Tom Heinsohn Quotes

The contention is if you don't do it in the first quarter, if you don't box out and control the glass in the first quarter, you are not going to do it in the fourth quarter and overtime.

Getting on fast-breaks, you don't do that when you let a team shoot 20 free throws in one quarter.

At the end of 2003, my game was complete. Shooting, defense, using the dribble, transition, midrange stuff was all there. Then it was about fine-tuning and trying to improve in each area.

Instead of me going out and having eight shot attempts with six 3s, let me see if I can have just four 3s and attack the basket and try to get fouls and rebound better.

Depending on the point in the game and what's necessary, if you can deliver the play, whatever that is - heck, if it's a screen - and you get a guy open, and he scores a big basket for you, that gives me as much of a charge as anything.

What I really lick my chops for is when you get the offensive rebounds at the end of the third quarter, fourth quarter. That really just sucks the life out of the opponent. You can see it in their face, especially when you're on the road, it just takes the whole energy out of the arena. That's what I live for.

I missed big free throws. I had terrible shooting nights. I had games where I had 13 turnovers.

Nine times out of 10, if you win the game, it starts with the turnover battle.

I was guarding the best player and getting 25 and having eight assists, and three-four steals.

It starts the fast-break a lot easier when I get the ball. I don't have to wait for big men to give me it. Just get it and go.

In Atlanta, we ran a motion offense, so, obviously, I was on the move a lot.

We need to play tough defense and have a sound offense. But mostly, we have to outrebound the other team.

Every game, well most of them, come down to turnovers and the turnover battle.

When I'm out there flying around, blocking shots, dunking the ball, grabbing rebounds it brings everybody's spirits up and gets them going.

Basketball was my first love. I still love the game of basketball.

You can't just sit back and think you're gonna pack the paint in and win games. You've gotta guard that three-point line.

I'm not the strongest, I'm not the fastest, I can't jump the highest, so for me, it's doing it in other ways: changing paces, using your body to get open, knowing your defender. A lot goes into it. You have to study the game.

Running the triangle offense, you have pretty much set rotations where you are going to be at.

The advantage of not starting is you're sitting back, looking at the game and saying, 'OK, we need rebounding,' or 'We need hustle points.' Coming off the bench, that's what you try to do. The disadvantage of it is you gotta catch that flow. You're coming off the bench, you gotta come ready, warmed up already, catch the flow of the game.

I think scoring first is huge in the postseason.

I'm starting to figure it out - figure out my spots, where I should be on the court, where I'm most effective, and how I handle double teams - and it's paying off.

I mean, defense to me is something that when you watch a game you don't really pay attention to defense unless you're very - unless you're a specialist.

I feel like I'm trying to change basketball; being a center, being able to play both sides of the ball and being able to pass as well as I can, that's a difference-maker on a team, especially at the center spot, so it's respect at all levels.

I don't like isolation play, unless you're in the low post.

Harden throws his body around a lot and is a master at drawing fouls. It could be considered borderline flopping sometimes, but he's a vet who knows how to get to the line.