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NBA FINALS: CELTIC v LAKERS

June 3, 2010

Pau Gasol

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Game One

Boston Celtics 89
Los Angeles Lakers 102

Q. Can you talk about the physicality of the game and the big numbers that you put up? Do you think you made a statement, saying, yes, I'm here and I am physical and I'm ready to compete? You had 23 and 14 by the way.
PAU GASOL: Yeah, I knew that. (Laughter).
I knew it was going to be physical, and that's a given. You know, I think that we're out there -- this being our third consecutive final, we understand the nature of the game. We understand what a rival is, how they play, and you've got to compete and you've got to make sure you match that physicality, that aspect of the game, in order to be successful. So tonight, good effort. I think the most positive thing is that the whole team just brought an intensity and activity, especially defensively, that sent it to them and was able to give us a really good pace out there. So that's what I'm really, really happy about. Now we've got to make sure we tune in again and refocus for Game 2.

Q. The very beginning of the game you seemed uncomfortable, turnovers and difficulty and then you progressed and responded. Talk about what it took to adjust to the game. And then also, how was it playing with this team, the Celtics, with a healthy Andrew Bynum next to you?
PAU GASOL: Yeah, at first you could feel a little bit more the tension of the game, the start of the Finals. I wasn't fully aggressive and certain with my moves. Then I was able to hit my first three shots, so that was good, that was positive.
You know, it was great to have Andrew. Obviously he was a big factor tonight. Really contributed in different ways, and we want to see him as much as possible out there.

Q. We've talked about it every single game during the playoffs, points in the paint. You guys dominated by 18 again. You keep doing that, do you feel you can never lose a game truthfully? That's domination.
PAU GASOL: We did a good job tonight on getting to the paint and finishing and being aggressive and understanding what kind of defense they play, so we've just got to continue to do that. I think we continued also to do a good job rebounding the ball. We've given ourselves a really good chance to have second-chance points, control the rebounding on the defensive end. They did a good job overall, just a very complete game.

Q. You know how this went two years ago, was it important for you personally to make a statement?
PAU GASOL: You know, for me it was important just to play hard, be aggressive and help as much as possible out there, win the first game. That was my mindset tonight. There was no statements to be made. My goal, our goal is to win the championship, not just the first game and not just to make a statement right now. Obviously we're very happy with the result tonight, but now we've just got to focus for Game 2.

Q. You seemed to be in another zone physically. Even though you say you were subdued, did you make a special effort to really reach deep and play the physical game?
PAU GASOL: I was ready. I was just ready to play. I like the challenge, and I'm ready to step up and play. That's all I did.

Q. Kobe, were you surprised by how easily you were the more physical team, winning rebounds, points in the paint as well as second-chance opportunities?
KOBE BRYANT: I just responded to the challenge, played well, rebounded the ball well. That's something that we've done all year. I'm not really surprised.

Q. Can I ask you, I know you've been focusing on just the big picture rather than small pictures, but at the same time this idea of getting off to a good start. Two years ago you lost the first game. How important is it to get off to this good start, especially when you have the home-court advantage and it's on your home court?
KOBE BRYANT: At this point the important thing is to win every game. A good start -- that's absolutely the key. You want to take Game 1 and now it's Game 2, we want to win Game 2 and so on and so on. It's not necessarily about having a great start as much as it is trying to win the series.

Q. I have a question from Rafael Nadal who is playing in Paris: He said that you were really inspiring to the Spanish players, playing abroad. He wanted to know if even though you were playing in The Finals, if you had time to watch his game?
PAU GASOL: He plays tomorrow in the final, so I'm keeping up with him. If I wake up earlier tomorrow, I'll maybe be able to watch a little bit of it.
KOBE BRYANT: He's getting his rest. (Laughter).
PAU GASOL: I definitely need my rest for sure, and then I'll just see the stats.

Q. Do you know him very well?
PAU GASOL: Yeah, we talk regularly. Yeah, it was his birthday today, so I wished him happy birthday and wished him good luck for tomorrow against Melzer.
So yeah, we talked.

Q. There was a moment midway through the fourth when Ron had a block on Big Baby that led to a run out and a dunk by Pau into the time-out, came to the bench, you gave him a big emotional hug. What were you trying to convey to him in that moment and in general in this series to your guys in terms of what you need from them to get this done?
KOBE BRYANT: Well, it was a big play for us. I was happy with the play that he made and I was excited for him. I think he does a great job for us of setting the tone defensively with his intensity and with his energy. I was just letting him know it was well appreciated.

Q. Andrew in the locker room was addressing how vocal you were tonight, how vocal you've been on the floor in timeouts throughout the playoffs. Where is that coming from and what do you try to get across?
KOBE BRYANT: I've been that way. Just making sure we're all on the same page and executing properly.

Q. Talk about what you expect in Game 2 from the Celtics. And can you talk about Shannon Brown and Jordan Farmar's contribution tonight.
KOBE BRYANT: Our bench came in and did a great job, really sparked us, particularly at the end of the first quarter, really turned things around for us. Going into halftime, as well, they did a good job.
In terms of Game 2, I don't know, I'm really not sure. I haven't thought about it much. We'll look at it tomorrow and be ready for the adjustments Game 2.

Q. Much has been said so far about the Celtics' defense and their success. What did you see against them tonight? Why were you successful against them?
KOBE BRYANT: We did a good job moving the ball. You know, that's really a big key for us, ball movement, executing properly, making sure our spacing is good, and tonight it worked pretty well.

Q. Also just talk about the impact you had getting their guys in foul trouble?
KOBE BRYANT: Well, yeah, just being aggressive, getting the bodies, and tonight I got the benefit of the whistle.

Q. 102 against the Celtics, they don't give up 100 very often. Did that surprise you?
KOBE BRYANT: Yeah, that was surprising. That's not something that we were hanging our hats on, to score 100 points. We hang our hats on defending and rebounding.

Q. How did you think the match-up with Rondo went? Like you expected?
KOBE BRYANT: It was okay. It was pretty much what we expected. Just try to keep him out of the lane as much as possible.

Q. Two questions: Before Pau got here you were playing with a different level of talent. Now that Ron is here and you're playing the Celtics two years later, can you talk about how it will figure in with a guy like Ron against this particular team? And then also do you see yourself as any different than you were a year ago going to The Finals? Just my impression of how you're communicating with us is different. You were a little surly last year.
KOBE BRYANT: I don't know what that means.

Q. Kind of short. You know, short. Not in height.
KOBE BRYANT: I don't know.

Q. As far as Ron?
KOBE BRYANT: Ron was great. You know, he gave us a physical presence to go against some of these bigger forwards. You know, on top of that, he's just a great all-around player. He can shoot, he can penetrate, he can post. He can do a multitude of things. Like in the Phoenix series in Game 6, he showcased his full repertoire. A lot of times on this team he goes unnoticed because we have so many skilled players.
Surly enough for you? (Laughter).

End of FastScripts

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NBA FINALS: CELTIC v LAKERS

June 3, 2010

Kobe Bryant

Pau Gasol