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NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: CELTICS v MAGIC

May 23, 2010

Paul Pierce

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS: Practice Day

PAUL PIERCE: Just practicing every day. Run our normal sets, end up on the right side of the court.

Q. Normally guys who are right-handed work off of the left side because they're coming in from that side.
PAUL PIERCE: That was the first half of my career. I really liked to go out the left and dribble. Pull up shots from the left, go to the rim left. As I got older, I got more right-handed. I always said I had another right hand early in my career. I do a lot of things on the right side of the court, as my game evolved.

Q. How much does it have to do with personnel, shooting the ball, and the other pieces that you have in terms of balance?
PAUL PIERCE: It has a lot to do with it. It makes great balance because KG likes the ball on the left block. Usually when they trap, the left side of the court is going to be open and that's where I'm going to be receiving a lot of those balls.
Rondo likes to come off going left a lot and finishing with his right. So I'm on that opposite corner when they kick the ball. It's sort of strategic in a way. A lot of the offense is predicated on the left side of the court. Swing the ball on the right side of the court. It's an advantage.

Q. Do you think Orlando stopped focusing (Indiscernible)-- that their heart is not in it? (Indiscernible)?
PAUL PIERCE: I think we have a lot to do with it, how hard we work and how hard we're playing. No team is going to come into the series and do that on their own. I think we have to continue with the same type of focus and same type of energy in Game 4 to kind of put the series to rest.

Q. Rondo has done some amazing things. That image of him diving on the ball and then finishing, what was your reaction to that?
PAUL PIERCE: It was a great play just to be a part of that. Me and my friends were talking about that play. That's going to be a play that the next 20 years you're going to see a replay of that hustle play throughout all the NBA commercials, I think, for the next 20, 25, 30 years. That's how great that play was.

Q. Does that something you want as a team (Indiscernible) --
PAUL PIERCE: It's inspiration. You see a guy hustling for the ball when he looks like he has no chance, dive on the ball and get a huge play. That can spark a team. That was what it did. One of the most ultimate hustle plays you'll see in basketball.

Q. I don't think you need any motivation. Have you looked down the hallway and seen (Indiscernible)?
PAUL PIERCE: You always have the circumstance with the team who has been in that situation and lost. We definitely are looking at that. We're not going to take them lightly. We know Orlando has won 55 games during the regular season and they are capable. We're not going to take them lightly.

Q. Is that about as good as the defense has been all year long?
PAUL PIERCE: Yeah, I think so. As far as turning it over, as far as us rebounding the ball, as far as us setting down the star players, this is one of the best defensive efforts we've played all year. It couldn't come at a better time, towards the end of the season. Crunch time in the playoffs. So this is the type of effort we're going to need if we're going to close out the series.

Q. How has Rondo transitioned into more of a leader on the team?
PAUL PIERCE: I think he's accepted it. He knew he had the potential, but he continued to come in and worked and know what type of potential he has by making the all-star team. I think he's grown right into it. Winning a championship gave him a lot of confidence as a starting point guard. He's grown every year as a player. The more responsibility we gave him, the more he took it in. He's running with it right now. He's definitely our team leader.

End of FastScripts

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