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NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: CELTICS v HEATMay 28, 2012Doc RiversMIAMI, FLORIDA: Game One Q.  Just in general, just health update. Just to make sure nothing has changed since this morning. COACH DOC RIVERS: No, everybody is good. It's a neat question there. Q. You never know. COACH DOC RIVERS: That is true. That is true. Q. Coach, obviously it's going to be a very physical series. What do you expect from this? COACH DOC RIVERS: Physical series. Yeah, I mean, I don't know how physical games are anymore, honestly. But listen, they're going to try to impose their will on the way they play, and we're going to try to impose ours. And I think it will be game to game. I don't think‑‑ I think that's just the way it's going to go. Q. Doc, when you look at the Miami Heat team, in the front court, are there areas you look to exploit? Because obviously without Bosh, they are not going to be as whole up front. COACH DOC RIVERS: Listen, we were going to‑‑ if Bosh played or didn't play, I don't think it's going to change the way we play, you know what I'm saying? We're going to go to Kevin. We're going to go to him if Bosh played, we're going to go to him if Bosh didn't play. And that's not going to change. What may change is the way they try to defend it because there's no Bosh. So we have to be prepared for that. I'm sure they're going to front a lot. And that's what they've done throughout the series, throughout all the other series they've played. Every team has tried to do that with Kevin anyways, so I don't think that's much of a change for us. Q. Doc, so much always gets made of Game 1s. You've been through so many of them. Does the approach really change at all? COACH DOC RIVERS: Yeah‑‑ Q. You make adjustments, things like that as the series goes on. Does Game 1 have a different feel to them? COACH DOC RIVERS: Yeah, they do. Because it's new blood, new meat. That's the way we look at it. You know, so it has that. As a coach, I think you're looking at what's different than the regular season with them. You try to identify that as quickly as possible if you can. And then you see it, and then it's all over with, as far as that part. But they are different. They're exciting in a lot of ways. I think you're always happy to get to them, because that means you've advanced and you've seen a new team. Q. Doc, with Brandon and just the way he's played the last couple of games, going against a guy who's a little smaller in Shane Battier, do you look for him to be more active around the basket, as opposed to that mid‑range game? COACH DOC RIVERS: No, I mean, he's going to be in different spots. And obviously we really need him to make the 15‑foot jumpshot, I think it is very important for Rondo and Kevin and Paul, really, all three. We're going to post him up some, but not much. That's not what he loves to do. That's not what he is. So we're not going to turn him into something that he's not. We're going to try to keep him in his comfort zone, especially on the road for him. Q. Doc, you know them, they know you. When you get to this point, is it just a matter of just executing, and eliminating turnovers, or is there more to it? COACH DOC RIVERS: Yeah, I mean, it's basically that. Composure, mental toughness, playing through tough stretches. I think both teams will go through that, and how you handle that is extremely important. And then everybody is just doing their job. I think the bigger the games, the more people try to do more, and that usually hurts you. Just do what you do, stay within that, and then you're pretty good. Q. Doc, it's your fifth season obviously with the big three. Was this the toughest, given all the circumstances, to coach to get here? COACH DOC RIVERS: Yeah, yeah, clearly. Listen, we've had a lot of stuff thrown at us this year, starting with Jeff Green, who was at Game 7 in the locker room the other night, which was great. And then Chris Wilcox and Avery. We've got a lot of stuff. Paul starts the season not right. Kevin not right to start the season. But the key for them‑‑ it's not more me, I really thought Paul, Kevin, Ray, Rondo, they never didn't think they would be here. I think it was‑‑ it would have been easy for them to think that, especially at All‑Star Break. Nothing was going right for us. So this was a grind, pull‑teeth season in a lot of ways. But it's been an enjoyable one in the same way. Q. Physically, Coach, how are your players doing? Because a lot has been made if they're ready or not. They only had one day of rest. COACH DOC RIVERS: You know, I told them, it's a regular‑season game, except for it's the playoffs. Really, that's what it is. We have one day off. It's not like we've not done this all year. And that's how‑‑ instead of thinking of it as far as not being ready and tired, think of it as that. You play seven games all the time and you come out and play well in them. And that's how we have to approach it. Q. Doc, there's a couple of plays during the season against Miami where you guys saved the ball out of bounds, threw it randomly, and there was a runout for Miami. Will you tell your guys not to hold onto the ball, just give it to them half court? COACH DOC RIVERS: Throw it in the stands. Q. Throw it in the stands? COACH DOC RIVERS: Yes. Listen, they're pretty athletic, all right. If you save the ball and throw it up in the air, the athlete is going to get the ball. So if that's the case, I would rather take the ball and go out of bounds with it. We just can't have any live‑ball action against them. They are the best. Wade by himself was the single best guy at the turnover. And then LeBron was the other one. And now they're playing together. So conventional wisdom says don't turn the ball over. Thanks, guys. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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