Pat Riley Played Quotations

I thought we played the best quarter of the series, quite frankly. We kept it very simple and the ball moved to open shooters and we made the shots that we had to make.

I thought we played some of the best basketball that we've played for two and a half quarters. Then we got really sloppy with turnovers. We lost the energy that we had but we closed it out.

I thought we played better as far as moving the ball. The one thing that happened the other day in New Jersey and where we get into problems is that we have a bunch of guys that love to attack and sometimes when we attack too much we don't get off the ball.

That was obviously another one of those games. They (Boston Celtics) played extremely well. They were focused and they had a tremendous approach to the game. They executed in the first quarter flawlessly. They did not feel our defense and they did not feel our presence. We were waiting for them to miss and they just didn't.

We played at a real high level again. Tremendous amount of energy, spirit and ball movement, but we didn't finish. That disturbs me and it should disturb our players after working so hard and playing so well.

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

We gathered ourselves really well in the third quarter and played really well.

You have to leave the last two games behind us. We didn't like how we played up there. We didn't play very well. We didn't play well enough to win. Probably didn't deserve to win.

We didn't like how we played up there, but we were ahead 83-82 with 2:15 to go (Sunday). All we needed was one or two stops and we couldn't get one.

I should have played him in New Jersey. I regret that. He could have helped on (Vince) Carter.

After a real slow start, we played very well offensively. When your best player goes 4-for-14 and you still win, then you've got to feel good about it.

They played an absolutely great game. They did what they had to do defensively. It didn't help us that Shaquille got in foul trouble. Any time he gets in foul trouble and has to sit down, it sets us and him back.

That's one of the better, more complete games that we've played in a long time. It's the first time that Shaq, in a couple of weeks, has been running to the rim and we got him early in transition and that's what it was. We have to get back to that game.

That's one of the better games and more complete games we've played in a long time.

They (Boston Celtics) played extremely well in the first half. They were focused and they had a tremendous approach to the game.

The guy was absolutely on a torrid pace. We knew that, but we didn't come out and jump on him and shut him down. As a matter of fact, we played him rather passively.