"We have too much respect for the opponent" commented head coach Rick Carlisle during the pregame press conference. The story of this series so far has been the defense of Jason Kidd on Kobe Bryant in the fourth quarter. When asked about Kidd's D coach said, " We haven't had to put him on him for long stretches. That has been the biggest help for Kidd."
You have to credit the Mavs defense as a whole for the 0-3 lead, plus the unstoppable shot of Dirk Nowitzki. Coach went on to say, "Each team knows what the other team is doing at this point. Great players break down coverages, then you have to scramble. Good teams are going to adjust to any defense."
When asked about the return of Artest he said, " He always plays well after being suspended. It's a fact."
