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NBA FINALS: MAVERICKS v HEAT

May 31, 2011

Lorrenzo Wade

MIAMI, FLORIDA: Game One

Dallas Mavericks 84
Miami Heat 92

Q. D-Wade, talk about that fourth quarter and the way you guys came out and did your thing, and you yourself doing what you do?
DWYANE WADE: The fourth quarter we were able to go into the fourth quarter with a four-point lead. After LeBron hit that tough three to end the quarter and gave us a little momentum. And we just used the fourth quarter, said all right, defensively we have to win this game. Understanding that Dallas is a great offensive team. So I thought we played well defensively and they allowed us to get out and get some good shots on the other end. Obviously I made some shots tonight. But we all made plays down the stretch that helped us win the ballgame.

Q. Dwyane, it was the Mavericks, it was tied, the game was a struggle. Did you think at all back -- I know during the game you don't think about five years ago, but when you got it going against them, was that same sort of karma, that same kind of feeling? And did you feel all along even with 3 of 10 in the first half it was going to happen, there would be that moment, the three and maybe some other moments?
DWYANE WADE: Well, I didn't think back at all. I came out in the third quarter and I thought I was very aggressive before I went to the bench to get my rest. And I just wanted to continue that when I came back in in the fourth. I worked hard -- I've been working hard on my shot. I'm very confident. I was able to get a few to go. That's all it was. Just confidence. Guys gave me the ball, and put me in the position to do it. Just to try to come through for my team.

Q. Dwyane, can you take us through that -- there was that sort of unusual delay between the starters and the actual start of the game. What was the moment like with your mom? You saw her and decided to go down there? Was that something you thought about doing?
DWYANE WADE: It was like a five-minute delay I think they said we had. Normally I blow a kiss to my mom. I had time, a chance to hug her. Last time I did that was in Chicago in Game 2. I was able to have a talk with her on the court. We both say, here we go. We're here again. We're back. Enjoy this moment. And I just told her thanks for her support and I love her. Went out there and got it.
Q. LeBron, in the Chicago series Erik said you asked to be on Rose in the fourth quarter. Was that the same case tonight with Terry?
LeBRON JAMES: No, I mean whatever. Whatever it takes for our team. You know, if I need to be on Terry or anyone on their team, I try to take the challenge. Our defense is pretty good. It's never me just guarding someone individually. But I do take the challenge on any individual matchup that I'm against. And tonight happened to be Terry mostly in the second half.
Q. LeBron, you guys fell behind by eight early in the third. You called a timeout and they only scored a few points in the next three and a half minutes. What changed defensively?
LeBRON JAMES: We needed to lock in. We came out in the third quarter not paying attention to detail. Gave them an open three. DeShawn Stevenson hit an open three. Dirk hit an open shot at the top of the key. We just weren't paying attention to detail about how we were going to defend this team coming into the game. Once we slowed down and got back into what we know, what our strong point is, and that's getting stops, we were able to get out, D-Wade was able to get an and-one. Make another shot and we made a run.
Q. Dwyane, what have you learned about Chris, playing with him day in, day out, game in, game out that you did not know before?
DWYANE WADE: Well, it's kind of like watching Chris grow during this playoff series. Obviously, we all had an opportunity to watch him play a little bit in the regular season, and not much in the playoffs. But he's been up for the challenge. He said he had a bad game today. We looked and said, I'll take 19 and 9. He's just an efficient player.
So we have the luxury of having a guy like that, that is so versatile that can do so many different things. Just watching him grow up as a player in this playoff series has been awesome.

Q. LeBron, what goes through your mind as you go into these fourth quarters of games, especially these key games?
LeBRON JAMES: Defense. I think in order for us to win basketball games, we have to defend and we have to get stops, and our offense will speak for itself when we continue to get stops. I think for me going into the fourth quarter, I know it's winning time. That's when the game is won. So I got to try to dominate my individual matchup defensively, and then try to execute as best as possible. Try to get good looks, not turn the ball over. And we did a good job of doing that tonight. We got stops and we executed on the offensive end.
Q. Your first Finals victory, how much different does this one feel? Obviously you guys still have a lot of work left to do? How does this feel from 2007 when you were frustrated for four games?
LeBRON JAMES: D-Wade said that to me. Congratulated me after the game on my first Finals victory. I mean, it feels good because it's the first game. And we played well as a team. We got a lot of work to do. We'll come in with the same mindset on Thursday, and looking forward to this challenge once again that's in front of us.
It's one in the books. We're excited about this game. Tomorrow we prepare for Game 2, and obviously there's ways we can get better.

Q. 38% overall, 45% from three, what were they giving you guys?
LeBRON JAMES: They play a lot of zone, and the zone is to pack the paint, keep our drivers out of the paint, myself and D-Wade. And dare us to shoot threes. I think our bench came in and did a great job, Rio (Chalmers), Mike Miller did a great job against that zone, knocking shots down.
We needed that boost off the bench. We know how strong their bench is, and our bench matched them tonight. And they played extremely well. When they were in the zone, they knocked down shots. Rio gave us a big boost. Mike Miller gave us a big boost, and everyone contributed.

