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NBA FINALS: SPURS v HEATJune 6, 2013Tony ParkerMIAMI, FLORIDA: Game One San Antonio Spurs - 92 Q.  Tony, the unbelievable shot there in the fourth, take us through the sequence. Erik Spoelstra just said it looked like a 26‑second possession. What did it feel like for you? TONY PARKER: It felt forever, too. It was a crazy play. I thought I lost the ball three or four times. And it didn't work out like I wanted it to. At the end I was just trying to get a shot up. It felt good when it left my hand. I was happy it went in. Q. Tony, how much did you anticipate eventually LeBron switching over to you? And just talk about how you mentally handled that and whatever adjustments they might make after that. TONY PARKER: Yeah, I knew he was coming. Obviously a lot of NBA teams they put bigger guys on me. So I just have to keep playing my game and trust my teammates. The whole game they were trapping me, trapping pick‑and‑rolls. So I was just trying to be patient. Talked a lot with Pop before the game and watched film, and make sure I don't try to force anything. I think the key for me in this series is be patient and choose my moments when to be aggressive. In the fourth quarter I tried to be more aggressive, obviously, because it's money time. If LeBron is on me, I just have to try to keep playing the same way, pick‑and‑rolls. I have to trust everybody. We're a team. We play as a team. And everybody has to contribute. Q. They shot the ball really well in the first half. Did you guys feel like you had to hang in there until your defense started to play better? TONY PARKER: Actually, we were happy at halftime. We were only down three and not playing well. They shot the ball very well. We made some mental mistakes. We left Ray Allen open too many times. We just was happy, because we knew we would be a little rusty. We didn't play for ten days. We missed a lot of shots in the first half. We were just trying to hang. In the third quarter the same thing. In the fourth quarter we finally made some stops and made a couple of big shots. Q. What adjustments did the Spurs make to eventually seal the game in the fourth quarter? TONY PARKER: We didn't really make adjustments. Obviously LeBron is an unbelievable player, and Dwyane Wade is unbelievable. So we just tried to contain them, and tried to pack the paint, and tried to force them to take outside shots. Q. Tony, what did you think of the job that Kawhi did on LeBron? Obviously it's a group effort that you guys are throwing at him. To see him‑‑ TONY PARKER: I was going to say that. It's going to take the whole team. Obviously Kawhi is going to try to do his best. You're not going to stop him. He's the best player in the NBA, he's going to do his thing. You just try to contain him and try to make him take outside shots, and at the same time you want to control the other guys, because they have great shooters. So we just have to try to do our best. Q. Tony, at any point in the fourth quarter did you think the Heat were being tentative offensively? Was that something they were doing or something you guys were taking away, the way you guys played D the last seven or eight minutes? TONY PARKER: I didn't feel that. Miami is the defending champs. We know they're going to come back very strong in Game 2. We got a little bit lucky in Game 1. Sometimes that's what it takes in games. The details, a couple of possessions. So we just have to stay focused. We know we have a long, long way to go. We know they're going to come back strong in Game 2. Q. Tony, just how do you feel about people writing you guys off over the years, saying you're too old and what have you? And you guys come out today like it's 2007 all over again with the championship pedigree you have? TONY PARKER: We just try to stay focused and keep believing in what we do. And I think it starts with Peter Holt sticking with the Big Three and Coach Pop believing in us and just try to improve the role players and the guys around us. You have to give a lot of credit to Peter and Coach Pop and R.C. to make some good trades. When they trade George Hill for Kawhi, and finding Danny Green and all those little stuff, helping us to get back to this point to The Finals. Q. Tony, this is a two questions in the same sentence. How much does Norris Cole and Mario Chalmers affect your game during any situation between the victory tonight? And second of all, how much do you have to do to be considered the best point guard in the NBA? TONY PARKER: I think Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole are two of the best defenders at the point guard position in the NBA. They are very aggressive and they make it difficult. As the point guard rankings, I don't really care about that. I just want to win a championship. Q. Tony, in the fourth quarter they only scored seven points in the first eight minutes. And then Erik Spoelstra took out both of his point guards, Cole and Chalmers both on the bench. How much do you think your play dictates their adjustments in a close game like that when they're struggling? TONY PARKER: You know, every series is adjustments. They are going to make changes. I don't know what is their strategies. Maybe he wanted more shooting with Ray Allen. He was playing pretty well against us. So I think for me I just try to do my best and try to create for myself or for my teammates. And whoever they put on me, I just have to keep playing the same way and be patient. I think for me it's the big key in the series is be patient. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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