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NBA FINALS: MAVERICKS v HEAT

June 8, 2011

Erik Spoelstra

DALLAS, TEXAS: Practice Day

COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA: So, we're in an absolute heavyweight bout, and that's the way it should be. It's as even a series as it can be. Right now there's no woulda, coulda, shoulda. Both teams have done the same thing. Won on each other's court, and won one game on their home court. However, it has gotten to that point and it has been simply possession basketball all the way down into the fourth quarter. There's certainly some things going down the stretch we could have done better, more efficiently, even offensively. But the same probably goes for them as well.
It's defensive-minded, it's competitive, it's physical. It's like being on the ropes in a heavyweight bout. It's back and forth all the way until the end. And that's the way it should be. That's the way it should be. It's two evenly matched teams.

Q. Erik, there are times when your weak-side-off-the-ball stuff with the pick-and-roll game is working great, and everyone is active. It seemed like last night there were times when you got a bit stagnant. Was that the players? Was that the defense and what Dallas is doing to you? And are they stifling your pick-and-roll game?
COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA: A little of all of the above. It can go both ways with that. Come on, they shot 6-for-19 in the fourth. We held them to eight straight misses. So they shot 31%. We shot 33% in the fourth. They end up getting a couple more offensive rebounds. I think they had four offensive rebounds and we had more turnovers in that quarter.
Of the 20 possessions going down the stretch offensively for us, after the timeout, when we got up by nine, there were five possessions that we scored on, either scored or got fouled that we'll take. There are another five that we'll take the shot or the execution that we got against a very good fourth-quarter defense. And we had five of the possessions that were not good enough. It's poor execution, either poor shot selection or a timely turnover, an unforced turnover.
And then the other three possessions, you have to give them some absolute credit, where they played outstanding defense. And that's what you're looking at. Of those five possessions, what's realistic at this level in The Finals to get? Sometimes it's make or miss.
Those five possessions that we had opportunities to score we missed a couple of open jumpers. A couple of them we had missed catches that those could be a score that might change the balance of the game. But it didn't, and it's a make or miss league sometimes. The other night they missed, we made. That was the difference. Last night it was the other way around.
So all we're focused on right now is not how we really got to this point, it's just about Game 5 and enduring this. It is a mental and physical test of endurance all the way to the last possession.

Q. Spo, you said last night you had to try to do him LeBron more in an offensive flow. This team has a deliberate rhythm this time of the year with Dwyane and LeBron and Chris all trying to get themselves involved offensively. Does that almost have to be really scrubbed a little bit going into tomorrow to get him in more of a flow from the onset?
COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA: Well, probably three things with that: One, he will be more aggressive and have more of an attack mentality tomorrow night. He doesn't need to overthink it. He's a great player. He's a proven player. He knows how to be aggressive and how to pick his spots. I don't want him to necessarily overthink it. The aggressive mentality will be enough. We will do some things to help him, put him in positions to be aggressive.
And then the last thing would be that the ball has to move. And sometimes he can get involved from execution, other guys being aggressive, and he's off the ball and impacting in different ways.
So we anticipate it will be different tomorrow night.

Q. Erik, you guys probably expected Dirk to have the kind of impact that he's having, but how much is Tyson Chandler sort of hurting you guys with his activity and offensive rebounding?
COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA: He was very good last night. It goes without stating, obviously. Nine offensive rebounds and putting a lot of pressure, getting to the rim. He's an impact player, and he has been for several years when he's been healthy. So we understand that. We have to meet him with force, with effort, and we have to be relentless, because he does offer them relief points in the paint with his aggressiveness.

Q. Do you feel like, in following up, do you feel like you guys have the length and athleticism to sort of negate what he's given them?
COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA: Yes. We've played against a lot of big teams already in the games we won, the two games we've been able to impact the big muscle areas enough. So, yes.

