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Tony Parker Interview

 


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| May 22, 2007

tony parker quotesIn Game 1 of the 2007 Western Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs the San Antonio Spurs, playing at home, beat the Utah Jazz 108-100. Here's what Spurs point guard Tony Parker, who shot 8-of-15 for 21 points and 3 steals, had to say after the game:

Q. Tony, Deron Williams struggled in the first half. In the fourth quarter he got off. Was there something different you guys were doing?

TONY PARKER: He played good tonight. He was very aggressive. I thought our pick-and-roll defense was very poor in the second half and he was playing with a lot of confidence, got his outside shot going, too, so he was playing aggressive. We need to try to slow him down in Game 2 and try to play a better pick-and-roll defense. We will be fine.

Q. Can you talk about Fabricio and his effort tonight and what he did for you guys on the boards and energy-wise?

TONY PARKER: Fabricio was huge, he played with a lot of energy. He was always at the right place at the right time, made the great cuts when they tried to double team. On the rebound he helped us, even if we got kind of dominating on the rebounds. Utah dominated us. Fabricio got big boards for us. In the Game 2, we need to try to control the boards.

Q. Tony, with the one-day turnaround, were you worn out in the second half or is it just the natural reaction to having a big lead?

TONY PARKER: Utah played a lot better in the second half, you know. They outplayed us in the second half and maybe we got a little bit tired, we can't use that as an excuse. Utah played great in the second half. That's what we are going to see in Game 2. We need to measure that, measure the intensity. We had a first good half. Second half we didn't play that well.

Q. Tony, points in the paint 38 in the first half. What were you seeing from your vantage point?

TONY PARKER: We are always going to try to control the tempo and try to get the ball inside to Timmy and try to get some points, easy basket in the paint. My opinion penetration, we need too control that. I think that will be huge and don't give them easy baskets. Especially Boozer. He is always great with dunkings and stuff like that. We need to control that.

Q. If you can remember back to the first time you played in a conference finals, did it take you a little bit of time to recognize and adjust to the intensity of it? And do you think maybe that caught them off guard a little bit early in tonight's game?

TONY PARKER: That's a good question. Maybe, you know... maybe that's a question you need to ask them. Maybe it was a factor, you know, in the first half, you know, as the first time they got a lot of young guys so maybe it took a half for them to get used to it and get comfortable with the situation and so that's why I say in Game 2, you know, they are going to be ready. The way they played in the second half, that's what we will see the whole series. We need to make sure we match that.

Q. The first time you were in that situation, were you a little back on your heels by it?

TONY PARKER: I don't remember. It is always -- every time there is a first time you will be a little bit nervous and you are going to, like, not be as aggressive. You want to take your time. I kind of understand maybe, you know, Utah that's what happened in the first half.










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