Additional Quotes >> USA 92, Greece 69

Aug. 14, 2008 � Beijing, China

USA head coach Mike Krzyzewski (Duke University)
On the game: 
(the Greek) Coach�s team, we�ve been great friends over the years and even had one of their assistant coaches, Nick, as part of our staff at Duke for a year so there is great love and respect for the Greek team.  And, their ability to play and coach basketball.  They play it the right way.  They play hard, they play together and they�re a difficult team to beat, and they were tonight.  They missed some shots but we played very good defense and they played good defense.  So, it was tough to get shots.  We�re proud of our effort.  I thought we played one of the best teams in the tournament tonight.

Do you think USA National Team is unbeatable?
No.  No, I do not think that.  I don�t think any team in any sport is unbeatable because we�re all human beings and there is always some human being on that day or a group of human beings that can beat another group.

No, I do not think that.  And that�s not how we prepare.  We prepare with great respect knowing � like the Greek team � we felt that the Greek team could beat us, and that�s how we prepare each game.

Early on, you didn�t commit many turnovers and then you forced a flurry � did you change anything?
The first part of the game was a little disjointed with all the fouls and I thought just defensively, because we had five fouls right away, you have to be really careful so you�re not spending the whole period putting them on the free throw line.  So, I thought we backed off a little bit and then a fresh group, a few fresh guys that we put in gave us a little bit of a spark.  The defense at the end of the first quarter and during the second quarter kind of turned the game around for us.

Do you think it�s good you�re winning by large margins.  Would you prefer the games be a bit closer?
I�m all for winning by as much as we can win.  I think Coach would agree.

Coach, would you like to win by as much as you can?  I don�t know if any coach would like tight games if we don�t have to have them.  But, don�t confuse this game as not being a tight game.  Even with a 20-point lead, it got back down to 16, 15.  It was an every possession game and we played it that way.  That�s the way you�re going to have to play to win a gold medal here.

Have you figured out the European style?  How different will it be playing Spain?
I don�t think a coach ever figures anything out completely because there are so many good coaches and so many good teams.  The Greek style is a magnificent one and it�s won them championships and made them one of the best teams in the world.  Spain is the world champion, and they have a different style.  You have to keep adjusting and that�s what makes the game so beautiful in international play is that there are different styles and we�ll face a different one two nights from now.

Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets)
What do you remember about playing Greece two years ago?
Embarrassment. That�s all I remember. Embarrassment. We had it in the back of our minds. We didn�t know we were going to lay them this early, but we came out here tonight and did what we were supposed to do.

Did Coach K mention that much in pre-game talks?
He didn�t have to mention it. We remembered it. We watched film. Tonight we came here and took care of business like we were supposed to. But this game is over now. We put it behind us. We want to carry this momentum over to the Spain game on Saturday.

You guys were playing were playing some tough defense tonight. Has this team put together stretches like that in the last two years?
That was the difference tonight We didn�t give up on defensive plays, we were getting back on transition, playing pick and roll defense Like you say that four on one fast break maybe two years ago they would have gotten a layup or a shot on it but this year is kind of different.

What about the defensive intensity you played tonight against four years ago?
I think that four years ago we had a pretty good team, but we weren�t connected as well as we are connected right now. When you have five guys really kicking, five guys on the same page on defense, it�s kind of hard to do anything against that.

What about Wade�s saving that ball going out of bounds and throwing it for the dunk?
That just goes to show our hustle plays. LeBron got a couple, D. Wade got a couple. Everybody got a couple. I think Chris Bosh had a hell of a game. He really set the tone.

Carlos Boozer (Utah Jazz)
On tonight�s game:
A lot of guys came with the same passion, the same hunger from that night. And we didn�t forget how well they played against us. Tonight we wanted to come out and show that we�re a much better team defensively, we shared the ball great offensively, we came out passionate, aggressive  and for us we thought we were ready to play tonight.

