POSTED: Thursday May 21st 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Notes from TNT’s Coverage of the NBA Playoffs – Wednesday, May 20, 2009
TNT’s exclusive coverage of the Eastern Conference Finals continues on Friday, May 22 with pre-game coverage beginning at 8 p.m. ET followed by Game #2 of the Orlando Magic @ Cleveland Cavaliers at 8:30 p.m. ET
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TNT NBA Tip-off presented by AutoTrader.com
Announcers: Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Reggie Miller and Kenny Smith
Miller on the Eastern Conference Finals: “These are always the toughest series because if you win this series, you go on to the Finals. I expect nothing less than blood from both teams.”
TNT’s Craig Sager interviewed Cavaliers guard Mo Williams before the game
Williams on the Cavaliers focus in the Eastern Conference Finals: “We all know the playoffs are a different ballgame and we’re a totally different team. As good as we were in the regular season, we’re a totally different team in the playoffs. We’re concerned with (Orlando’s) transition but we’re not overly concerned because it’s just effort and focus (for us). Our attention is at an all-time high right now. Our attention to detail is incredible right now.”
Miller on how Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy should defend the Cavaliers: “If I’m Stan Van Gundy, I’m really not going to worry about LeBron James. LeBron James is going to get his numbers. If I’m Stan Van Gundy, I’m going to try and stop everyone else (on the Cavaliers).”
Smith on how the Magic should try to contain LeBron James: “I don’t know if you can let LeBron (James) get his (numbers) because when he gets rolling offensively, he starts doing other things better. I think that when he is scoring, he becomes a better passer, he becomes more aggressive on defense and he becomes a different animal. I don’t know if (Orlando) wants to unleash that animal.”
TNT’s John Thompson interviewed Cavaliers guard and 2008-09 MVP LeBron James in another edition of “Thompson’s Timeoout”
James on if the Cavaliers are overconfident heading into the Eastern Conference Finals: “No overconfidence. We feel that this is a step towards our goal. If we were a team that was just happy to be in the playoffs and then we’re in the Eastern Conference Finals, then we could be overconfident. Our whole goal has been to win the NBA Championship, so no overconfidence here.”
James on the difference between the 2007 Cavaliers that lost in the Finals and the current Cavaliers team: “I think the ’07 team finished the season strong and we took that momentum into the postseason. We felt good about ourselves. A lot of people were surprised that we did what we did. But this (2008-09) team from the beginning, we just had a different mindset going into the season. We wanted to go through training camp, pre-season, the regular season with a high intensity level and try to win as many games as possible.”
James on what he gained in competing in the 2008 Summer Olympics: “When you go into practice against the 11 best players in the world, ultimately, you’re going to get better. And then, if you want to be really good, you take a little bit from Kobe (Bryant), a little bit from D-Wade, a little bit from Chris Paul and see how that can help your game and I did that.”
James on playing Kobe Bryant and the Lakers in the NBA Finals: “I do watch Kobe (Bryant). He’s an unbelievable talent and an unbelievable player. It seems like if everything works out, we’ll meet up (in the NBA Finals) but we’ve got some more work to do.”
Smith on if LeBron James is a better player than Kobe Bryant: “In my opinion, I don’t think (LeBron James has) surpassed (Kobe Bryant) yet. LeBron had a MVP season but I still say Kobe is the best player on the planet. There are so many intangibles that (Bryant) brings to his team and playing in the Western Conference adds to that as well.”
Smith on LeBron James: “We’ve never seen a player like LeBron James in the history of basketball. A guy who has that much strength, that much athleticism and ball handling ability. We’ve seen Magic (Johnson) but he couldn’t run and jump as fast. We’ve seen (Michael) Jordan but he wasn’t as big and strong. He’s the most unique player that has ever come into the NBA.”
Barkley on being impressed with Lakers guard Kobe Bryant in Game #1 of the Western Conference Finals: “I was really impressed with Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony. Both of those guys were trying to will their team to victory. That’s the most impressive I’ve ever seen (Bryant). As far as saying, ‘I’m not going to let my team lose tonight, that’s the best I’ve ever seen Kobe Bryant.”
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Orlando Magic (107) @ Cleveland Cavaliers (106) – The Magic lead the series 1-0
Announcers: Marv Albert and Doug Collins; with Craig Sager reporting
Collins on the team chemistry on the Cavaliers: “They have such great team chemistry. They really like being around each other and they hold each other accountable. That all starts with the relationship between LeBron James and (head coach) Mike Brown. The energy, passion and love of the game that LeBron plays with filters down to the rest of the team. There’s no place that he would rather be than in a gym playing basketball and his team reflects that.”
Collins on Cavaliers guard Delonte West: “(Delonte West) is playing at a tremendous level right now. (He’s) so confident.”
Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard on how they plan on defending against LeBron James: “The biggest thing we try to do with Cleveland is try to keep LeBron out of the paint. Once you do that, you don’t allow him to get to the basket and dunk the ball or find other guys for wide-open shots. We make a great effort of making sure we close the paint off. But playing against a great player like LeBron, you don’t want him to get going.”
