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NBA FINALS: CELTIC v LAKERS


June 9, 2010


Paul Pierce


BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS: Practice Day

Q. Tony Allen was out there saying about the film session today, he was kind of raving about it, but he said when he looked over at you, you seemed pretty upset as you were watching it. What was going through your mind? And do you have more of a hunger than you normally do going into the next game?
PAUL PIERCE: When you get into a Finals situation where this is -- well, everything. When you lose a game, it's frustrating, and you look at the tape and you see the things that you've done wrong, what you could have done better, it's very frustrating because all year long, all summer long before the season starts you put so much into it for these moments right here. And when you lose a game for little things, that's why it hurts so bad.
As far as extra motivation for the next game, I don't have any extra motivation. My motivation is at an all-time high just to be in this situation, an opportunity to win another championship.

Q. How would you describe your play so far in this series, and how much better can you be?
PAUL PIERCE: Not really particularly shooting the ball particularly well, but as far as I think I'm doing a pretty good job defensively, trying to do other things to help this ballclub win. Obviously we all can play better. When you lose two games and you don't shoot the ball well, you don't do some of these other things well, you question if you can do more. Obviously I probably can do a little more to help this ballclub. But it's going to be a team thing. It's not about one individual. It's a combination of us that has to step up for this team to win.

Q. It's got to be different all the time, you guys always talk about that, but how much do you want it to be you some of the time who's able to power the team through?
PAUL PIERCE: How much do I want it to be me? I definitely want to help my team win by me being on the court. That helps my team. When I go out there and I'm in foul trouble, it's difficult, which was the case in Game 3.
As far as helping my team win, that's what I'm trying to do every night. I'm trying to do as much as I can. I'm trying to do as much as possible, as much responsibility as the team gives me to help this team win. I can do more if they need me to do more. Obviously I'm going to probably have to do more if we're going to win.
I have to just -- there's times I have to rise to the challenge. We have a 1-2 hole, I have to play better, and I have to accept the challenge.

Q. You mentioned not being on the floor. It was you last night, KG in Game 2, Ray in Game 1. How much does it change or how does your change your offensive movement and work on the floor when one of the three of you always seems to be on the bench?
PAUL PIERCE: I mean, obviously you don't get subbed out when you have a certain lineup that plays certain rotations at certain times, it kind of screws with it when you have a certain chemistry. Guys usually know when they're coming out of the game or going in the game, but when foul trouble kind of prevents that, it kind of messes with the chemistry. Sometimes that happens and guys have to be ready. Regardless, it happens throughout the course of a season, series, and those are some of the things you have to be ready for and other guys have to be ready.

Q. What kind of problems has Ron presented for you I guess defensively? Is it him just being physical or has he affected you this series in your production?
PAUL PIERCE: I don't really see anything he's doing special that any other teams haven't done throughout the course of the playoffs. That's it.

Q. So you're basically saying you're missing shots that you normally should make?
PAUL PIERCE: You watched the game. What do you think he's doing?

Q. Just his physical presence, historically he's given you problems in the past. Just looking at the stats. Is it just coincidence?
PAUL PIERCE: I think so.

Q. Just how much of a factor is it with Rasheed not being able to play as much because of his back problems?
PAUL PIERCE: Well, Rasheed is a big part of the things we try to do, especially off the bench with his length, his size, matching up with the Lakers. But that combination of other guys have to come in and step up if he can't get his full strength. Other guys have to be willing to step in and make up for that. But what Rasheed does give you, he gives you veteran smarts when he's in the game, defensively he gives you length, rebounding and shooting when he's out there. We're going to need him. Even though these are the last four games of the season, we're going to need him, but we're going to need everybody.
Like I told you before, it's not about one individual. Some guys aren't going to be playing as well as they'd like to, and so it has to come from a combination of all 15 guys, and we're going to need them all to win a championship. That's what it's going to take, not one man.

End of FastScripts




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