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NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: SUNS v LAKERS

May 25, 2010

Amar'e Stoudemire

PHOENIX, ARIZONA: Game Four

Suns Â– 115
Lakers - 106

Q. They sort of took your game away a little bit. But you were able to find the rest of the team and get everybody involved. Just talk about that taking you out of the aggressiveness of your game, but the bench play tonight and the other things you guys did as a team?
AMAR'E STOUDEMIRE: Did a great job on the screen and rolls and taking the roll guy away. Was able to find open shooters in the perimeter. Did a great job knocking down shots. So it's going to be nice like that where they try to take me out of the game and that's when the second unit did a great job of carrying us there for a while.
And they did a great job of knocking down open shots when they were open.

Q. You did have the big third quarter. How important was it for you to respond in that situation, because Kobe was starting to catch fire about that time. Seemed like he responded every day he hit a shot you came back with something?
AMAR'E STOUDEMIRE: Was playing chess. Had to match Kobe every time he make a move, I had to make one, because going into the third quarter, you know he's going to try to carry his team and start a run.
So I wanted to make sure that we counter his run. And we did a great job of scoring, also trying to get stops, but Kobe had some tough shots out there, I'll tell you. But definitely wanted to try to match his intensity in the third quarter.

Q. All you guys did is hold home court. You obviously got the two wins but you've got to go over there and get one win. Talk about Game 5 and how you go out with the aggressiveness and try to take what you did tonight and carry that over?
AMAR'E STOUDEMIRE: It's going to be tough going to LA and trying to get Game 5, is a very, very important game. We both know it. Both teams knows how important this game is. We have to make sure we bring the intensity from the start and do what we did here at home if not better. And try to get a win.

Q. Game 3 you were the man with the points. Game 4 you subjugated yourself in front of the team. What can you take from each experience into Game 5?
AMAR'E STOUDEMIRE: Every game is a different game. Different game plan for the Lakers every night. The game plan tonight was to take me out, contain the roll guy. I was able to get a few ISOs and throw some fouls, got to the free-throw line.
But Game 5 is not sure what they're going to do. At this point we pretty much saw everything and they saw everything that we have. So it's a matter of will now going into Game 5 and the rest of the way. So just gotta make sure we have determination and focus and see if we can get one.

Q. Could you just talk about the bench play tonight, what the reserves did, the second wave, if you will?
AMAR'E STOUDEMIRE: They did a phenomenal job for us. The second unit has been great for us all year. For those guys to come out and play as well as they did, crash the boards, they got stops. They shot the ball well. Energy was high. When Shannon hit his first 3, the crowd went out of control.
And that just carried the momentum over. And the second unit did a great job of living off our fans. The fans was great tonight. So great effort from their part.

Q. A lot of people wrote you off, this team off after the two losses in LA. How good does it feel to get back in the series and defend the home court with momentum going into Game 5?
AMAR'E STOUDEMIRE: Feels great. Confidence is high. Feel we have a chance of winning the series. It's never an easy win in LA.
We have to make sure we bring our determination. The will factor comes into play now. We have to make sure we're ready to go.

Q. Could you talk a little bit about the rebounding edge, too? Seems like you guys are really aggressive and you took the team on the boards.
AMAR'E STOUDEMIRE: We're doing great. All five rebounding now. We're all trying to get a shot and rebound. Knowing these guys, their length is always a factor and good on offensive boards.
With that being said, all five of us are going in there trying to board, and we're boxing out, and we know if we get stops we have a better chance of running and getting out on fast breaks.
So that's the mentality is go get the boards, get some stops and off to the offense.

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