Pat Riley Game Quotations

I don't have an answer for that team. We don't have a defensive game for them.

Shaq had an off night. In the beginning of the game he had a couple of turnovers (because of) strips, but obviously he could play a lot better than he did today.

I coached an absolutely awful game; terrible game plan, pick-and-roll schemes; everything.

What we've noticed a little bit about Chauncey and what Flip has done with this team, he has injected a sense of energy into his team early. Chauncey is no longer just a late-game (shooter). Throughout the course of the game, you've got to be very aware of him, and obviously at the end of the game you've got to deal with him and what's he doing.

With me, you're either in or out. I picked them. I'm with them. I'm going to try to keep coaching them. I'm not going let this shake me. I've been around this game too damn long.

I agree with him. We want to keep playing the game better, we want to keep winning, but it's not a measuring stick as to how good we are or how good we can be.

He'd average 20 points a game if he was put in that role every night and I'll be damned if I'm not going to try to put him in that role - now. You forget a little bit about how good he can be if he gets good opportunities.

He was having a great game and it was a pretty ugly foul. I think he is OK.

He was feeling real free, and we need that from him. That's what we expected when we traded for him, is that we'd have that versatility. Having a great game from Antoine really helps.

He was definitely set back with the back for three months, and I don't think he ever really regained physically his game 100 percent.

He's had that problem in the past. In the second half, I would have loved to give him a rest. But when I wanted to, the game was tied and we went down.

When he came to the Lakers, Bob McAdoo told me how much the game meant, how it changed everything, how it opened up the world for black kids in the South. I guess I never really thought of it that way, that we were such a big part of history.

He's got size. He's very strong. He shoots (43%) from the three. He can post up. He's very methodical. He plays the game until he needs to determine the difference between winning and losing. That's what he's developed into.

He made the game easy for us. There are nights when there's going to be some real heavy lifting on his part, and there are going to be nights when he has to facilitate. I thought he did a great job in doing that.

I was concerned about where we'd be, as I'm sure most coaches are coming back (from the All-Star break). We have one game in 10 days, and this was it. We started to play very well at the end of the (first) quarter.

Our guys had tremendous energy to start the game. I hate to say it: Then the game got stopped -- whistle after whistle after whistle.

I think probably a month ago or two months ago we wouldn't even come close to winning a game like this. We were very frustrated in the beginning with some very good defensive tactics on their part. They were just committed to fouling Shaquille (O'Neal) every single time.

It doesn't matter whether this was the first game or the seventh game (of the road trip). It was a terrible game on our part. They threw a zone at us early, and we acted like we've never seen it before.

We do not have any answer for that team. And right now, we don't have a defensive game to realize what it is exactly you need to do to stop that.

When you're getting your ass kicked, you get on to game four. That's what it's about.

When you're getting your ass kicked, you take it, and you go on to game four. They were very good and they were kicking our ass. And then we began to look at the officials. To me, that's not something you want to do.

When you're getting your (butt) kicked you take it and go on to Game 4 (Sunday). That's what it's all about. They were very good and they were kicking our (butts) and we began to look at the officials. Guys have a lot of pride, but to me, that's not what it's all about.

We played the game very well offensively. So much better than we did (in Friday's loss) against San Antonio.

That was a game situation. He's supposed to be on the court, but I had a hard time taking anybody off the court at that time, because we were down and then we went ahead by eight. As a coach, you're going to ride that lineup as long as you can.

What we need is all in the head for us. When we are so inclined to really, really get after it as a team, we do. I have been around the game long enough, although I hate to admit it, but sometimes you get bored with all the little things you have to do - especially when you are a veteran team. The thing is that if you really want to be respected and you want to take the step to the next level, you can't do what you did the other night and then come out the next night and not be ready.

We don't have an answer for that team and right now, we don't have a defensive game for it. I think you have to play against them probably four, five, six times to realize exactly what it is that you need to do to try to stop them.

We didn't play the game with a lot of focused energy in the first half. I thought we were a little slow, we looked tired and (Cleveland) looked sharp and they were good.

We didn't play with great desire and we got our heads handed to us for the second game in a row. Crossroads No. 1 is where we're at right now.

We have been able to secure one of the most dominant men to ever play the game of basketball as a member of the Heat, ... At the same time, we have gained the flexibility to achieve our ultimate goal of winning an NBA championship.

We were trying to survive. The game got to that point. We had a 20-point lead, they cut it to five. We made a couple of plays and we got out of here.

Continuity is important, and James does certain things for us that allows (guard) Dwayne (Wade) and (center) Shaquille (O'Neal) to get into the game fast.

When you are getting your (butt) kicked you take it and move on to Game 4. They were doing a great job of kicking our (butt) and then we started looking at the officials. Our guys have a lot of pride, but to me that is not what it is all about.

When you play in this league, this league will bring you to your knees very quickly if you're not defending and not respecting the game and we almost got caught. Maybe we'll learn a lesson.

To be honest, at the end of a game like that, I would have liked it to end quietly, but the fans like it.

A game that could have been very, very ugly for us turned out to be a win, and that's all that counts.

That team's never going to stop coming. We found that out in Game 1; we found that out again tonight.

Every time we see this team, and we'll see it again this week, the zone, while it doesn't bother us, it gets us out of sync. We did not play with much energy in the first four of five minutes of the game and then once we started to play with energy and got down the floor quicker things began to open up for us.

Alonzo had a huge impact on the game defensively. I think he gave us the defensive lift when we needed it.

Alonzo had a huge impact on the game defensively, rejecting eight and he probably changed seven or eight others.

They made the jumpers and put the game away. Everyone contributed. Everyone hit a critical shot.

They do remember really getting embarrassed and humiliated in that game. It wasn't much fun. They were having fun because the game was so easy.

We controlled the game for the most part except for the end of the second quarter. Alonzo had a huge impact on the game defensively. He gave us a defensive lift when we needed it.

It was the kind of game I predicted. I told the team this morning that this is how we would have to play to win.

It was an absolute eye-opener. I've seen a lot of great quarters. I don't think I've ever seen one exactly like that where a team hits nine 3s (actually eight). We didn't play well, we didn't play with great desire and we got our heads handed to us for the second game in a row.

We have a distinct disadvantage, being the fourth game in five nights. But we're playing good; they're playing good. When it really counts, if things were to remain the same as they are today, and we're successful and they're successful in the playoffs, we wouldn't play 'em when it counts for two more months. Things could change a lot by then.

He plays the game that we need him to play. He is just so committed defensively and offensively on missed shots and loose balls.

He broke the game open on that (steal). He stole it, made the cut without going out of bounds and was free for the dunk. That's amazing athleticism.