On Greece�s pick and roll:
I thought we did a great job on the pick and roll. You know who did a great job tonight, it was Chris Bosh. I thought he was phenomenal. He got so many deflections, he got a lot of blocked shots, scored a lot of points he got a lot of rebounds, he was a presence out there. That really made a big difference because of the way he played the pick and roll, he made it a lot easier for our guards to get back and we did a couple of switches and what have you. He was a big part of this win. But our whole team was ready to go, from top to bottom. The guys were ready to play, we did a great job.

On the difference between this team and getting ready for Spain:
Spain�s a great team. Both teams are very skilled, very good perimeter players, very good inside play. Obviously we�re very familiar with Pau and Calderon and a couple other guys. But for us, all we have to do is play our style of basketball, continue to be confident. Spain will be very aggressive defensively. We�re picking up full court because we have studs from one through 12 so there�s no reason to save yourself for later. We�re doing a great job of giving it everything we�ve got when we�re out there and Spain�s going to be a great test for us but we�ll be ready for them.

Chris Bosh (Toronto Raptors)
On the USA�s gold medal chances
I think we all know what it takes to win. It�s going to take a lot of intensity and we�re going to have to play hard. We�re going to have to play passing the basketball. I think when we do that it gets everybody into it. We can keep the intensity level up for the whole 40 minutes.

How much more does this mean to you guys after 2006?
It really means a lot to us. We wanted to keep the pressure on them. We wanted to kind of redeem ourselves, this was like a payback game for us. We knew that people were wondering how we would respond. We just went out there and tried to play a solid game and stay on them the whole time.

On the charge he took:
I could tell. Sometimes you can see it coming. I just wanted to keep my position and everything and make sure I was going to protect myself because I knew I was going to take a blow.

What�s the biggest difference from the last time the USA met Greece?
We�re more aggressive. Last time we just sat back and let them run their sets and let them pick us apart. When you let teams do that they�re good. They have some good motion and can really hurt you. This time we made them run their offense from 30 feet from the basket, we were really into them, and we kept the pressure on them the whole time.

What have you found out about your game in these three games here?
That I can play defense. I know I�m digging a hole for myself with the Raptors because the expectations are going to be there. But I can play defense and I can play a different role. I think that�s hard for some guys to accept sometimes, but I just want to win.

How have your responsibilities changed with this team from 2006?
I think in �06 I was still trying to find out what that role was. I was still trying to find myself and everything. It was frustrating because I wasn�t playing well and if I wasn�t doing what I was supposes to be doing, I couldn�t play. This time I kind of figured it out. I let the game come to me and to be honest, it�s a lot easier. As long as I exert all my energy on defense, run the floor and set screens, I�ll play.

How many times have you seen the tape of that game in 2006?
We watched it this morning, yesterday, pretty much anytime we watch the scouting report. That kind of fueled us a little bit. I think Coach K and the other coaches knew what they were doing.

Were you embarrassed by the way you played defense that night?
Yeah. Anytime you get beat it�s embarrassing. That�s enough. We really used that as fuel to help us with our defense now. That�s the name of the game, no matter how you�re shooting the ball, if you�re playing good defense you�re going to be in the game.

Was that second quarter as good as you�ve played?
Yeah, I think so. We ran the break the right way, we got stops when we were supposed to get stops. We just put it all together. We are starting to realize when we can make our move.

On the comments that the team lacks in size:
We�re all aware of the lack of size. But it�s always going to fuel guys, it�s going to give guys something to prove. If other people don�t think we can rebound the basketball or that we�re going to get beat from the outside, we just have to keep playing and showing that we can get the job done.

I�m here. I don�t want people to forget about me. I�m a big, I can still rebound. I feel that I�m a lot stronger than �06.

On some of the hustle plays:
It�s our hustle. We don�t want anything easy. If teams get two points or three points, we want them to feel like it�s a relief. We want them to feel like that�s the hardest two or three points they ever got. I think that just shows the whole spirit of the whole thing.

What was the key defensively?
Just pressure. We knew if we got into them early, picked them up full court, we would kind of wear them down�In 2006 we just let them run their stuff so we wanted to extend our defense and make them run their offense about 30 of 35 feet away from the basket.