Q. LeBron, with the rhythm you seem to be in on the threes lately, is the idea you can be defended by making you shoot, like San Antonio did a couple of years ago, is that gone forever now?
LeBRON JAMES: Pretty much. Yeah, dare me to shoot, that's pretty much gone. I think people will still live with keeping myself and keeping D-Wade on the perimeter, but it's just my confidence. I put a lot of hard work into it, and understanding that you got to be a two-way player in this league. You have to be able to shoot the ball, you have to be able to drive and do other things to not only get yourself involved, but get your teammates involved.
Tonight once again I shot the ball extremely well from the outside, but more importantly, it helped our team get a win. That's what it's all about.
Q. Dwyane, you were joking the other day that LeBron was trying to get you to watch that 40-something performance from 2006. But this time you guys added up to 40-something together. How much is that part of the idea at this point?
DWYANE WADE: Well, obviously, that's one of the ideas of us playing together. For one individual to not have to carry that load. Obviously we love to have a guy explode for a 40-point night. But more so I think what he wanted me to do was look back at how aggressive I was, the mentality that I had. And I actually wasn't trying to, but I did watch Game 3 on TV last night in the fourth quarter. I see I had no conscious back then.
I knew what he was doing. I knew what he was saying. And it helped me out.

Q. You know, if a player has been in the Super Bowl before, even if he's the backup fullback on a team, you might tell the quarterback it's a little different. We've been in a big game. We're experienced. I want to know did Dwyane or even Udonis tell you, LeBron, anything about this being The Finals and it being different? Or was that left unsaid?
LeBRON JAMES: I think it was left unsaid. They understand I've been in some big games. I've been in the Finals. Didn't win a ballgame in '07, but I've been in big games before. So basically it's the same conversation we had before every game. Let's get ready to go out and continue to improve as a team, as individuals, and help lead this team to a victory.

Q. For each one of you guys, Dirk said he tore the tendon in the middle finger of his left hand. How do you think it's going to affect the series?
LeBRON JAMES: Who?
Q. Dirk.
LeBRON JAMES: He's right-handed. He'll be all right.

Q. Miller tore ligaments in both of his thumbs.
DWYANE WADE: In his thumbs, everything.
LeBRON JAMES: Dirk is right-handed. He shoots the ball extremely well. That left hand is just a guide hand for all shooters. We all know that. It won't affect him. He's still going to be great. He's still Dirk.

Q. LeBron, D-Wade as well, can you talk about the defense that you played on Dirk Nowitzki tonight. In the Mavericks' locker room they talked about how he was not able to get to his spots and get some of the shots he normally does.
DWYANE WADE: I think obviously Dirk is a great player. He's going to make shots in this series. And I thought our guys did a good job of paying attention to the detail of what we wanted to do. And just make it tough on him as much as possible. He still had 27 points, but Dirk is a very efficient player. So we'll take 7-for-18 every game we can. There's going to be some nights we're going to play the same defense and he's going to hit those shots. We can't get down about it and guys can't get frustrated. You understand he's one of the best scorers and shot-makers that this game has seen.

Q. Dwyane, can you explain what went through your head when you saw LeBron James hit that end-of-third-quarter three-pointer? And LeBron, what went through your head when you saw Dwyane pull up that three-pointer, that critical one in the fourth quarter?
DWYANE WADE: Momentum. I knew what he was going to do. He let the clock go all the way down to four before he decided to move. When he had it in his right hand, I knew what he was going to do. I shoot with him after practice every day, so I know him. Not many guys can make that. It's a tough shot to make. Going to your right, you have to be strong to make something like that. But that was just about a momentum swing for our team and a confidence boost going into the fourth quarter with a four-point lead.
LeBRON JAMES: I mean, just to answer about D-Wade, when D-Wade is dribbling the ball, dribbling it and he gets in his rhythm, and pulls up for a three, once that went down, I knew he was feeling really good. We're rhythm players. When we get in a good rhythm, we get in a good groove, we feel like every shot we take is going to go in. Those are two cases of it.

Q. You guys talked about the confidence you had going in the fourth quarters. When you were struggling with that earlier in the season, closing games out, did you ever doubt that at some point this season you would find a way to figure it out, either of you guys?
DWYANE WADE: No.
LeBRON JAMES: We always said that. We always said we would figure it out. We always believed in our abilities. We always believed as a team. Everything we went through, the pitfalls and the downs was going to turn and make its course. We just stuck with it and understood it.
We have guys that have closed games before. We just had to figure out how to do it together. We've done it by ourselves. CB has closed games in the past. D-Wade has closed games in the past. I've closed games in the past. What we had to figure out is how do we do it together to maximize our team potential. Those pitfalls early in the season has helped us get to where we are now in the postseason.
THE MODERATOR: Thanks, guys.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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