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NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: HEAT v PACERSMay 23, 2014Erik SpoelstraMIAMI, FLORIDA: Practice Day Q. Erik, you spoke yesterday about home court advantage and that you just can't rely on that. It has to be more than just being at home. What is this building‑‑ you're 5‑0 in the playoffs. What has it done for you so far, and how important is it for you overall? COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA: I don't know. I'm not really thinking about that. It's just what we need to do to take care of the ball. I don't know if the home court really matters right now in the playoffs. It's more about your collective disposition, and you're imposing that identity on the other team. I think either team could win home or away. So we're not coming into this thinking that we're‑‑ because of home, that we have an advantage. We have to play well. Q. There's nothing you can do about it, but the rhythm of the three days, was that much of a problem for you? COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA: I don't think so. It wasn't a week off. We were able to get after it today. Yesterday was a good day of practice. Also not overloaded, but hopefully enough to stay put. Q. Erik, you said by the end of the week, you'd have a better read on Greg Oden. Can you tell us where he stands and where that situation is right now? COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA: We'll find out tomorrow. Q. Might that translate into something rotation‑wise? COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA: Sure, we'll see. Q. What's your evaluation of how you guys have defended Hibbert so far? COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA: He's had some good minutes and good possessions. He presents a big challenge, figuratively and literally for us. You have to meet him early. It's not just on his post‑ups. It's the end of offense, where they dump it down into him. You have to be ready for those dunk‑ins and the offensive rebounds and the second chance opportunities. You just have to try to wear on him as much as possible. Q. In what sense, if any, do you have to prepare for George being there versus not being there? COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA: You have to prepare that he'll be there, and if he's not, then we'll deal with that. What we've talked about is planning on meeting their best. They'll be most urgent and most likely bringing their best game, and we have to be able to respond to that on the defensive end. Q. [No microphone]. COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA: That's our normal operating procedure. Just try not to get too high or too low. I know they say that. It's not all negative, our film sessions. I know they probably think that, particularly after wins, but it's objective, areas we think we can do better and improve. Hopefully, as the series goes on, we've taken pride that we've been able to get better as the series goes on. It's still very early on. Like I said, we're going to face likely Indiana's best tomorrow, and we have to be able to respond to that. Q. Why do you think you get better as the series goes on? COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA: I don't know. You just have to try to figure out an opponent in a seven‑game series. It's a long series. If you're honest what things you can do better against great competition, hopefully, it brings out something better in you. Q. What is it about this matchup against the Pacers that suits Chris Andersen? The past two years, he's played exceptionally well in the Eastern Conference Finals. COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA: I don't know. All I know is we need him. We need our bigs in this series. We need our bigs to do big muscle things, and he does. Big muscle, physical games is right in his comfort zone, and that's needed for us. Q. Any reason to think you'd ever put Bird in the starting lineup? Any reason not to? COACH ERIK SPOELSTRA: We like the role that he's in. What we talked about, no matter who we have in, what the rotation is, give us positive minutes on the court. Focus in and give our team a positive. Even lineups. The couple of those lineups where Shane was in, it's not big minutes, but he had a great impact on the game, and that's so important when you get in a playoff series and it's possession by possession. Whatever your minutes are, try to make it a positive on the scoreboard. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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