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
The worst thing that can happen is that this thing goes to seven games and maybe we'll have him absolutely healthy. But we're planning on trying to go up to Chicago and closing this thing out.
That's two games in a row that we showed, at a time when we need to show it, a real lockdown mentality defensively. It's not surprising to me if they're committed on doing it. They've done it off and on. Not consistent. It's when the mood strikes them.
You can characterize it however you want to, they are finding ways to win. They make plays at the end of games and that's what it is all about.
We were very fortunate to win. I think we understand that. But you have to win some games like this.
I would say at the end of the games if you went back and charted Jason Williams making shots in the last four minutes he's one of the best at making open shots. So you've got to have him on the court. While everybody says you've got take him off the court because it's a defensive thing, what do I do at the other end?
Obviously we're concerned about everybody's health, based on what happened last year. We've still got 19 games to play. You can't walk around on egg shells, but we do have to be conscious of the maintenance of these guys.
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've got a couple of good games with this lineup. But what this lineup has yet to really prove to me is they haven't brought a whole lot of energy at the beginning of the game. I think that's a mental thing more than anything else.
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.
It's just good to get this win and get ready for Indiana and the next six or seven games that are coming our way.
We do circle the calendar (for) maybe 10 or 15 games a year that are significant.
I don't take joy in anything else. The fact they have lost two games in a row. ... Welcome to the NBA. I'm really concentrating on our guys, our team. I'm not watching the standings much right now.
It's a reality we have to understand. (O'Neal) has to be more diligent. We have to be more diligent protecting him. We need him in the game.