About the Mavs' defense against LeBron James and in the fourth quarter: Our team defense has really stepped up in the fourth, which we had to do because we were playing from behind. One of the big things we had to battle was early problems on the offensive boards. Them getting nine offensive rebounds in the first quarter was killing us. They only got six the rest of the game, which really helped.
Look, I mean, they got great players, and those are the guys you have to deal with. And we just try to- we've got a team system, and the schemes we're using aren't very complex. It's just all about hard play.
Asked about his team's resiliency and resolve: Look, we're a tough ball club. We've been tough all year. We don't have the the appearance of a physically bruising-type team, but this is as mentally tough a group as I've ever had. I love this team more than any team I've had because they just -- waht they stand for, how they play together, and how they trust. It can be difficult because Miami has some guys that make some breathtaking plays. Just to keep playing through that and to keep playing through situations where you're missing some shots you normally make, hey, there's some frustration out there, but they stuck together. They kept their energy up. And they found a way.
Asked whether Dirk Nowitzki's illness gave him qualms about who to go to in the final seconds: Well, he's one of the greatest ever. He wants the ball, and he wants the responsibility of winning and losing the game. So we make every effort to put him in those situations. It's not easy because teams do a great job of trying to deny him the ball. And in those situations, you know, Jason Terry has been one of the best fourth-quarter players in the league for a number of years. And Kidd's experience and, you know. We're a team that has to find ways. And generally, we want to play through Dirk as much as we can.
On lineup changes and whether he considered starting Jason Terry:
Well, it changed the dynamics of the rotation. I thought it helped Marion in large part. Look, there's a lot of different things you can do. I'm not going to get into every little thought process. Barea is a guy that we've asked to do this before. He gives us a different dimension with our team. I thought his ball pressure in Game 3 was a big factor when we were trying to come back from a deficit there, and he helps us from the play-making side.
So I thought he did a good job. His stats don't look great, but his penetration helped us, and his ball pressure helped us. So we'll see what we do in Game 5.
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