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NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: PACERS v HEATJune 1, 2013Frank VogelINDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA: Game Six Miami Heat77 Q. Frank, what was your message to your team at halftime? All of a sudden you're down one in the final 55 seconds. What did you say to them to get them to have that third quarter that you had? COACH FRANK VOGEL: I felt like we were outplaying them, but we were just leaving a lot of plays out there. We just had to complete those plays and continue the things that were working for us. We believe in our defensive plan. We have to limit our turnovers and we have to finish at the rim. And we do those things and we can take control of the game. We knew in Game 5 they came out and seized control of the game in the third quarter. And I felt like we could do the same. Q. Did it feel like it was just Game 5 all over again? It was like the exact same things. Missed opportunities, turnovers and stuff. What does it say about your team to be able to respond and get that run in the third quarter? COACH FRANK VOGEL: I wrote on the board I think before Game 4, I wrote "Be encouraged." Because there's a lot to be encouraged about in terms of this match‑up in this series. That's what my message was to our guys. It wasn't so much about getting on them for leaving plays out there. It was, look guys, we're not even playing our best, and it's a one‑point game. So just tighten the screws and do what we do, and we'll be tough to beat. Q. Coach, you got 36 minutes, 11 points and 14 rebounds out of a guy that had 100‑plus temperature before tip. What does that say about the leadership and the character of your team? COACH FRANK VOGEL: It's all heart. That guy is all heart. And it's contagious. I don't really have the words for it, to be honest for you. His tank was on E from the time he came into this building this morning. Tried to get the fluids and everything going, so he could feel better tonight. It was evident once he got out there that he didn't have anything in the tank. But he was just competing and giving all he had, and he was rebounding the basketball, even if he wasn't making shots. I told him I got to get him out in the second quarter, near the end of the second quarter. I said, "I gotta get you out. You have nothing tonight." He said, "No, leave me in. I'm all right. I'm good." So we stayed with it. We wanted to get him a little more rest in the third quarter, but he looked like he came to life. So we left him in there. Q. Frank, how do you explain the first half? It seemed like for much of it you guys were pretty casual. Guys were trying to dunk the ball and they really didn't have it. It was a half that we really haven't seen in this series yet. COACH FRANK VOGEL: I don't think there was anything casual to our game at all tonight. We missed some plays at the rim, but we missed them by being too aggressive, not too casual, I think. Q. Frank, for a week and a half you've talked about needing to win a game in Miami. What do you think it's going to take at this point to win a Game 7 in Miami? COACH FRANK VOGEL: Just execution. Execution and making more winning plays than them. We have great respect for their culture, their togetherness, their teamwork, their ability to win the plays at the rim, their ability to win loose ball battles, their ability to just reach that level of greatness. So didn't play our best basketball game tonight and we were able to get a win. We're going to have to play our best basketball to get a win down there in Game 7. Q. In the third quarter, you just talked about David. David with an offensive rebound and got the ball to Roy for a nine‑point lead. The next offensive play for your team was Roy taking it down the lane on the right side, giving you your first double‑digit lead. Talk about that play or the strength of Roy. COACH FRANK VOGEL: Roy Hibbert is making extraordinary plays in the pocket. Poise in the pocket, we call it. He's getting the paint catches and he's just having great poise, great reads. He's not plowing over guys. He had a charge in Game 5. But has been under control, and when the help comes, he either finishes over them or he makes the extra pass. All our guys are making the extra pass in the paint. David, like you just alluded to, made one to Roy. That's the best way to finish, is to make the extra pass. But Roy is playing the best basketball of his career right now. He's leading us, and he's a big reason why we are where we are. Q. You guys had more transition points and you turned them over a lot more. I think they average like seven a game in this series. What specifically were you doing to make that happen? COACH FRANK VOGEL: We changed our approach defensively just to be more aggressive and basically bring more ball pressure. We're not satisfied turning them over. Only five turnovers, then six turnovers, then‑‑ excuse me, was it five, then six, then ten in the previous three games, and that's not good enough. That's not going to beat the defending champions. So we have to bring more defensive pressure. I think it still can improve. But we did bring more tonight than we had in prior games. Q. You're up 17, they get the lead down to 4. How big was Paul's three‑pointer on that left wing? COACH FRANK VOGEL: Boy, these guys made some big shots in the fourth quarter. When the champs are making a run at you like they are, and we're executing well, but you need somebody that can break down the defense on his own late in the clock. And Paul was able to do that. I think George was able to do that. We had a couple of big‑time plays. David West was able to do it. So that was a big shot by Paul. Q. Coach, you got 16 points from George Hill and 12 rebounds from Lance Stephenson. It's been feast and famine with your guards in the series. Are you seeing what's causing that to be that erratic? COACH FRANK VOGEL: Not really. I mean, everybody has a bad night. They just happened to have a bad night collectively, the two of them, the other night in Game 5. I think Lance is a young player. Plays better at home. He has to find a way to bring that magic while we're on the road. George has been pretty consistent throughout the season. I chalk that up as just having a bad night the other night. Q. I know this is your first Game 7 as Pacers' coach. How many Game 7s have you been involved with as an assistant, as a video guy, whatever? COACH FRANK VOGEL: I don't know. Maybe zero? I know I was a part of a Game 5 Philadelphia against Boston, the year after Allen Iverson's team won the championship. We came back to Boston and beat them handily. That might have been the only one. There might have been another one in there. Q. Frank, could you just elaborate on George's play a little bit more. It looks like he kind of gave you what you needed tonight when you needed it. Defensively, had a couple of big shots in the beginning of the second half. COACH FRANK VOGEL: He's a big shot‑maker. He's an underrated‑‑ probably the most underrated point‑guard defender in the game. So when he's out or not right, that's where we suffer the most, is on the defensive end. But he has a great ability to contain the basketball and use his length to challenge and be in the passing lanes. And then when he's aggressive with the basketball, trying to live in the paint, making the extra pass, with his ability to make shots, he just gives us a tremendous lift on the offensive end as well. Q. Coach, another question about Paul: He got a quick start last game, but then maybe a little bit slow. Tonight he lasted the whole game. What do you think made him different tonight? COACH FRANK VOGEL: He's learning from David West in terms of exhibiting his will. Just his will and determination to be care‑free about what his individual numbers look like, but just to do whatever it takes to win a basketball game. Whether that's take a charge or get a steal or block a shot or get a defensive rebound, make a big shot, to make extra passes. He's just one of the most complete players in the game, and just exhibited his will tonight. Q. Coach, your starting five has played almost 40‑plus minutes the entire series. What have you learned about that starting five that you didn't know going in that you know now going through the process? COACH FRANK VOGEL: Going into the series? Q. Yes, going into the series. COACH FRANK VOGEL: I learned a lot about them throughout the course of this year and the first couple of rounds in the playoffs, that they got a lot of guts. And they all five of them want to play 48 minutes. There's no part of them wants to sit; they want to play every minute. They want to contribute. They just want to fight. So there's a lot of fight to those guys, a lot of heart, a lot of guts. And some pretty good talent, too. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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