Chauncey Billups Team Quotations

We are a team that truly embodies what team is about. We're unselfish. We all got here by doing the right things and playing the right way. I think people are starting to recognize that.

When we come to him late, he always delivers. Tonight he hit some huge shots. It's huge for me and everybody on this team to know that when it comes down to these situations, it doesn't have to be me.

We're just an entirely different team in the fourth quarter. We're so mentally tough and we've seen every different situation so many times that when we face something, we know which way to attack it.

No doubt about it. That team is one of the best teams in the West. They've been struggling a little bit but that's when it's toughest to play teams, when they're struggling. They're looking to get back right and what better team to beat than us? We didn't look past that team, came out and took care of business.

I'd be my choice, to be honest with you, but Steve Nash is another great choice. He's kept that team afloat, and not just afloat, but winning a division.

We are finally playing a team that's fighting for something, just like us. That's something new for us. The last few weeks we've been playing teams that are out of the race and have nothing to play for, and we sort of let our guard down. When you play against tough teams like Miami, there's no room for error. You can't let your guard down. I am looking for to it, man, I really am.

I think we'll be a lot better offensively. Defensively, we could be as good. But when you play a faster-paced game, naturally, that other team is going to score a couple more points.

Our only motivation is not winning it last year. That's our whole motivation. We thought we was the best team in the world last year and came up a little bit short. We feel the same way again and we want to validate that.

I'm so excited that our team is finally getting the credit we deserve. We've been dominating the league for a few years and not gotten the proper notoriety and attention. We've kind of come full circle with that.

That's what a great team is all about. When somebody is struggling, somebody else is picking up the slack, and we've done that time and time out.

You all know that sometimes we get bored. When something like that happens, it just fuels our fire a little bit, and good luck to the other team when that happens.

We enjoy that challenge of beating a team on their own turf, when their fans are going crazy and screaming for them like they should. We enjoy that challenge and that level of competition.

We came into this game really focused on what we needed to do, making some adjustments. That team just fought. They just fought. You have to give them a lot of credit, but come fourth quarter . . . we just had to grind it out.

With the tough game we had last night and traveling as well, this team was waiting on us.

We haven't heard that around here for a long time. Flip, he's an offensive genius. For the last three or four years, that's the one thing - the only thing - about our team that was predictable. And I think it hurt us at times, us not being able to score points.

We talked about it in the locker room before the game, that this was the game we needed. We felt they hadn't been tested in this postseason, they hadn't played against a team like us that plays defense, believes in itself and tries to control the tempo of the game. Yesterday was a good game to show them that.

This is a team that, right now, looks like we will be playing in the first round. They are a difficult team. They have guys that can get going. Of course they have Allen Iverson, who is probably the best scorer over the past 10 years of this league.

They're the best team in the world. They got the best player in college in Reggie Bush . They got two Heisman winners. They got my cousin. I mean, they're going for a third straight championship, and no one's ever done that.

They're a good team, a lot better than the way they played this year. Of course they beat us already. I think they match up pretty good with us. They have a good mix. They're definitely a team we might have to see down the road some time.

It's just another game. They might look at it as something more than it really is. They had struggled against the good teams, and now they beat the best team in the league. So I am sure they are proud. They should be.

It's just another game, really. I mean, it's Christmas and that's a little more fun, playing a big game on TV. Other than that, it's early. I just want to be playing that team in June.

It's just always fun to play against this team and the other top teams in the league. That's really the only motivation you've got.

It's a little more rewarding winning on the road because you're facing so much adversity. You've got 18- or 20,000 people rooting against you and all you've got is the team you're on and everyone on that bench. That's all you really have. It's a lot more fun to be at home, just to be in front of your own fans, but to win on the road is more rewarding.

It's going to be a good opportunity to play against the other best team in the league. It's always good and fun to have games like this.

I wanted to be aggressive early because the team gets better when I do that. The Mavericks and Phoenix are two teams that really try to jump on you early, so I wanted to be aggressive to keep them from getting on top of us.

No matter who we're playing, we have too many options. We have so many guys that can hurt you as opposed to a team with just one or two guys. You can't adjust the defense on us. We have too many weapons.

It was a good win for us. To come back, especially after a tough loss against Miami (Sunday) and playing a team that beat us a couple weeks ago. We came out focused today and took care of business.

It was a big game. We looked forward to it because we felt like they are the other best team in the NBA.

It takes a while -- a long time, because we have so many different sets, options. It's not just the regular old sets that every NBA team runs. We run a lot of stuff. It's kind of complicated.

I'm glad he's getting that opportunity to play consistent minutes. He's great for our team because he's athletic and he can make plays with the ball. He can stretch the defense with his shooting ability, and he's a big piece to our team.

I'm sure they get up to play us. Anytime you have the best team in the league coming into your building, you know that's the case.

I'm just happy to get a game like that, with a team that's smoking hot. That's a team that, like I said, we're going to see down the road, hopefully. So it's fun.

I know I am looking forward to it because they are the 'other' best team in the league. Of course, you want to play against the best. We've gotten off to a great start, and so have they.