(It) was my best game in a while. |
[Consider this: O'Neal scored no points in Washington. He and Alonzo Mourning together scored no points in Game 4. Yet, the Wizards lost both games at home. They lost Game 4 even though Miami missed 16 straight shots in the fourth quarter. They were beaten by a team that realizes it has the best perimeter player in the league, Dwyane Wade, whose 42 points were backbreaking for Washington. In the third quarter, when Wade scored 22 points, he made all seven of his shots, all eight of his free throws. Nobody in the game under 6 feet 10 is as good as Wade is right now. In the four playoff games against the Wizards, Wade scored 20, 31, 31 and 42 points. He averaged eight assists and seven rebounds. Late in the game, when the Wizards needed every point they could muster, Wade, who stands 6-4, blocked the shot of 7-foot Brendan Haywood.] I want the ball in my hands, ... I want to make plays for the guys. I got in that matrix [in the third quarter]. I felt like I couldn't miss. |
A little shot in the butt. It started kicking in after a couple minutes out there and I felt good after that. |
A lot of teams, guys come in against Miami and they try to go off. We have to try to limit that as much as possible. ... We're still a ways away [defensively]. More than anything we just need to continue to get better at the effort part defensively. |
After the Boston game is when he turned into that Shaq mode. |
Another win Wednesday will make us feel great about the way we're playing. |
Anybody who comes into Miami, if they sign on the dotted line then they'll understand what we're trying to do here. I have no problem with it at all. He knows we're about winning right now. |
Anytime a change is made in the middle of the season, you're going to be shocked, especially with Stan Van Gundy. I've got a tremendous amount of respect for him. To step down the way he did, what can you say about that? ... We were shocked, but at the same time, we've got a game today. |
Anytime you get a win you're happy with it and you try to learn from it. |
Anytime you lose a game it's painful. But when you get blown out, when you get embarrassed, especially on (national) TV, it's terrible. You put a hat on and walk out of here because no one has a reason to walk out of here with their head up. |
At first, I wasn't really too pumped about it. But now as it gets closer, I think it's going to be a challenge. |
At halftime, he was really talking about going out and doing it. He came in and showed us the way and everybody else just followed him and kind of got what energy he brought. |
At times it has been good. At times it has been average. |
Both teams played each other twice, we both won a game, each was close, and because of our history, yeah, it's going to be a very important game to see where both our teams are at. |
But it won't be crazy like the regular season. I'll make sure everything is under control. |