Pat Riley
Pat Riley
Patrick James "Pat" Rileyis an American professional basketball executive, and a former coach and player in the National Basketball Association. He has been the team president of the Miami Heat since 1995 and head coach in two separate tenures. Widely regarded as one of the greatest NBA coaches of all time, Riley has served as the head coach of five championship teams, four with the Los Angeles Lakers and one with the Heat...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionCoach
Date of Birth20 March 1945
CityRome, NY
CountryUnited States of America
We weren't sharp. They came out with more energy and their offense was much more crisp.
We came out strong, but we couldn't finish it and you've got to give them credit. Their defense was fresh, energized, committed; it was knowing. They knew where we were going to go with the ball, and they took it away. It was tie, tie, tie, and once it got down to four or six points, there was no coming back for us.
But it's up to Shaquille, too. I mean, it's up to him. And this is where the old coach came out of Stu. He started using some coaching terminology. He said, 'Well, you've got to get him to make a V-cut every now and then. If he makes a V-cut, then they impede his progress, they'll call it.
We're supposed to be one of the top teams in the league. We've assembled some of the top talent in the league. This team needs to understand that when we come to another team's arena, that it is a big event. We came in here and the Hornets took it from us.
We kept coming back, coming back. And every time we came out of a huddle, they sort of regained their composure again.
To say they came ready to play is an understatement. They came out and really wanted to make a statement. They jumped (on the Cavaliers) defensively and created most of their offense off their defense.
We came in here and that team just took it to us and took it away from us. It was an abysmal night.
They came out, really wanted to make a statement, jumped on the team defensively. We had a lot of energy to start the game.
I think we know who we are. We're disappointed with the loss because we caught them at the end of a tough trip. We came out strong but we couldn't finish it.
It came down to one or two plays and we didn't make them.
When he came to the Lakers, Bob McAdoo told me how much the game meant, how it changed everything, how it opened up the world for black kids in the South. I guess I never really thought of it that way, that we were such a big part of history.
He has a little irritation on his knee. It came out of nowhere.
We just had a hard time guarding the ball on the dribble.
We just had a great first quarter. I mean, it was just incredible. I don't think I've ever seen this team play like that.