NBA ALL-STAR WEEKEND

February 10, 2001

Ray Allen

Peja Stojakovic

PEJA STOJAKOVIC: It was great. It was a team effort. I shot really good. Ruthie shot really good in the first round, she really carried me to the Finals, and we got lucky in the Finals, you know, it's a great thing. I was just out having fun on the All-Star and earning some money, too.

RAY ALLEN: I thought about it when I walked out there, because after Peja finished shooting 17, it's tough, I remember in the second round I shot a 12, and he went over Vlade (Divac) and Chris (Webber) and I had to shake the haters off for a minute because they were wearing me down. I know he's a great shooter. A lot of people don't realize we came in in the same class, '96 and there will be many more of these shootouts to come.

RAY ALLEN: During the course of a game, you sneak a few 3s in. You're wide open sometimes in transition and you make a 3. Out here on the court you are expected to make 3s and you have to run and get there and you have to get the ball up fast. We are professionals at doing that and we are some of the best in the League and we do it every day in practice. Out there it is a little more nervewracking because you have a capacity arena out there cheering you on and cheering against you, and you have to make shots and the pressure is there. I was nervous the whole time, I'm not going to lie.

RAY ALLEN: That's an advantage, that's what it was.

PEJA STOJAKOVIC: In the beginning I was nervous in the 2ball combination, but then after I won, I was sure I'm going to shoot the ball well. But Ray did a really good job, especially during the final round. It was tough to beat him.

RAY ALLEN: I was nervous, like I said. So trying to get a rhythm, going from the first rack to the second rack, the transition was tough for me because I was trying to figure out, should I go behind the rack or in front of it. Both times, I ran to rack. The only disappointment after reeling all of those in a row was I missed the last one, and I wanted to make that one.

RAY ALLEN: It's fantastic. I was remembering (Jeff) Hornacek last year and I was so close last year. I had a bad second round and Horny had won it for two years so I knew it was going to take more focus on me. I remember last year I was messing around a little bit before I started. When they started the whistle, I was talking to some of the guys behind me and I knew when I came into it this time, I had to be more focused, and I did that.

PEJA STOJAKOVIC: It is a great thing, after having, you know, good years with the team and having a lot of representatives from our team. It's good to come here and have a lot of fun and meet other guys. I don't have an opportunity to meet them the rest of the year. This is a good thing, being here around those good players. I've met a lot of international people. It's an unbelievable experience for me.