They went with a smaller lineup and forced you to jump out and guard a smaller member. What type of role has Coach K said you�ll have with this team?
He just told me to go out there and play basketball and after a while I kind of figured out what kind of role I have- just to get easy baskets. These guys are so talented, I credit my success to my teammates because usually when guys go up I can get a rebound or they dish it off to me and all I have to do is finish so that�s kind of an easy job.

About playing Spain,
We�re going to formulate a game plan tomorrow�but we know these guys can play.  They�re the defending World Champions and one of the best teams in this tournament.

Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers)
Is there a sense of satisfaction after this win?
It feels good. It was a good game, a good test for us to see where our defense is at and how much we improved over the last two years.

Is there any sense of revenge getting the win against Greece?
It felt good because they obviously felt they could beat us they weren�t intimidated by us. When you face an opponent that doesn�t really fear you, you�re playing for higher stakes. For us, it was a challenge that we accepted for the way that they celebrated the last time when they beat the U.S. We knew this was going to be viewed as first test, and we responded.

The second quarter in particular, the team played great at both ends, the defensive intensity was very impressive. What can you say about that?
That is what we try to do, we try to get out and get after guys. When the opportunity present itself, we want to get out in the passing lanes, get some steals, get some deflections and try to force them to take low percentage shots.

The ball movement was crisp tonight. Was it the best the team has done here?
That is when we are at our best, when we move the ball and attack. I felt we did a good job controlling the offensive rebounds, especially in he first half and that enabled us to get out on the break.

Can you talk about the play of Chris Bosh?
Chris Bosh was terrific. He always seems to find himself ibn the right place at the right time and when we penetrate he�s able to find a little crack or seam and be able to finish. And defensively he did a great job on the pick and roll and stopping their guards from penetrating. He was getting steals and we converted them into easy points. He did a fantastic job.

You got off the schneid with your three point shooting tonight, didn�t you?
At first it was kind of difficult for me to adjust to being a spot-up shooter, but they told me just go out there and be you, be the Black Mamba. When I got that message it was a lot easier for me to just go out thee and play and I just do what I do best.

Looking ahead to Spain, do the stakes go higher?
Yeah, this is another test for us and we�re really looking forward to it. They�re a great team, the defending world champions and we�re looking forward to seeing what we�re made of. I expect great ball movement, great execution and a smart team, a very intelligent team. So we�re really going to have to study them, evaluate them and try to pick them apart.

LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers)
How does this Greek team compare with the one in 2006?
I only see the difference in our team. We�re a much better team and we showcased that tonight.

Did you see fear in their eyes?
No, I don�t think so. We don�t know that we want to go out there and put fear in people�s eyes. A lot of teams think they can beat us, but until they get out onto the court � you can�t go over how fast we are until you get out there on the court with us. It was a great game for us.

What would you say your role is on this team?
For me, it�s just to do whatever it takes to win ball games. I can do everything: score, rebound, defend, it doesn�t matter. Whatever needs to be done at that point in time in the game I can take care of.

On today�s game:
Every time we go on the court we want to have that type of intensity and that type of feeling that it�s our last game. We�ve been in tune for the last couple of games.

What does it feel like when you get it going like you did, especially in the second quarter?
It feels great. When we can get a stop on the defensive end and get out and run, it feels great. Unless you can get out on the court with us you can�t understand how fast we are as a team. When our bigs are running and our guards are running it feels good.

Coach K just said there are no unbeatable teams, even the USA. Your thoughts?
Of course there aren�t. If you don�t come prepared and play like you know how to play, every team can be beat. We are looking to coming out and continuing to play the way we know we should and give ourselves a chance to win. Coach is right.

Does the USA team have a weakness?
I don�t think we have a weakness, but if a team comes out and plays better than us or we don�t come out and play like we know how to play, then we could lose.

What about Spain next?
We haven�t focused much on Spain yet. Tomorrow is going to be Spain all day, all Spain. We�ll go through video, go through practice, go through shootaround game day getting ready for Spain. They have a good team. They have a lot of pros, a lot of guys who have been together for a long time. We look forward to the challenge.

