[Quotes] GILBERT ARENAS: "Yao Took Over the Game and Put His Team On His Shoulders"

http://www.nba.com/rockets/news/PostGame_Quotes_033106-174254-822.html

ROCKETS HEAD COACH JEFF VAN GUNDY

(on the play of Luther Head) "I think he's progressed very well on offense and not as well on defense."

(on whether Washington's defense of Yao Ming is atypical of the rest of the
league) "A bit, but it also goes to our shooting. When you make a couple of 3s early, teams are more reluctant to double as hard."

(on Yao Ming's play due to a lack of double-teaming by Washington) "He got stripped a few times early. They got up under him a little bit. (Jared) Jeffries is a different type of defender. He (Yao Ming) hasn't had many real high-turnover games. Tonight is, hopefully, atypical of how he has to handle the ball."

(on the team's play) "I think, again, the mot important thing is to know where your strengths lie and have your players accept that. Like when it was
102-101 (Rockets lead), Keith (Bogans) could have jacked a 3 on a pass-out, but threw it back in on a repost (to Yao Ming). Yao (Ming) made the turnaround, but it was even more important to have guys who will give up themselves for the cause versus look for their own. Many teams that are going through difficult years, when guys are in contract years like Keith
(Bogans) is, would look more at numbers. I'm proud of plays like that and how our guys have stuck to what our strengths are. If you look, our offensive numbers are up and I think they've done a good job."

YAO MING

(on what changed in the game that nearly cost the Rockets the game)
"Everything was easy and we started playing like the game was over. They
(Wizards) started to full court press and we should have attacked them on
the full court press. There was pressure in the front court, but the back
court was wide open. We didn't do a very good job in that regard and we let
them back into the game. We didn't end the game well. We were ahead by 9
points with about 3 minutes left and then we didn't handle the ball well
against the full court press. It became (a close) game. We have to know our
opponent's strength. They were using a lot of full court press and we have
to prepare for that. Most of the time in this game we did well, but in the
last couple of minutes, we didn't."

(on if he was surprised the Wizards didn't double team him often tonight) "I
was pretty surprised that a lot of times they didn't come to double team. In
the 1st quarter, I was rushing things and I was expecting them to double. I
was doing a lot of catch and roll, after that I tried to read the defense
and when I saw that nobody was coming, I took my time."

RAFER ALSTON

(on the Wizards' last possession of the game) "That's a good shooter
(Gilbert Arenas). We were rotating and we were scrambling. Ryan (Bowen)
slipped a little bit, wet floor. We were fortunate that he (Gilbert Arenas)
missed and that we got the rebound."

(on his stripping the ball from Gilbert Arenas) "That was a good strip. I
didn't want to back up to where he could have gotten a good look at the 3,
where he could have won it with a 3-point shot. I did whatever I had to do
to prevent that from happening."

(on the Wizards not double-teaming Yao Ming for the game's duration) "They
(Wizards) were coming and then they weren't coming. I think that the times
Yao (Ming) recognized that they weren't coming, he did a great job of making
the quick move and scoring the ball. I think the problem that we were having
sometimes is we were giving the ball to him and he was making a quick move
and they were able to get their hands on the ball with a couple of strips."

(on how things got hectic in the 4th quarter) "We weren't in the right
spots, we weren't taking our time and we weren't putting guys in the right
spot to where we could score the basketball. We were putting Yao (Ming) in
the middle of the court and that's not his strength. It's not Yao's (Ming)
fault, it's my fault as a point guard. I should have dribbled down the court
to get away from that kind of pressure. We have to take care of the ball
down the stretch. We almost gave the game away because of lack of focus and
not handling the pressure."

KEITH BOGANS

(on the Wizards not double-teaming Yao Ming for the game's duration) "I was
very surprised. Once we figured out that they weren't going to double Yao
(Ming), we kept feeding him the ball. That's what we're going to do when
teams play him one-on-one. He can do that each and every night."

(on the reasons the Rockets' lost their lead in the 4th quarter) "They
(Washington) was pressing; they were playing some good defense and making us
make some bad decisions. Every time we turned the ball over, they ran the
ball down court. We just weren't able to take care of the ball coming down
the stretch."

LUTHER HEAD

(on the feeding Yao Ming the ball often) "We're going to get Yao (Ming) as
many touches as we can. Sometimes teams double- and triple-team him, but
we're always going to try to get him the ball as much as possible. That way,
he can look for us cutting when he's double-teamed."

(on the Rockets' working towards ending the season on a positive note)
"We're trying to get more and more wins and, hopefully, I'll be able to tell
you something at the end of the season."

WIZARDS HEAD COACH EDDIE JORDAN

(on the final shot) "I thought we had a good look. Gilbert (Arenas) had the
jump shot, but he was defended well, it falls down and we still had a huge
chance to win the game. It was too bad it didn't go in. The ball was set to
be in Gilbert's (Arenas) hands and that's where I wanted it. He's a big
time basketball player and that's what it's all about. He was able to
gather his composure after he couldn't get the shot off and still made a big
play to give us a shot to win the game."

(on defending Yao Ming) "We did the best we could with Yao (Ming) with the
small lineup we played with. We made Yao (Ming) miss some shots and I was
proud of our team."

GILBERT ARENAS

(on the final play) "Like I was telling the ref, if the defender swipes at
the ball and the ball goes up in the air that means it's a foul. I was going
for the three pointer or to get the defender up in the air for the foul. If
he (Rafer Alston) gets away with it, it was good defense."

(on the key to the game) "Yao (Ming) took over the game and put his team on
his shoulders. We got within one and Yao (Ming) made a big basket that
turned it around."

(on the team's playoff outlook) "It's a tight race and we have to keep
winning games. We have to play consistent basketball and any series we get
into we are going to battle and we can give any team a run for their money."

ANTAWN JAMISON

(on his final shot) "I don't know, but that one felt good and earlier those
that didn't feel good went in. It felt good, but it didn't go down, and
sometimes that's the way things go, but I had an opportunity to win it.
Normally I have a little more arc on my jump shots. The five (three
pointers) I missed, they all felt good and I never doubted they would go
down, but the last one didn't go in."

(on Yao Ming) "This is a game when Brendan (Haywood) would have helped. The
big guy earned his check and he put his team on his back and carried them.
I've seen him do some good things, but with that soft touch he is
unbelievable. The guy is playing phenomenal. The last 10 games he has been
unbelievable."

(on team's playoffs) "One of the teams that has to play us knows they are
going to run into a team that won't be easy. Offensively we are as good as
anybody in the league. If we play with the high energy level we've been
playing at, we will be tough to be reckon with in the playoffs. "