Quotes of the day (22.08.07)

Brazil 75, Canada 67

BRAZIL HEAD COACH - ALUISIO FERREIRA

Canada was able to take over the tempo a little bit to take over the game, the same thing happened in the second half, could you explain how Canada got back into the game and what you need to do to control the tempo again?

We started playing well but then after the turnovers in the second quarter, it took the team out of their rhythm. We did a better job on defense and we regrouped the number of turnovers in the third quarter.  We had a little bit of trouble at the beginning of the fourth quarter but then we took over again. We worked on our defense and we finished strong

LEANDRO BARBOSA

Could you talk about the satisfaction about getting this game.
The first game is always really important for us and I think we did a great job.  We know we have to do a lot of things to beat other teams but we came here to win and we did tonight.  Tomorrow we have a day off and we will fix a lot of things in practice so we can be better in the next game.

Can you talk about what exactly it is you need to fix for the next game?
We missed a lot of passes and had a lot of turnovers and we let them [Brazil] come back in the game.  

What does it mean to have Nene back on the team?
He is with us now, he is key for us.  Hopefully he will help us his help is important now.

CANADA HEAD COACH - LEO RAUTINS

How is your son?  
It is tough.  He is a real important part of our team.  He has been a facilitator, he's one of our best shooters and he has become one of our better defenders.  He came in with the group in the second quarter that got us back into the game, losing him has a big impact on this team, not to mention he's my son.

You guys played real well against one of the better teams in the tournament, are you encouraged despite the loss?
I think we're capable of playing a lot better than we did.  We made a lot of mental mistakes especially down the stretch.  We started the game flat as well.  Not a lot of energy defensively and we didn't do the things we talked about going into the game. Offensively we just stood around waiting for things to happen instead of creating situation.  Brazil is a great team, they have been together along time.  I think we can play a lot better than we did.  

JUAN MENDEZ

I believe in my teammates, we have a great team we have a solid front line.  We have a solid core of guys and we're not going to back down from no one.  We have to come together and figure out how to win.  

Mexico 100, Puerto Rico 89

NOLAN RICHARDSON, MEXICO HEAD COACH

What did you know about this team coming out of your camps and when you looked at the scores were you surprised or not surprised?

First of all, I know about Mexico because I was born and raised in El Paso, Texas, right next to the boarder so all my life I've coached or played with Mexican kids, so there was a connection from the beginning.  I've also coached the Panamanian team in Santo Domingo, getting those guys to the World Games.  Mexico was there and I watched them knock out Argentina in the first game.  So you could see there was enough talent.  So I knew that much about them - I didn't know the players.  We spent eight days training and guys never missed the workouts.  To answer your question, this group has worked extremely hard.  That was our 20th game since May 21; we went to El Salvador and played five games.  We've been in the hottest gyms and highest altitudes. When you have guys like that, that are that dedicated, you know you have a good team.  But this is still the beginning.  We still have several games to go.

Can you tell us how you communicate with the team?

I can speak Spanish.  I understand Spanish.  There are words I don't know.  If I'm in Mexico though, I can understand - so therefore, I can communicate with the team.

What similarities do you find in your work in Panama several years ago and now?

I think Mexico has twelve players that really want to play.  In Panama you had eight.  The Panama team, however, was more athletic. 

VICTOR MARISCAL, MEXICO

This win against Puerto Rico in the first game was key for you guys, right?

Yes, of course.  This would've been important for any team.  We won against a great team like Puerto Rico and this helps us gain confidence for the next game.  This is only the beginning.

What inspires you about the words that Coach Richardson has shared with you guys?

Well, our Coach has known what to expect from our team.  He's known that our guys are not more than 2m.5 in height, which means that if we run the court, we have the mentality that we can win.  And just knowing things will be fine. He told us that Mexico had always played half court - we had never pressured or played with the intensity that he brought.  He came in May and I swear the first day we felt different because the trainings were so intense - a lot harder than any other training we've had.  His words are also very motivating - making us believe we can truly defeat any team.  Even if it's not always like that - knowing that we can lose, get up and keep playing.  Our team is young, and has a lot of energy and potential.

