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NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: PACERS v HEATJune 1, 2013Paul GeorgeRoy HibbertINDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA: Game Six Miami Heat - 77 Q. Fellas, you guys exploded in the third quarter, came right out of the break, jumped all over them. Talk to us about how that happened and what you were able to do to maintain it. ROY HIBBERT: I think we had a couple of bad possessions towards the beginning of the third, but we rallied. Our defense really got stops for us, and we were able to get out in transition. Paul hit big shots when we needed it. He found me rolling off the pick‑and‑rolls. So I think we just did a tremendous effort of recognizing ‑‑ last game our third quarter was really what let us down. We tried to take advantage of that and come out aggressive. Q. For both of you guys: There was a moment Coach Vogel said he was going to pull David West out, and he declined. He made big plays down the stretch. Talk about how big he played and how many plays he made down the stretch for you guys. PAUL GEORGE: David West understands what's at stake. You can tell at times he wasn't fully there. He was trying to fight through and give it his all. We very grateful to have a player like that. That's just David West stepping up to the challenge. And we still went to him, because we know David West, we'll take David West any day. Sick or healthy. He just gave us his all. Made some huge plays for us. The shots he knocked down really was in the clutch moments. And we needed those. That's just the kind of player David West is. Q. Roy, that third quarter, back to David, if you would, please, an outstanding ballgame. About seven minutes to go, an offensive rebound, he gets the ball to you, Roy, for a field goal. And then in the fourth quarter, back to David, also, how he came up with that loose ball there in the lane for a field goal, also. Just your comments. ROY HIBBERT: I mean, he's in the thick of it. Myself and David, we throw ourselves in the fray, in the paint. And we like to muck it up. He's at the right place at the right time. He's a distributor. He's our closer. And he played extremely well under the conditions that he was in. He gave it his all. Paul and myself, we just wanted to make sure we got this win for him as well. We didn't want this to be our last game. Q. Guys, in the third quarter of Game 5, Miami's defense did a fantastic job of taking away all of your options. How much of your improvement in this game was adjustments to what you were doing and how much was just execution? PAUL GEORGE: I think it was a little bit of both. We executed well. No, but really, what separated was us being able to get in transition and trying to strike early against Miami, because their half‑court defense is tough. But still, we found opportunities to strike early. And we really executed. We were finding guys in the pick‑and‑roll and having Roy or David West make plays out of that. Q. For both you guys: A key moment is when LeBron's called for a charge into Roy. He basically takes off down the floor. What's going through your mind when you see LeBron running the other way and getting T'ed up? ROY HIBBERT: I was on the floor to tell you the truth, so I didn't know what was going on. I had to ask Paul. That play right there, I tell Paul, I have his back all the time. If he gets beat, LeBron has a large launching pad, I don't block a lot of shots all the time, but I try to alter it as much as possible and not to give up any easy plays. Because the momentum could have shifted right there if he got an easy dunk. There was what‑‑ was it Game 3 here? I really felt that I let Paul down in terms of having his back when LeBron was scoring in the post or getting to the paint, because they stretched me out so much. But I wanted to be there for him. He's the future. I mean, I think he has a chance to be MVP of this league next year. Every guard needs to have a big guy to have his back. So I'm that guy. PAUL GEORGE: It was just Roy making a huge play. He's one of the, if not the best, defensive big in this league. And I'm glad he's being able to highlight that this series. I think if the voting‑‑ if they continue to vote who is going to be Defensive Player of the Year, he would have gotten the award. But that's just him making a huge play at the rim. And then the refs calling the tech or whatnot, I didn't really know what was going on. I was just proud of the play that Roy made at the rim. Q. Again for both of you guys: They go from down 17 to just 4. What are the emotions as that's happening and the way you guys are playing? And what's the process for pulling out of that? PAUL GEORGE: We knew they were going to make a run. This team, they're deadly offensively. They can really put points up. That's just us staying together, being poised, and just rallying‑‑ you know that effort they made. Again, Lance made some big plays offensively on the boards to get us some extra possessions. We shared the ball. We just made huge plays when we really needed to. It was just a credit to our guys playing our hearts out tonight. Q. For both you guys: George Hill really struggled on Thursday night. And it just seems like in this series and in the playoffs in general you go as he goes. How important is he to your bottom line and to winning and losing? ROY HIBBERT: Tell you the truth, I'm not really worried about George. He had an off‑night. He's a true veteran. He plays beyond his years. He learned through Coach Popovich in a great system. He bounces back, he takes pride in himself in offense and defense and he plays both ends of the floor. He recognizes that. I don't think Paul talked to him about stepping up. I didn't talk to him, because we knew he was going to bring it. He knows what's on the line. He's a tremendous player, and he played really well for us. He got a lot of loose balls out there and he made a lot of plays. Q. Roy, you finished only 10th in (Defensive) Player of the Year voting. Why do you think that's possible when you alter so many shots? ROY HIBBERT: You know what, because y'all motherf*****s don't watch us play throughout the year, to tell you the truth. That's fine. I'm going to be real with you. And I don't care if I get fined. You know what, we play, we're not on TV all the time. Reporters are the ones that are voting. And it is what it is. If I don't make it, that's fine. I'm still going to do what I have to do. PAUL GEORGE: Well said. THE MODERATOR: Thanks, guys. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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