Collins on Magic reserve forward Tony Battie: “(The Magic) really missed him last year. He (was injured) and was out and he gives them another big guy off the bench. He’s a very versatile player and very smart. They need him to play well.”
Collins on Cavaliers reserve forward Joe Smith: “(Joe Smith) can make shots. That’s one of the reasons why they picked him up (mid-season). He’s a great guy in the locker room and he fits beautifully with this team. At that four-spot, he can step out and shoot the ball with all those double-teams and pick-and-rolls that LeBron James likes to run.”
Collins on the speed of LeBron James: “(LeBron James is) like a runaway freight train in the open court. Once LeBron gets to full speed, I don’t know if there is anybody who has any more speed in the NBA. Then you add 260 pounds and that kind of power, when he gets around that lane area, he’s either going to finish or get fouled.”
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T-Mobile Halftime Report
Announcers: Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Reggie Miller and Kenny Smith
Smith on LeBron James being a “copycat killer”: “I call (LeBron James) a ‘copycat killer’ because he looks at Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony (in the WCF Game #1) and he’s not going to let them outshine him. He understands what this is all about.”
Miller on Joe Smith being well-rested and being able to contribute: “Cleveland has the better bench (in this series). Joe Smith has really benefited from the eight days off (since their last game) because of his age.”
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Collins on the Magic playing well under pressure: “(The Magic) are at their best when they have a chip on their shoulder and the odds are against them.”
Collins on the best players in the league playing great on both ends of the court: “When you look at the guys who made the (NBA) All-Defensive team, they are also some of the best offensive players in the league. I think the guy who set the standard for that was Michael Jordan. Michael was not only the best offensive player in the game, he was the best defensive player in the game. When you see these great players playing at both ends of the floor, it separates them from the pack.”
Collins on the Cavaliers playing a compressed schedule: “The season really gets compressed now (for the Cavaliers). After all that time off for the Cavs, nine days (off) after the first round, eight (days off) before this series, and now they have (games) every other day with travel. The concern for Cleveland is they’re not getting any help off their bench.”
Collins on the mental toughness of Cavaliers guards Mo Williams and Delonte West: “When you evaluate players, one of the skills that you evaluate is toughness. Toughness under pressure. Mo Williams had not shot well (in Game #1) and he knocked down a three. Delonte West is struggling and he knocks down a three. Mental toughness under pressure.”
TNT’s Craig Sager interviewed Magic center Dwight Howard following the game
Howard on the Magic’s Game #1 victory: “It’s a big victory (for us). We kept fighting the whole game and that’s what we have to do. We fought our way back and I told my guys, ‘we have to keep fighting, the game isn’t over’ and we believed from the beginning that we were going to win and we kept fighting.”
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Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai
Announcers: Johnson, Barkley, Miller and Smith
Smith on the Cavaliers losing Game #1 at home: “It stings but it’s a seven game series. I don’t think anyone who gets to the Eastern Conference and Western Conference Finals thinks that they’re going to get there without any adversity.”
Miller on why he favors the Cavaliers in a long series: “Being the number one seed playing against Atlanta and Detroit they (Cleveland Cavaliers) really haven’t faced any tough opposition like the Magic did going into Game #7 (against the Celtics). When you get to the final four in the NBA, you can win in anyone’s home building. And the longer the series goes, it’s going to favor the Cleveland Cavaliers because of the rest (they’ve gotten between series). You are wondering whether Orlando will have enough to go six or seven games. That’s tough because I will always take rest over weary legs. The longer it goes it’s going to favor Cleveland.”
Barkley on Cavaliers forward LeBron James’ Game #1 performance: “That’s one of the greatest performances I’ve ever seen a player have. When you play that damn hard, you are just physically exhausted.”
Smith on what it’s going to take to win the Eastern Conference Finals: “No one is going to go the whole playoff and go undefeated. There are going to be games that we say (teams) shouldn’t win this series, this is one of those games. You’re not going to win every game but you have to respond. That is what basketball is – not winning every game but responding every game.”
Smith on the Lakers winning Game #1 of the Western Conference Finals: “You can talk about the free throws all you want, but the bottom line is (the Nuggets) had control of the game and you let it go. (Lakers forward Trevor) Ariza comes in and gets the steal (at the end of the game). You know great teams make great plays!”
Smith on what each team’s mindset should be during playoff games: “You can not let one game fluster you if you plan to win an (NBA) Championship. I can’t remember a team that won a Championship that breezed through during my era of watching basketball. One or two teams at most in 20 years can breeze through. No one is going to breeze through. Have some resiliency, have some trust that your system still works.”
Log onto TNT OverTime on NBA.com for a full replay of Inside the NBA and exclusive reports from TNT announcers.
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Keywords · NBA · Orlando Magic · Cleveland Cavaliers · basketball
Name: Jeff Pomeroy
Organization: Turner Sports
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