	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

NBA FINALS: HEAT v MAVERICKS

June 11, 2006

Pat Riley

DALLAS, TEXAS: Game Two

Q. You guys have been here nearly a week, you've gone a couple full days between games. Do you deviate the game plan or the game day routine much at all in a situation like, do you meet more, do you meet less, or do you try to keep some semblance of normalcy compared to the regular season?
COACH PAT RILEY: I think you try to keep a routine as much as you can, but after, you know, nine months of basketball and being around one another and hearing each other's voice, especially the players hearing mine, and being very, very repetitious with what it is you have to do, that sometimes change is good.
We didn't come over today. Didn't want to come over today. Didn't want to hit the court until tonight, you know. So when you're in the city in a week, you do want to change a few things, but we got a good hour and a half of walk-through and preparation and film today.

Q. You guys only had two players attempt free throws in Game 1, does that necessarily mean that you guys didn't attack the basket enough, and if so, is that going to be a point of emphasis for to you night? Is that a necessity?
COACH PAT RILEY: Oh, I think we should blame the officials, what the hell. (Laughter).

Q. Makes a good story.
COACH PAT RILEY: No, no, I don't want any fines. We have to be more aggressive, absolutely. (Laughing).
And we talked about that. You know, we led the league or we were one of the top teams in the league at free throw attempts this season, and usually getting around 30 a game. When we're going to the basket and attacking the basket and getting out in the open court, then we'll get our attempts. But we did not the other night.

Q. I don't mean to age you here, Pat, but as someone who has been in the league longer than the Mavericks, can you give me your insight into their journey here, 26-year journey to the Finals?
COACH PAT RILEY: You mean my botox isn't working, my lines? (Laughter) about the mavericks in 26 years?
It's been long. I remember John McLeod and the great series that we had back in the '80s, a seven-game series. They had a number of teams that have been successful. I remember the years when they had probably one of the best offenses in the NBA.
And then they went through a period of time where I think a lot of franchises go through in change and culture, but over the last six years, the formula has been right. They have earned over the years the right to be where they are today because I think with what Mark has brought into the organization and the players, of course, with what Avery has done.
It happens, and when it happens, it's a great feeling. So they are very deserving of where they are today.

Q. It's taken Dwyane a while to shake this flu and he said he got tired at the end of Game 1; is that something you check in with him every day and how is he today?
COACH PAT RILEY: We just keep loading him up with B-12, I don't know if that's on the banned list or not, but we do. We're very conscious of it. We try to give him as much fluid as we can give him and get a lot of rest.
I think somewhere, he'll finally shake it. I hope tonight he feels stronger. But it does sap his energy, but that's not an excuse. But we've been monitoring as close as we can.

Q. Over these last six weeks, I've heard you say a lot of mea culpas of sorts from your time in L.A. to not drafting certain guys at times, is there anything we should be reading into all this?
COACH PAT RILEY: Not at all. Mea Culpas (speaking in Latin) -- if I say five Hail Mary's an hour, also, that's the way it goes.

Q. When you were in L.A., you said you were arrogant or selfish or whatever and now --
COACH PAT RILEY: I was ambitious. I was an ambitious young man. I read some of your columns and I know how ambitious you guys are or whatever your editors are making you write.
No, you change over the years and thank God I have. I think I'm a much better person today than I was back in the '80s, I think. That's my personal opinion.

Q. When you bring in Zo, they bring in Keith Van Horn, does that marginalize Zo and can you combat that in any way?
COACH PAT RILEY: We talked about the small lineup. It's not only just Van Horn and Nowitzki, it's when they go to Howard and Stackhouse, that's the real speed line, when they go with Harris and Terry. They didn't get to it that much the other night. I think Van Horn only played four or five minutes.
But, it will, it could create a problem for us. But I can't let it really take away from what Zo and what Shaquille mean to us. So I'm not going to just run away from it. If they show it to us, we have to be very conscious of that lineup, what we run on offense more than anything else and controlling tempo.

Q. Yesterday Antoine Walker was saying something about -- he seemed insulted about being considered part of a so-called supporting cast. Is that an insult to players to be termed that way?
COACH PAT RILEY: Well, he's always been a starter. The guy is 20 points and nine rebounds in nine years in his career.
I think it's thrown out there a little bit, instead of, you know, the team -- we look at ourselves as, you know, 15 strong; one team, guys start, guys come off the bench. He played 42 minutes the other night. That's a personal thing on his part. We've never had any discussion over it.
But I think when a player hears that over and over and over again, then maybe they could take it personal.

Q. Just to follow-up on the Dwyane question from a couple of minutes ago, was that any factor in the decision not to come over this morning, just to give him a little more time off his feet or whatever?
COACH PAT RILEY: Not really. I made the decision yesterday. We've been over here every day. We've been on that court enough.
You know, making the trip -- I know this; that if we had come over here, I probably would have worked him for two hours. So I think it would be best just to have a good walk-through, and we had a good practice yesterday and the day before. So it was enough.

Q. The Mavericks have been able to play eight, nine, ten games at times; how unique is that in today's game to have that deep of a team; and with your situation with Wade, they are able to keep five bodies on him, how much of a factor is that?
COACH PAT RILEY: That's what Avery has done. He's got a long -- at least ten deep. He's been using I think throughout the course of the season, even when Van Horn was hurt. So he's got a plan and he's going to run a lot of guys at Shaquille and he's going to run a lot of guys at Dwyane. I have to be a little bit more conscious about the rest that we give our guys. We might have to go a little bit deeper but it's not because of them playing nine or ten guys. We have to take care of Jason Terry and Dirk Nowitzki and Jerry Stackhouse, players like that, Josh Howard, to make sure they are not getting off. But he has used his bench extremely well in the playoffs.

End of FastScripts...

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297