NBA FINALS: PISTONS v SPURS

June 17, 2005

Tim Duncan

TIM DUNCAN: What was the last thing?

TIM DUNCAN: Prevents me from what?

TIM DUNCAN: Yes, they are very different in what they do. They throw a lot of different bodies at you, and Ben and Rasheed and Dyess do so many different things. They have been effective, so yes, it does affect me. But at the same time, I believe I've gotten a lot of shots that on a regular basis I would knock down, I would make, and I hope to do that in the next game.

TIM DUNCAN: I played very poorly. I thought I was a lot more aggressive. I thought I made some good moves, just unable to finish, whether it be their defense or just missing some shots. I think it fueled a lot of what they were doing. Some situations where I missed shots and they run out off the rebounds, but that's all of us. So we have to continue to attack and get to the rim as much as possible and hope that we can draw some fouls.

TIM DUNCAN: I don't know. I don't know how to answer that question. Every defender brings a different challenge. I don't want to avoid your question. I just don't know how to answer that question.

TIM DUNCAN: What did we talk about? I honestly don't really remember what we talked about. It's all kind of a blur at that time. I think we're both frustrated at that time. We're both, I don't want to say we're looking for answers, but we're both just kinds of in a daze. I know I am. I know he's always focused on the game and if it is a situation like last night, he's focused on what we have to do for the next game. So either he's already starting to coach for the next game and trying to throw me whatever hints or things that he believes that either I have to do or we have to do as a team. But honestly, I couldn't tell you what he told me last night.

TIM DUNCAN: It's just frustrating. It's just frustrating, because especially in this time of the year and on this stage, I feel like those shots should be going down for me. I should be able to make those shots. But they don't, and they didn't go down, and the frustration is there, of course, and the frustration on a personal level, frustration for my teammates. But I look forward to the next game and I look forward to getting out there and having these two days to really get some shots up, get a little bit of practice in, and get back out on the floor for Game 5.

TIM DUNCAN: Absolutely. Yeah, that's where it begins.

TIM DUNCAN: I have to be a leader. I am the leader of this team. So it starts with me, and I understand that. But at the same time, a lot of people are going to take responsibility into this next game, and I think Tony is going to really step up and really increase his play and increase his pressure and try to make things happen that way. Manu is going to take his time. Bruce is going to continue to do what he's going to do. So people are going to step up, and I believe personally and I think everybody believes it, it starts with me and it starts with what I'm doing for them.

TIM DUNCAN: I think we just understand that he's going to get on us when it's right, and it's not an ongoing, all-the-time thing, and I think that style really wears on players and you lose a lot of respect for people when they do that. He does it at the right time. As you say, he'll pat you on the back at the right time and he'll kick you in the ass at the right time and he knows how to balance that. I believe it's the most effective way to do things.

TIM DUNCAN: Take your time. What they have done over the last two games is make us react to what they do. They have been aggressive defensively and they have got us back on our heels and they make us kind of counter what they are doing, instead of them countering what we're doing. So it's just about him taking his time. He's got all of the skills in the world, and it's about going out there and being effective on the level that he counters what they do. He makes them understand that if they are going to collapse and double- and triple-team him, he's going to make the pass that leads to a score, whatever it may be.