Chris Paul (New Orleans Hornets)
Thoughts on the Game?
This was a big game for us.  We had this game circled for a long time once we found out what the groups were.  Greece is a very good team; they beat us in �06.  There were a few of us on this team that felt like we needed this game to prove to ourselves that we do business and we�re ready to win this gold medal.

How critical was perimeter defense?
That�s very key.   The thing about our team is that we are built to play defense.  I think Coach told us from day one that this may be the best defensive team he felt like he�d ever coach, and it starts with us guards, me, J-Kidd, D-Will.  J-Kidd got three early fouls in the first two minutes. Me and Deron knew we needed to come in and keep that same intensity.  As long as we keep the pressure on teams in this tournament, I feel like we will impose our will and eventually wear them down.

Can you talk about your team�s ability to disrupt their pick and roll and how important that was?
That�s been a point of emphasis since day one, is the pick and roll.  We knew that these guys ran 42 ball screens on us last time and they pretty much picked us apart.  They hit the roll guy and hit guys for threes and we knew the only way to be effective was to be aggressive.  I think Chris Bosh was the X-factor in the game tonight.  He was outstanding in the way that he was active on the ball screens.  When we have someone vocal and communicating with us guards, it makes it a lot easier on us.

How different is this team since the one that lost in 2004?
Fortunately I wasn�t on that team four years ago.  We have a few guys that played on that team, and I think the biggest thing about this team is that we have invested a lot in this.  It�s been a three-year commitment since the �06 World Games and we feel like we have a lot at stake here.  We go out every night and not only play for our country, we play for each other.

I think that�s the biggest that we�ve learned since �04 is that we need to seize the moment and take full advantage of this.

Did you know coming in the Chinese crowd would be so pro-American?
I knew it.  I�ve actually played over here and it�s unbelievable how China receives us.  We�re extremely grateful.  We say it all the time.  We feel like the Beatles whenever we go anywhere � or something like it.  The Chinese fans have been outstanding for us.   Every time we leave the hotel, go to practice, they are there celebrating us.  Like I said, we�re greatly appreciative for it.  We�re going need; we�re going to need it to continue to succeed in this tournament.

Michael Redd (Milwaukee Bucks)
Greece went to the basket, nobody was there and they still kicked it outside instead of scoring. Can you comment on that?
Yeah, that was surprising, very surprising that they did that. That�s their strategy: draw, kick and suck us in and knock down the threes. They struggled tonight from the 3-point line tonight, which helped us.

On the USA�s interior defense:
I think we did a good job. We did a great job not allowing easy layups, easy shots. We played well tonight defensively.

Do you think this sends a message to Greece and the rest of the field?
No, we just play basketball. We don�t try to send messages, we just play basketball. Whoever we face each night, we�re ready for them.

What other sports have you been able to see at the Olympics?
Table tennis, swimming, tennis and diving.

Did you hear about James Blake�s win today?
I just heard about it in the locker room. It was an awesome win for him, I think it was the first time win over Federer. It�s amazing. Huge win for him. He�s talented and I�m happy he won.

Who�s really standing out here on your team right now?
You have to look at our starting five and also Dwyane Wade is playing extremely well. Chris Bosh has been so impressive.

Why Bosh?
He�s been huge. Being fundamentally sound, making his free throws, rebounding the basketball. Defensively he�s been great. He�s playing well.

Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat)
On the game against Greece in 2006
We kind of laid back and let them run their offense, let them get into a groove. We didn�t make adjustments, they ran 42 pick and rolls, we didn�t make adjustments at all in the game. Tonight we threw a couple different defenses at them.

How would you describe your defense today?
We played like we wanted to win. We played together. We were very aware of their offensive sets. We were very aware of their personnel and we played like that. We stepped in front of what they wanted to do. We knew everything already. Our coaches did a great job of getting us prepared.

