Post Game Quotes 12.09.04 ROCKETS HEAD COACH JEFF VAN GUNDY (on the final minute of the game) "It's a long game and he (Tracy McGrady) is obviously so gifted, so he misses his makeable ones and he makes his unmakeable (shots), so that's how it is. A good play down there by Scott (Padgett) not to foul. We didn't want to foul them when Devin Brown caught it, tried to knock the ball free, and, somehow, we got the ball and he (Tracy McGrady) made an unbelievable shot again. That was great." (on the Rockets's defense) "They're (San Antonio) hard to guard, obviously, because of (Tim) Duncan so he takes our small power forwards, posts them, and takes our centers away from the basket and faces them so we felt that we've got to get some support. That puts us in rotation to close out and I thought our guys, for the most part, did a good job." (on the play of both teams) "I think it was a game of frustration as far as I think both teams probably had some shots. They (San Antonio) could have said 'hey we can make those'. I thought they handled their frustration a little bit better going into the 4th (quarter) and then we struck lightning. I thought both teams played pretty good defense. I think we competed hard on the board, again, and got a miracle. And you know what? You need miracles, and we were on the other end of it with the Knicks, so you need miracles to have a good season." (on the play of Yao Ming and why he's playing so much better lately) "He's playing at home. His home and road stats...the differences are startling, but you know what? I think Yao (Ming) was more energetic guarding pick and rolls. He's trying, he's trying. Hey look, we're going to struggle to score right now. We can't shoot and we're not tricking anybody on the other team either." ANDRE BARRETT (on the Rockets's amazing comeback) "We were just trying to fight it out. Whatever happens, happens. Coach (Van Gundy) had a good strategy at the end of the game and we worked with it. I think we all just believed that it wasn't over and Tracy (McGrady), the type of player he is, Tracy's a guy who wanted to win this game bad and he took it into his hands." YAO MING (on Coach Van Gundy's comment that this was a miracle win) "I think it was a miracle win, but that miracle is as a result of all of our hard work during the game, including our hard work that last minute." (on his progress the last 3 games, his improved shooting) "I think it's getting better and I have felt more comfortable. I feel like I can shoot the ball and I feel comfortable and I try to get every rebound. That's what I have to do. Also, we have a lot of bench players lost to injury." TRACY McGRADY (on his thoughts when the Rockets were down 10 points in the final minute of the game) "Man, to be honest with you, this really hasn't hit me yet, but what am I thinking? I'm just thinking, 'don't quit, just get the ball up, and just try to get a shot off'. When they (San Antonio) take the ball out, just try to get a steal. And if we don't get a steal, foul and put them on the free throw line. Just hopefully we can go back and forth, we can score put them on the line and they miss one or two or both. I don't know how we won. I don't know, I've got a lot of respect for San Antonio, especially those guys coming off their loss last night in Seattle, so I knew they were going to be hungry coming in here tonight. This game right here should open up our eyes and just start something really good for this team." (on how he feels overall) "Honestly, I feel humble...it really hasn't hit me, because I don't realize what I just did. Honestly I can't tell you how many 3s I hit. I don't know." (on Reggie Miller's end of game heroics in playoffs against New York--Miller hit 3 3s and McGrady hit 4 3s tonight) "I really don't know what I did, and I'm not bull trotting." (on the last shot) “Well, on that last shot we were supposed to trap the ball, and you know those guys whoever was on the ball did a great job of containing the guy (Devin Brown) that had the ball. The guy slipped, he lost control of the ball, and the ball rolls to me and the only thing I was thinking about, I knew we were down, and the only thing I was thinking about was a 3. I didn't want to get the ball and try to tie the ballgame up because I take my chances on trying to knock down a 3, and hopefully just go for the win. I saw openings out there, I got up my shot, and just the way I was feeling over the last couple of seconds, I felt like anything that I threw up was somewhat going to go in. The rim felt really big to me out there. I've been in situations like that before where I just felt like anything that I threw up pretty much is going to go in and that was (one of) those moments.” (on the 4-point play where he was able to get Tim Duncan off his feet and McGrady was able to shoot the 3-pointer) “Well, I think I hit one before that (3 pointer) and I just came off the screen, and I knew he thought I was going to pull up as soon as I came off that screen and