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NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: CELTICS v HEATJune 5, 2012Erik SpoelstraMIAMI, FLORIDA: Game Five Boston Celtics - 94 COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA: Okay. It's a loss, and that's all it is. And that's what our focus is right now, is to fight any kind of noise from the outside or any human condition, and to collectively come together strong to prepare for the next game. And this is what the playoffs are all about. It tests your collective character and your resolve. And this is the journey that we have to be on right now for whatever reason. It was a tough one to lose here at home, but it's over with. It has to be behind us right now. Our energies have to be ready for Thursday night. Q. Erik, you guys seemed to struggle at times in the half‑court offense. Was there a particular reason? Was it their defense? Why did you guys look disjointed when you got into the half court? COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA: A little bit of both. Come on, was either team in a great rhythm? Most of the rhythm shots came off of loose balls or transition both ways. They shot 40%, we shot 39. That's what will happen with two good defensive teams. We had moments where we were executing and able to get some looks; other moments where it's tough. And again, that's what playoff basketball is about, is about staying the course through all the highs and the lows, and finding a way to get it done at the end. We didn't tonight, but now we have an opportunity on Thursday. Q. Coach, you talk about fighting that human condition and fighting the outside noise, how do you do that? COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA: Well, it's probably like a boxer. You just got to go back to your corner right now. We all just have to huddle up and lean on each other. We're the only people we can depend on right now. All right. So that can be a very powerful thing. And that's all it is. At the end of the day, if you don't add the weight of it that will be out there outside, that's all it is, is a loss. All we have to do is focus on winning Game 6, and then all of a sudden, bang, that momentum changes again. Q. Erik, could you just talk about what you thought of Chris Bosh's game. And did you think about going back to him late in the game or maybe was he just a little bit too rusty for that situation? COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA: I did, andI didn't think it would necessarily be fair to him to throw him in with three minutes to go. But I thought he gave us good minutes. I think that's something we can build on. He felt good physically afterwards. That's a good sign. I didn't see a great deal of rust. I think his energy, everything, was good. I think he might be able to play a handful more minutes. So we'll have to see how the next 48 hours go. I was encouraged, no doubt about it. Q. How would you assess your team's character and collective resolve in this series? COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA: Well, we've shown some toughness and some character, and we'll have to show it now on Thursday. That's what this is all about, getting tested. That's individually and collectively. These are the moments where you can have breakthroughs. I think by the time we get on the plane‑‑ it will be normal tonight. Nobody feels great about it tonight. By the time we get on the plane tomorrow, we have a pretty tough‑minded group, we'll be ready and focused to get ready for Thursday night. Q. Erik, in terms of what the Celtics are doing defensively, switching defenses, can you talk about what it was that they did and whether it was successful in terms of throwing your guys off some in terms of every time they came down court not knowing what to expect? COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA: I think we had a pretty good idea. Their coverages in the man‑to‑man have been virtually the same the last three games, so that hasn't changed. They went to a little bit of zone in the second half. I think we probably had our best driving angles actually against the zone. Q. How would you describe the challenge that KG remains in this series? COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA: Oh, the challenge of defending him? Well, he's a great player. He's a proven player. And they have championship DNA. They have what we're trying to get. There's a great way to take a big step forward with a win on Thursday. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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