Q. Erik, going into the last game, LeBron used the word "aggressive" and talked about that a little bit. Obviously it didn't work out for him during the game. What is it about the last 24 hours or even 20 hours, I guess, what specific things have you seen from him that tells you he will be more aggressive, as you just said, and attack more in this next game?
COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA: More than the 24 hours. It would be six months of getting to know him as an individual and seeing him respond. We're not going to overreact to this. Some of this is simply how big playoff games play out. They're not going to be perfect games. It certainly wasn't a perfect game for us in any of these games, nor has it been for them. That fourth quarter, if you're talking about 31% for one team and 33% from another team, there are a lot of misses. There are a lot of opportunities where guys are trying to be aggressive, but you have to give both defenses credit. Neither team is giving up many open opportunities and rhythm opportunities.
I love seeing these moments in our team, and certainly in individuals, when we have to respond to adversity and to moments that are tough. And so we're all looking forward to it tomorrow night.

Q. What is it over the last six months that you've learned about LeBron that will tell you how he'll respond?
COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA: He has a great competitive resolve. And that's something we've also developed as a team. And this is a series of mental and physical endurance. It will not be easy. It is a possession game and a make or miss here for either team, the series could already be over.
So we're trying to stay in the moment and focus on what we need to do to prepare for Game 5 with a golden opportunity.

Q. Erik, outside of Dallas' defense, was there something that you spotted that prevented LeBron from being aggressive as you guys would like in the fourth quarter?
COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA: We'll look to change that tomorrow night. And we have to do some things better. We have to execute more consistently and more with a purpose. I think we did that in large parts of the first half. We were able to establish a very aggressive game, but we were also able to facilitate and move the ball, and a lot of people were involved. When it comes down to the fourth quarter, as both defenses tighten up, we have to be more disciplined and certainly more specific with how we're executing down the stretch. We can be better with that, and it's something we'll continue to work on.

Q. I know, Erik, you talked a lot about how physically strong LeBron is. Is there any concern at all you may want to get him a little bit of a breather in the second half instead of having him play straight through? And his fatigue at all in those late fourth-quarter situations, do you think that's contributing to any of his fourth-quarter offensive troubles?
COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA: We won't -- he wouldn't give that excuse and he won't. He's been able to log big minutes this whole playoff run. I'll have to see. During the course of the game, a lot of times I'm reading his body language. He's a remarkable athlete, but he's also an incredible competitor. He wants to be out there and impact every possession. He's expending a lot of energy. He's a world-class athlete. So depending on the game, we'll see.

Q. Coach, at what point in the game did you notice that hey, LeBron is not doing well. Maybe we can do something different to get him more involved? You're talking about now from Game 4 to Game 5. Was there at any point in the game you could have changed things up and said he's 3-for-10, he's only eight points, we want him more involved for the fourth quarter?
COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA: Certainly some adjustments we can and will make. And we already started that process today with the film session. We'll do it out in practice. And it has to be a collective thing. It won't be a situation where he'll be individually willing it tomorrow.
He doesn't have to overthink this. I'm sure there will be widespread opinions about everything about it. Guys have tough games. And sometimes that has a lot of different variables that factor into that. It's a long playoff series. In our previous series other guys have struggled, even for multiple games, and they've been able to bounce back. But the most important thing is we are giving ourselves a chance at the end in a possession game. And there were possessions on both sides of the court. Handle them better one way or another, it's a different outcome. That's the same story for both teams.
What is there 41 ties, 39 lead changes. We both have won the same amount of quarters and we both have tied three quarters. This is going down to the stretch, and so while a lot of storylines will be written, it still comes down to the very end, who is able to get the last punch in. They did last night, two nights ago we were able to do it.

Q. Dwyane has been so good in the fourth quarter and throughout all these games. Is some of his dominance of the ball hurting LeBron because he's used to being the main guy?
COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA: No, we've gone through that process. I think that will be overanalyzed, which is fine. I think the storylines are normal. I don't think it's anything out of what would be necessary after games like that.
But we know how to play effective and efficient with both guys, where both guys can be aggressive and utilize different strengths of our offense. And that's what we plan to do tomorrow.

Q. When you say he doesn't need to overthink things, what are you referring to?
COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA: I'm sure a lot of people will have opinions about this or that or what he needs to do differently. He's a great player. A two-time MVP. He knows how to impact the game. And sometimes this happens. It doesn't always go your way. What I like about it is seeing how individuals respond and also how we respond tomorrow.
THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Coach.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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