 2-0?
DERRICK ROSE: I thought tomorrow, after we look at film, this game is going to be out of our mind. We had too many turnovers in the beginning. There's a lot of things we can change. They're a good team. We have to keep going, keep fighting. But if anything, I think our defense has to be there.

Q. Derrick, talk about how you guys were able to sort of channel everything and play the game you wanted to play. Was there any question in your mind that you guys would be ready to do this after all the build-up and anticipation?
DERRICK ROSE: We just had to go out there and play with intensity. We knew them guys was going to come out and play aggressive. We tried to attack. We tried to make it hard. They're a great offensive team with great players that's very good in delay isolations and breaking people off -- going off the dribble to the basket. We just made sure that it was tough and Taj, Omer, Luol, everybody was making sure that their man was in front of them and contesting all their shots and lay-ups when they were going to the basket.

Q. Derrick, you had so many close wins in the first two rounds, now you come out here with a big 21-point win. How much of it could be facing Miami and all the off-season acquisitions and them being the team that got everybody and you showing that you can still beat them?
DERRICK ROSE: We're not worried about that. All the off-season stuff, we're not worried about it. We're just trying to go out there and play hard and play with an edge, play with a lot of intensity, knowing the guys are going to bring it every single night. That's what we did tonight.

Q. Derrick, your team had really tough first games against Indiana and Atlanta. Today you really came out and played really well against Miami. How does that help your confidence for the rest of the series with the win today?
DERRICK ROSE: I think it should help us out a lot. But we still have a lot of work to do. We're going into practice just closing down the middle when LeBron and Chris Bosh do pick-and-roll. Chris Bosh getting fouled -- he had too many lay-ups. Getting out to their shooters where they had open looks. We could work on a lot of things about that -- on that game.

Q. Did you address all your teammates at halftime or just talked to guys individually?
DERRICK ROSE: Everybody. About what, the turnovers?

Q. Did you sort of talk to everybody as a group?
DERRICK ROSE: Yes. I tried to talk to them as much as I can. Just by nature I'm quiet, but being in this position, being the point guard, being one of the leaders on this team, you have to talk a little bit more. I tried to let them hear me during the game, in the locker room, wherever we're at. We have to communicate, because defensively if you don't have any communication, especially with the players that you're playing -- we're playing against, like LeBron and D-Wade, it can be a tough night any night.

Q. Derrick, in the three regular season games and again tonight, you've outrebounded the Heat in all four of those games. And tonight the offensive rebounds were extraordinary. Can you talk about how you saw the rebound battle tonight and the great offensive rebound work your team did?
DERRICK ROSE: It was huge. Joakim, Omer, Taj, Booze. Just making sure they're getting in there playing physical. They got players like Joel Anthony, a lot of hustle plays. Chris Bosh getting a lot of hustle plays. We made sure we put bodies on them. And Joakim finishing lay-ups, dunking. Booze doing the same thing and Taj and Omer coming in and giving us energy every night. That's what we need every night from them.
THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Derrick.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297