What are you telling your teammates in an effort to avoid a situation like the one against Argentina four years ago?

Well, we [Horacio Llamas and I] talk to them a lot to ensure that we don't panic when we're in a situation where a team is 12 points ahead or behind, like today.  We tell them to stay calm and think that things will be fine.  We try to communicate this because Horacio and I are the veterans in the team and have played several games like that.  In fact, last year Mexico was beating Puerto Rico by like 18 points and we lost that game.  So we tell them what coach tells us, stay calm, things will be fine, stay confident.  I've been a very aggressive player and I don't like losing.  But sometimes things workout, other times they don't. Horacio and I don't get angry anymore if we lose because we realized it just won't contribute to anything.  That has helped us become friends on and off the court.   It has helped us respect each other and enjoy the games we play.  So even if you lose, you'll be fine because you worked hard and enjoyed what you did.

MANOLO CINTRON, PUERTO RICO HEAD COACH

Well, we weren't able to deliver when it really mattered.  We had 23 turnovers, 17 in the first half, and in the last quarter, when we were finally in control, we lost three balls.  We made a good effort but we weren't able to close the deal in the end, and they kept up their consistency in defending the court.

Will a day off help the team recover and move forward?

We don't have a day off until Saturday, we have four consecutive games.  We just have to go back to what we were doing at the beginning.  We've stopped doing a lot of things offensively.  We've been playing fast, but not consistently in our offense and our consistency is definitely one of the most important things we need to get back to.  In 24 hours we need to reinvent ourselves and come together - we have a very important game against Panama.  I hope we do better tomorrow - we all sometimes play well, and other times play poorly - but as a team we haven't been able to play consistently. 

CARLOS ARROYO, PUERTO RICO

Carlos, what can you say about the game?

I think coach said it all.  We didn't give ourselves the chance to win the game.  We didn't defend, we didn't control the ball - we didn't do the right things to dominate the game.  We didn't fill our positions properly and unfortunately, without taking away any credit from Mexico, we just didn't play up to par. 

Is there a specific or different team effort applied for every day in the schedule?

Like Manolo said we need to reinvent ourselves.  We have to keep trying and we can't put our heads down.  We know this is a tournament with a lot of competition and a lot of talent. We know we have to assume more responsibility, looking for the game and not waiting until the last possible moment to begin playing.   Tomorrow we play against Panama, I believe, and we are just looking to adjust the system and stay positive.




Uruguay 88, Panama 84

URUGUAY HEAD COACH - ALBERTO ESPASANDIN

You were 13 points behind at one point in the game.  What did you do to make a comeback?
We improved our offense. I think it was also important to recover our defense.  We came into the second half with a much more aggressive attitude.   We were able to attack Panama's strategy, which was to focus on our weaknesses in the first half.  That helped us gain confidence in the second half in our offense and I think Uruguay played a great second
half.

Why do you think the situation was different in the first half?
Basketball games can last forty minutes and so Uruguay had the chance to recover and get back in the game.  It's not unusual for a team to close a 13 point gap.  Still, despite the Uruguay's great second half, Panama was able to make it back in the last few minutes of the game.  As I mentioned games last 40 minutes but in the end, Uruguay was able to win the game in overtime.

NICOLAS MAZZARINO

How would you categorize this game?
When  we were on our way to Vegas we knew that Panama was going to be an important  team  for our development in the series. It was a tough game, but  we  reached  our objective which was to win the game. And now we'll have to rest and wait to see what happens with the rest of the series.

What do you expect from tomorrow's game against Argentina?
Tomorrow will be another totally different game.  We know them well, but the reality is they have more talent than we do.  It'll be a difficult game, but we'll be ready to play full force.  We want to win and hope it'll be a close game.


PANAMA HEAD COACH  - VICENTE DUNCAN

They won the game on the line.  We missed some key free throws at the end especially in the regulation time. In overtime we miss some key free throws.

On missing Lloreda in overtime.
He is our heart.  He is our main guy on the inside.  We lacked power on the inside right after he fouled out.  I thought the defense was fairly good.  We gave them a couple of easy shots that we talked about at halftime.  Other than that we did miss our big guy on the inside.

