Rick Carlisle Playoff Quotations

We're in a must-win situation every night. We have to win games. It's important to be a playoff team. We have a string of years and we want to keep that going.

We just can't afford not to have him available to play 38 to 40 minutes in a playoff game. It just makes it too hard on the rest of our team.

We can't afford not to have him for 35-40 minutes in a playoff game. I'm not going to criticize the officials because they're working hard, but it is something that needs to be looked at.

With 18 games left, I think everybody is getting into a playoff mode here. Let's face it, from five on down to eight, there's going to be two or three games separating (the teams). So each win is really vital.

Every win is important when playoff position is at stake. We've had a string of road losses that's been really tough on us so getting back on track was important.

Every win is important. Playoff position is at stake and we just had a string of road losses that were tough on us so getting on track was important, and we're starting to get a little confidence in our overall situation as well.

There won't be any tough decisions when it comes to determining who to keep on the playoff roster. Our hope then is we can get back to 100 percent good health.

This isn't any news flash. He's been a great player. Now he's a great playoff player.

It's very close with teams four through eight. There are some teams out at nine and 10 that are realistically in the picture. You are aware of possibilities and things like that. We're light-years from talking about playoff seeding right now. It's too long to go.

It's important to be playing well and we played better the last three games. If we hadn't won three straight games, we could easily be out of the playoff picture.

It's been tough. We're still in the midst of the playoff picture and we'll have to win our way in. We aren't going to back our way in, that's pretty clear.

It looked like he labored a bit. I think it's a tough situation to not be in for a while and now be in the middle of a hotly-contested playoff series.

It's critical, let's face it. We're in a must-win situation almost every night. We have to win games. I just thought the guys came together as a team and did some really great things. It's important to be a playoff team. We've got a string of years we need to keep going.

I'm pleased for our team. I thought we showed some real toughness and some real character. Our tough-mindedness has waned lately. That's something that if we're going to be a playoff team, it can't happen.

His abilities as a player are breathtaking. He's brought his game up to another level since he's come to New Jersey. I know Jason Kidd has had a lot to do with that. This isn't any news flash. This guy is a great player, he's been a great player and now he's a great playoff player.

How we play against Chicago will go a long way in showing what kind of character we have as a team. We've had two games now where we've had disappointing stretches. We're going to have be better than that to keep legitimate playoff hopes alive because we're in a tough stretch right now.

The guys got together and decided to make a stand. If we hadn't won three straight games, we could easily be out of the playoff picture.

You've go to keep playing and stay the course. We're in the midst of the playoff picture, and we'll have to win our way in. We're not going to back in.