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NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: THUNDER v SPURSMay 29, 2012Scott BrooksSAN ANTONIO, TEXAS: Game Two San Antonio – 120 COACH BROOKS: I like the way our guys fought and cut it to six, cut it to seven a few times. We just couldn't get over the hump. We dug ourselves a deep hole. But they did a great job of breaking us down and scoring. They made a lot of shots tonight. They made 11 threes, they probably made 10 or 11 tough twos, which they're not historically a team that makes those shots or three at paint point. Our guys played hard. Unfortunately we came away with nothing the last few days. But they did a good job holding serve. That's our job to go home and worry about Game 3. That's all we're focused on is one game, and taking care of Game 3. Q. Were you pleased with the mental approach and the effort your guys had in the third quarter? Do you think moving forward, what do you need to see now going home as far as how these guys handle 0‑2, how they respond to it on their mental side as much as the execution? COACH BROOKS: Well, they were making shots. I mean, they were spraying them all over the floor and knocking them in. I thought Leonard was making the shots, Ginobili made a lot of tough shots tonight. Parker was on fire. He made four tough twos, which we call anything that's contested, it's outside the paint. He made four of them in the first half, so those are the shots that you have to live with. Those are on me. Those are the things that we're given. I like their guys' mental toughness. It's one of the things we're good at. We are young, but that's not an excuse. We play hard. I knew we were going to keep playing for 48 minutes. We got down 22 points. That's not good. But we still came back and fought. Q. How big was the way Russ and James continued to attack to get back into the game there? COACH BROOKS: That's good. That's one of the things that we're good at. We have to get to the free‑throw line. We attack and get to the free‑throw line. James did a good job of getting to the free‑throw line. He didn't attack better tonight than last game. He just attacked and got to the line. We led the league in free throw attempts for a reason. We spread the floor, attacked the basket and did a good job. Q. Coach, it seemed like you forced a lot of perimeter shots in the fourth quarter. Did you do a better job closing on the faint this game? COACH BROOKS: We did a better job. But playing against the Spurs, you take away the paint and you give up something. They made 11 threes. They're a good team. That's what we have to figure it out. That was a couple years ago against the Lakers (No microphone). We lost our first two, and came back home and won two. We've had some history with it, but we've got to focus on winning Game 3, and that's our focus going into tomorrow's practice. Q. Coach, in simple terms, it seemed like when they were extending their lead, they could get any shot they wanted, it seemed. Was that a matter of their execution, your lack of effort or X's and O's? COACH BROOKS: No, that's what they do. They spread you out. They put some tough decisions on the floor that you have to guard their bigs rolling, and you've got to protect their 40% three‑point shooters and you've got to handle the ball and looks and attack. They're a good basketball team. They have great experience. They know how to play. They pass the ball well. Very rarely do they take one extra dribble. If a man is open, they pass. It's good basketball. We have to be able to do a better job of handling that and guarding that much better. But I thought our guys competed until the end. It's just tough to get down 22 on a good team at home. Q. You had several situations there late where you were under 10 and you stepped out of bounds or they'd get a 50‑50 ball or tapout. Those were crucial down the stretch, weren't they? COACH BROOKS: Yeah, we had two opportunities. We were down six. Fish had two opportunities to take a charge, and he got called from two blocks. He was there a little late, but those are the plays that we need to make. Then we have to make our free throws. We missed a couple of our free throws down on the end. When you're down by that many points against a good team, you need some good fortune. We need to make a three and a couple of stills in. We did that, but not enough. Q. You had two really bad quarters here in San Antonio. Do you walk away from here feeling like you had four really good ones or six really good ones? What exactly do you need to do? COACH BROOKS: We need to play better. That's one of the things. Our guys aren't into close games. We're about winning basketball games. We're not a team that's worried about getting better. We feel like we're good enough to win on anybody's floor, and we didn't do that the last two games. Nothing to cry about. They beat us fair and square. Now we have an opportunity to take care of Game 3. We do that, and we're back in business. Q. What exactly do you have to do? COACH BROOKS: We have to play better. We have to do everything better. From guarding the pick‑and‑rolls, from closing out, to making the extra pass, setting good screens, it's a variety of things that we have to play better. When you're playing against the best team in basketball, you have to do a lot of things well to beat them. But we have enough in our locker room to do that. We just have to do it. Q. Considering your comments before the game about intentional fouling, I guess there is a first time for everything. After the fouling, at the end of the third quarter, I don't know if y'all were closer than you were before it all started. But did it at least give you all a breather from what was going on? COACH BROOKS: Well, it changed the tempo a little bit. I mean, they were fast tonight. That ball was just all over the floor with quick passes, passes that were right in their shooting pockets, and it kind of threw their rhythm out a little bit. I mean, he stepped up and made six of them. He did better than his playoff percentage. But if on occasion, we have an opportunity to do it again, we will. Q. Last year you played against a Mavericks team that was really moving the ball well. Is this first team a step above them or are they even tougher to guard with the way they move the ball? COACH BROOKS: Both are great teams. Dallas was one of the best passing teams in basketball last year. San Antonio probably is this year. But they're both very difficult. They both present so many unique problems. That's what makes you a championship level team. And they're good. They do everything well. Q. When Tony is controlling the game like that and making those tough shots, what are your options? Where do you go? COACH BROOKS: Well, I think we did a better job in that middle of the third and going into the fourth of just really putting more heat on them, on the ball. Making it very difficult for him to see those gaps and see those passes. Everybody that knows how we play, it's always about five‑man defense. It's not just about one guy guarding one guy. In a pick‑and‑roll, you need all five guys engaged. We need to do that consistently for 48 minutes with 85 pick‑and‑rolls we'll see in Game 3. If we do that, we give ourselves a better chance to win. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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