Why was the second quarter so much better than it was in the first quarter?
It�s always like that for us. We come out in the first quarter and we understand that teams are going to come out and they�re playing with a lot of emotions, they�re very excited, we�re very excited and we�re going to spar at first until we hit that button and we try to turn it up. I think that�s why we�re one of the best teams in here � we�re deep and we can bring in another wave of guys and there�s not a letdown from the first guys. That�s our key, we have a wave of guys who will keep coming.

Does this mean something for you to beat them like this?
Yeah, we wanted to make a statement that first of all, we�re a better team than we were in �06. We�re only going to continue to get better. It�s only game three. It�s another win and we can learn from it but we have to move on to the next game.

Do you think you sent a message to other teams?
I don�t think so. These teams are not afraid of us at all. I don�t know what kind of message it sends. But we�re here. We�re going to play that way on the defensive end that way every day to give ourselves the opportunity to win. Then when we have one of those offensive games where we�re really clicking on all cylinders, we�re really going to be tough.

On Spain, the USA�s next opponent:
Spain is good, they�re a good team. They�ve got a lot of weapons they can throw at you. They know each other, they�ve been playing together for awhile. They�re a very good team and we�re looking forward to the match-up.

Is the identity of this team the defense?
No question. We know that we�re not going to win if we don�t play defense like we played tonight.

Deron Williams (Utah Jazz)
25 turnovers, defensive pressure was the key, what were the keys tonight?
Just 40 minutes of pressure; 40 minutes of intensity; no let up, no excuses; that�s what we talked about coming into this game.  It was definitely a game we had circled because of what happened in �06.  We just came out and forced a lot of turnovers, we were able to get out and run and we play our best basketball like that.

In 2006 Greece defeated the United States in the semifinals of the World Championship and in Greece they treated that like a celebration of winning the world title.
Coach K put that video on, I wasn�t on that team personally, but a lot guys were, we saw how they celebrated like they won the Olympics, so it was definitely a game that we had circled and were ready for.

Up next is Spain, a team that is also undefeated in pool play, they have some guard that are either in the NBA or will be in the NBA, that�s one of their strengths, what the key to that game?
Same thing.  We have to play our same basketball � get out and pressure, make things hard for them to run their offense, take away some things, and get pressure.  They are definitely the toughest opponents we�ve face yet and they have a chance to pose some problems, but if we can stick to our game, watch film on them and study them, then we�ll be fine.

You guys kind of took it to them tonight. Talk about it.
We just wanted to play 40 minutes of solid basketball tonight. No let-up, no excuses. And I think that�s what we did. We used our energy and defensive pressure to disrupt them and take them out of what they wanted to do. That�s what we want to do, not just tonight but for the rest of this tournament.

Do you sense a team wilt a little when you beat them mentally?
Yeah, I mean it�s relentless pressure. It comes from all angles, we are so deep that of one guy gets tired, somebody else comes in and picks up right where the first guy left off.

Is this a little bit of a makeup for the World Championships? Has that been talked about?
It was definitely a game we had circled. Some of us weren�t on that team and some of us were. It�s been a game that they talked about and the media has talked about so it was definitely a game we were ready for.

When the team was cooking like you were in the second quarter, it looks like you are having a lot of fun.
Oh yeah, it was definitely fun. That�s the thing about this team---everyone is having fun, everyone is competing hard. That�s the way we want to play every night.

Does it go up another notch now with Spain up next?
Yeah. It�s not going to get any easier from here on out. We knew that coming into tonight�s game and that�s why we decided to pick it up. Our game plan stays the same. We�ll make a couple of adjustments defensively.

Talk about the difference with the guards between Greece and what you expect to see against Spain.
I think the Greek guards were the best we have seen yet, but I think it goes to another level for Spain. They have proven guys, guys who play in the NBA and make an impact in the NBA. Calderon, Navarro, Delfino. Fernandez is going to be great in the league. They can play.

How do you explain the defensive culture on this team?
That�s the coaching. They�ve stressed that since we first got together. I think we did a better job of that tonight. In the first few games we did it in spurts and we were able to break away. But pretty much for the whole game tonight we were out there being active and I think that�s when we play our best basketball. We were able to force turnovers and get out there and run. Once we get five guys out there running on the court I think it�s very hard to stop this team.