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NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: GRIZZLIES v SPURSMay 27, 2013Tony ParkerMEMPHIS, TENNESSEE: Game Four San Antonio – 93 Q. You had said earlier in the season you wanted to get back there for Tim most notably. Just talk about that and accomplishing that feat. TONY PARKER: It's a great feeling. Since last year, I promised to him that we will go back, go back to The Finals and get an opportunity to win the whole thing and I'm trying to do my best, trying to be aggressive every night, and I think everybody on the team, we really wanted to do it for him. We win the West, and it's one more step. This is the hardest one, and we don't know who we're going to play yet, but we know it's going to be tough, but right now let's enjoy it and we'll focus on who we're playing later. Q. You were like 25 for 26 the second half. Talk about the confidence you had when you kept making plays. TONY PARKER: Well, my teammates, they're doing a great job getting me free, setting great picks and playing with a lot of confidence. Pop is challenging me every year to get better, and I just try to get better every year. This game I felt good with my shot. My teammates were doing a good job to get me open, and I kept knocking them down. Q. How is the eye? TONY PARKER: It's okay. Q. Did you take a shot? TONY PARKER: It's okay. It happens. It's a very physical series, and I know Marc didn't do it on purpose. Q. Attacking Memphis in the paint you guys got so many easy lay‑ups and kind of dominated them in the paint. What was working so well that allowed you guys to attack that way? TONY PARKER: Well, I think our ball movement. The first two games we moved the ball very well, knocked down a lot of threes, and I think it opened it up for Game 3 and 4. They didn't come as much, they were not committing as much on me when I was penetrating because they were scared that I would hit the shooters, so I think Game 1 and Game 2 definitely opened it for everything else. After Game 2 I got a lot of assists so I knew they were not going to help as much, so I was just being aggressive and just trying to take what the defense gave me. Q. Just talk about the feat of getting back after you've been gone for so long. TONY PARKER: Yeah, it's an unbelievable feeling. It's really hard to go to The Finals, to win a championship, and for me personally, I was 21 when I won my first one, and you think it's easy and you're going to go back every year. In 2007 we won our third one in five years, and you think it's going to keep coming, and I'm 25, and six years goes by, and every year it gets tougher and tougher. Every team wants to beat you, and that's why it makes it even more special to go back after all those years playing at a high level with the same coach, with the same big three but changing a couple of pieces, huge pieces like Kawhi and Danny Green playing great basketball, Matt Bonner, Tiago Splitter, and I think it makes it even more special. If we go all the way it'll definitely be my favorite because it gets harder and harder. Q. The last time your team was in The Finals you ended up being The Finals MVP. How do you think you have changed, your game has changed in those six years? TONY PARKER: Well, I think I'm improving every year. I try to improve in every aspect of the game, try to be good defensively, offensively be the engine for the team, try to be a better passer, a better shooter, a better free throw shooter and a better clutch performer in the fourth quarter. It's an honor to be the guy for a franchise like the Spurs and you've got Timmy and Manu and all my teammates, they're counting on me and Pop shows so much confidence that it makes me want to play great, and that's why my teammates, they push me to get better. Q. What does this layoff do for you before The Finals? TONY PARKER: It's great. Obviously for our team, the way we played Memphis, it was very physical. I know our bigs, they have a lot of bruises, so it's going to be great to rest. I know Timmy and Manu, they're going to love the rest, and we're going to regenerate and get ready for whoever we're going to play. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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