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NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: GRIZZLIES v SPURSMay 25, 2013Manu GinobiliMEMPHIS, TENNESSEE: Game Three San Antonio – 104 Q. Can you talk about what this game meant in light of last year's Western Conference Finals and also being down 18, and forgive the expression, grinding through a comeback? MANU GINOBILI: One of the best wins I've witnessed being a Spur. It really looked ugly in the first quarter. They were really inspired, all over us. We were down 18, as you said, and it wasn't looking good. But we calmed down, we started to do what we do. We started to take care of the ball better, and things started to change. Once we came to the locker room at halftime down three I think we were, or four, we knew we were in a great situation, and we ended up well, great overtime, and we won a very tough, tough game. Q. In the context of last year's Conference Finals? MANU GINOBILI: Of course it was hard to lose last year after being up 2‑0, but it's not like we played alone. We've got an opponent that is talented, that is good, and it can happen. But in every series, not only last year's Conference Finals, it's huge to win on the road, and we did today in a very tough place. So we're all very excited. We are going to really enjoy it tonight or probably until tomorrow noon, and then we've just got to focus again on trying to get the fourth. Q. What does it say about this team, this specific team, that you were able to win Game 1 where you controlled the whole way, Game 2 they come back and you close them out, Game 3, you come back and close them out, the versatility to pull off all those situations? MANU GINOBILI: Yeah, very different wins, different type of games, and as you said, it's just a lot about who we are and how we do it now. We're in a great situation. We won, as I said before, a really difficult game, and we are very proud of what we've just done. But in 12 hours it's over, and we've got to start preparing and getting ready and rest for the next one. Every opportunity you have to close a series you've got to take it, and you've got to play your best game, and I do believe we can do much better than today. As I said before, we turned the ball over almost 20 times. We gave them almost 20 offensive rebounds, so we can do better, and we are looking forward‑‑ we're going to be looking forward to doing it. Q. You were having a great game and then you missed that late jumper and you went back to the bench and it looked like you were upset with yourself. Did you feel like that shot was going down? And then the second part of the question, do you get tired of hearing how old you guys are, the big three? MANU GINOBILI: Yes, of course I was upset because I made a very similar one a few minutes before, and I thought I had a good opportunity to almost close the game, and I missed it. I was upset. And especially because they had the last possession. They had 20 seconds to win it, and it could have been painful to lose like that. Regarding the second part of the question, yeah, it gets old. We've been old for probably eight years now. I remember in 2007, our last championship, they were saying that we were old, and it's all right. I guess we are. But we play well, we play together, and every year we are out there contending. That's a great thing that we are‑‑ we're doing a great thing. Q. How much does the experience with this group in so many tight situations, pressure, big games, compare to the Grizzlies, this is their first time hosting a final on their home court. Were you able to take a little bit of advantage of that down the stretch, especially in overtime? MANU GINOBILI: I'm not sure it was a matter of experience. They are a seasoned team, and even if they never made it to the Conference Finals, they beat the Thunder, they beat the Clippers, that is a tough team, they beat us before, and it was almost the same corps of players. They are a good team, they know how to play. They play hard, tough, and they do a good job. We are very, very lucky to be 3‑0. I really didn't expect to be in this situation now, and I really don't feel now like we are 3‑0. In my head it's hard to believe it. We've just got to forget about what we've done and look ahead. Q. On the two back‑door cuts that you got on upon Dexter on consecutive possessions, the second one he fouled out, did you see something there that you were able to exploit to get free? MANU GINOBILI: No, it was Pop, Pop's call. The play that we had, he drew it, and we just executed. Because of the way they deny and they are so aggressive, the situations were there, but it was all Pop, it was not my read. Q. Duncan scored I think the first five points in overtime tonight, kind of took control in Game 2 in overtime. Are you seeing him making sure to get you all over the hump in overtime games to get the wins? MANU GINOBILI: He did, as you said, really well in both overtimes, but it's not that he's trying to take over. We are taking what the game gives us, and he just took a good jumper, a penetration, what he tried to do the whole game. It's just it happened in overtime. So it's not that we are really looking to pound it with him or to feed him so he plays like that in overtime. We take what the game gives us, and he made those five points in a row, and that really helped us. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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