I knew I could fake him on a pump fake and he went for it. I don't know how I got the ball up, (be)cause he's so tall, I don't know how I got it up. I think when he jumped into me he pulled his hands back and I got the ball up and the only thing I was concentrating on is staying with my shot and it fell for me and after that shot right there, that shot really got me going so far as my confidence. Every time I came up the court I just felt like whenever I shot it (it would go in).” (on the comeback) “I've never been a part of a comeback, and just pulling out the game, all of my teammates jumping on me. I swear, I've never been a part of anything like hat. That was like the best feeling to me, just to have my teammates embrace me and just jumping on me like that, that was a great feeling. For all those fans that left, gosh, y'all missed a great game.” (on the fans leaving early) “Well, you know what? I was looking around, not knowing this (the last second winning shot) was going to take place and I was like, damn, we had our chances of winning the ballgame, but hey we played a great team tonight and we kind of gave it away at the end. But, like I say, those fans that walked out, there was thousands of them, they missed a good show. ” (on the 4th quarter when he left the floor and went to the locker room) “I had an upset stomach, my stomach was bothering me, and I just came back here (to the locker room) and settled it.” SPURS HEAD COACH GREGG POPOVICH (on the game) ”That was a pretty boring game the first half and it turned out to be a very exciting game for the fans. Tracy (McGrady) took advantage of it and was unbelievable.” (on how did the Houston comeback happen?) ”How the hell do I know? Guys get hot. He's (McGrady) is a great player. A lot of things had to happen for the game to turn out that way. That is a lot of stuff to have to happen in a short period of time and obviously we contributed to it and Tracy (McGrady) was hot. It was a great game and we got sloppy at the end.” TIM DUNCAN (on the McGrady 4-point play) ”It was a pump play by Tracy (McGrady) and I got up in the air and fouled him. It was a great play. He just made tough shots.” (on the final minute of play) ”Houston played a great last 50 seconds and found a way to win and it's a tough loss for us.” (can you ever remember a comeback like that?) ”I can't remember one (shaking his head).” BRUCE BOWEN (on what happened in Houston comeback) ”I guess we have to watch films to try and figure it out. T-Mac (Tracy McGrady) got hot for them and was in a great rhythm and made some tough shots. He's an All Star and he's capable of doing those things. He was magical out there tonight.” DEVIN BROWN (on his turnover at the end of the game) ”I was pushed in the lower back but I can't dwell on that. It was a tough play. We are expecting a foul to be called and it is tough when there is no call.” (on McGrady's play) ”I haven't seen anybody do something like that before. He was just hitting shot after shot. He was fantastic.” (on the Spur's play) ”On a normal team you might expect that to happen but in San Antonio we know what we have to do and for whatever reason it just didn't happen. It's very frustrating that we didn't execute down the stretch.” http://www.nba.com/rockets/news/Post_Game_Quotes_120904-125373-34.html
lets hope the rockets stop celebrating and start focusing in on the next game. this is only one win in a very long season.
Rockets have won two championship in the last ten years. But T-Mac's UNBELIEVABLE performance is only a once in a lifetime oppurtunity! You can take that to the bank!
(on the comeback) “I've never been a part of a comeback, and just pulling out the game, all of my teammates jumping on me. I swear, I've never been a part of anything like hat. That was like the best feeling to me, just to have my teammates embrace me and just jumping on me like that, that was a great feeling. For all those fans that left, gosh, y'all missed a great game.” (on the fans leaving early) “Well, you know what? I was looking around, not knowing this (the last second winning shot) was going to take place and I was like, damn, we had our chances of winning the ballgame, but hey we played a great team tonight and we kind of gave it away at the end. But, like I say, those fans that walked out, there was thousands of them, they missed a good show. ” I bet there are some pissed off fans in the houston area today (NEVER LEAVE EARLY)!
Devin Brown's qoute struck me, this is the type of things that get other players around the league taking notice of the Rox and wanting to play with a player like TMAC. These are professional players who have seen and done probably everything there is to do on the court and for one player to say that it was something he had never seen before means that IT WAS SPECIAL and every player in the league will notice and remember this when it comes time for them to sign somewhere and the Rox are one of the teams with an offer on the table. GOOD NEWS!!!