Were the free throws abnormally low for you?
We had a good tournament in Rio, we shot pretty good in Rio.  We have been practicing free throws everyday. That is how we lost this game, on the free throw line.

USA 112, Venezuela 69

USA HEAD COACH – MIKE KRZYZEWSKI

We are really happy about our performance. Venezuela played so hard and we played hard. Our talent level showed but also how well these guys have been playing together. Very unselfish and we played outstanding defense. I am really pleased with our first performance.

Mike you had Kobe hounding their point guard and throwing himself on the floor in the second quarter did that kind of set the tone?

Yes it did. Our defense has really set the tone. Selfless play like that, that anyone of our guys would make. Kobe is the one that made it tonight but anyone of our guys will make that play. That does set the tone. And the fact that he wanted to play defense. You have a guy that has had a lot of 50 point games in the league and he wants to play defense. That’s a pretty nice thing.

It seemed you started off slow offensively trying to get the whole team going. Is that because guys are trying to get used to each other?

I didn’t think that we were slow offensively. I thought we missed free throws and we missed some great shots including a couple of dunks. Offensively I was pleased, again, the ball has to go in. The offensive performance was good. It was hard to believe that at halftime we had shot over 50 percent.

On Argentina committing a lot of fouls

If we play at that tempo, you almost have to foul, because we’re playing very fast and we’re attacking. Usually you don’t foul that doesn’t attack. Venezuela attacked. That is why we got into foul trouble in two of the quarters, they were an attacking team. We’re going to try and continue to attack.

You seemed to focus every time somebody was interior cuts in the lane, the team seemed to pick it up right away. Although you didn’t do as much back cutting as we’ve seen in the past is that a matter of personnel or is that a matter of a real concentration?

Our guys are communicating well defensively. They hit some tough shots, they hit some tough three’s. I thought our team tried to play each possession hard. If we do that then we are going to continue to get better. This is really our first game that these guys have played together. We have eight new guys on this team. Actually this is the first international game for I think seven of our players. We’re still learning about the game.

Were you surprised about the sparse crowds out there tonight?

No not really. They were a very vocal and appreciative crowd. I think because there are four games in and 10 games in 12 days and its summer. We appreciate the fan support and it was a televised game and that has something to do with it I’m sure. I think the fans were very appreciative of both teams. I think that both teams played so hard.

You coached the National Team at the World Championships in 1990 in Argentina. What is the biggest difference in coaching this team now?

We coached all college kids. Russia and Yugoslavia are still together, two teams we faced. We had good players and we came in third. It’s a game for men. The college kids can no longer compete at the championship level, a whole team of them, or the Olympic level. World basketball is too advanced for that.


JASON KIDD

You guys had set the tone defensive pressure man-to-man, off the top then you started playing zone a little then it seemed like the Venezuelans got into a little bit of a rhythm too. How is for you guys because you guys don’t play a lot of zone. How is that for you guys because you don’t play a lot of zone, how did if feel going from a man-to-man to a zone and how did the transition go for you?

I think that is something that we are trying to work on during practices this past week. I thought we came with a great tempo we were aggressive on the defensive end, everyone was talking everyone was engaged. We want to be able to show different looks to keep our opponent off our stride. You’ve got to give them some credit, they made some tough shots.

First of all, how satisfying is it for you to be back apart of team USA again and secondly the role you play on this team.

I am very honored to have this opportunity to play for my country. I have always enjoyed this challenge. I am very honored to be with this talented group especially Coach K. For me, my role is to come out with some energy defensively and to make the game as easy as possible on the offensive end. Find the open guy. Keep guys focused for 40 minutes and have fun doing it.

Jason is it your philosophy to kind of always push the up tempo for the team or slow it down or whatever the defense gives you?

I think for this team, we like to get out and run. I think we can also play in the half court and be patient and make that extra pass. I think that you saw that tonight, it wasn’t so much one-on-one as you see in the NBA. Guys were driving and making the extra pass, you saw the bench up cheering one another. You don’t get to see that in the NBA but you got to see that tonight from some NBA players. That’s our game, to get out and make the easy basket.