HEAT Head Coach Stan Van Gundy

On the game:
“I was really happy with that win because we said going into the game that we thought we would have to win this one with our defense and our rebounding, and that is exactly what we did. I thought that we did a great job defensively. Obviously Nenad Krstic had a fabulous night. He is a great rookie and is going to be a great player for them. I was happy overall with our defense and our rebounding. We have got to do a little better job containing the ball, and that will us help stay out of foul trouble. We had a lot of guys who stepped up and helped us off our bench. We had great contributions from a lot of people and I am very happy with that win.”

On Alonzo Mourning:
“He was unbelievable tonight. He had 21 points and nine rebounds in 16 minutes. That is one of the most productive lines that you will ever see. He was absolutely great tonight. He was probably the biggest reason from a personnel standpoint that we won the game.”

On Eddie Jones:
“I am used to him having a defensive night like that. He is so selfless and so professional. You look at Eddie with that skinny body, and you do not think of him as a tough guy, but he will throw his body around the glass. He is one of the best defensive rebounding three men in the league. He is not even a three man, he is a two guard. He will take charges. He will get up and battle defensively. The guy has had a great year. He has had a great two playoff games, and I am sure it will continue. It was a highlight tonight to hear our arena chanting his name tonight because he deserves it.”

HEAT Center Alonzo Mourning

On the game:
“It is nice having this 2-0 lead, but it is just another game toward us accomplishing our goal. We have 14 more games to win and every one of us has to continue to stay ready and answer the call. Everyone on the bench, all 12 guys when their number is called have to be ready to contribute. It is important that each and everyone of us stay ready, and when our opportunity meets itself you just got to take advantage of it.

“I have been working my whole career to accomplish one goal and that is to win a championship. Everything else will take care of itself. It feels good to be part of a collective group that has the same mentality as well. Shaq supports me and it makes me feel good to have the opportunity to play with somebody of this caliber. We compliment each other’s play, especially in practice when we push each other. This is special because we are competitors. To have an opportunity to have the top three picks, from the 1992 draft to do something special this year, it makes me feel good. I do not want to waste this opportunity because there is no guarantee that we are going to be together next year.”

On his defense:
“I just want to continue to put forth an effort out there on the court. When you work hard on defense it is extremely contagious. If you put forth that effort it filters out to the rest of your teammates and it just picks everyone else up. Once this team starts making a statement defensively, we are going to be tough to deal with.”

HEAT Center Shaquille O’Neal

On the game:
“It’s good to be on a good team. The guys are definitely carrying me right now. My thigh is still a little sore, but I never use that as an excuse. During the first timeout, Zo grabbed me and said, ‘Big Fella you look kinda slow. You look kinda week. I got your back. I’m going to step it up.”

On his teammates:
“I was telling the guys in our secret meeting that on any championship-caliber team, certain guys have to step up on certain nights, and right now you guys are driving a Diesel truck with bad tires in the back. So, I’m proud of the guys. They’re playing well and shooting the ball well. We’re a close-knit group. It can only get better for us. The guys are carrying me. I’m not really at 1000% Diesel form, yet. But, the guys will carry me and it’s nice to be on a good team.”

It’s very important that you’re close. It’s very important that you understand what needs to be done. This is a team with no egos. No problems. Everybody just wants to win. Everybody’s unselfish. You see guys moving the ball and just having a good time. It’s a good feeling. I’m not used to scoring 13 or 14 points and winning. So, like I said, these guys are carrying me right now. They’re telling me to go ahead and get better, and we’ll carry you. That’s what being on a good team is all about.

On Alonzo Mourning:
“He grabbed me and said, ‘Big Fella, I know you’re banged up. I got your back.’ He’s a very enthusiastic player. He definitely carried me today. He definitely was ‘the man’ today. He played well, and I’m very proud of him. It’s just nice to be on a good team.”

“Thank God for Zo. He carried me today. The Hulk carried Superman.”

On going up 2-0 this series:
“We just did what we’re supposed to do, and that was win at home. We don’t want to get overconfident. We know they’re a pretty good road team. We just want to go up there and take it one game at a time. We know if we do what we’re supposed to do as a team and play with intensity, we’re a hard team to beat.”

HEAT Guard Dwyane Wade

On the game:
“I missed some shots that I always hit. There are going to be nights like this, as long as you can help your team win in other areas. I am not going to shoot the ball 50% every night.”

HEAT Forward/Guard Eddie Jones

On defense on Vince:
“We have a great team defense, forcing him into a corner. The team defense is just great right now if he beats me I know I’ll have my teammates waiting for me. I just try to keep my hands up and contests the shots and hopefully pray that they don’t go in.”

On the crowd chanting Eddie:
You know it was great. Sometimes you get caught up in the moment and I think I did because I think I picked up a foul after that. It felt great, and it made me want to go out and do more. They showed their appreciation for what I was doing out there so it made me want to go out and do more and more and continue to hear the chant.

On adjustments:
I just think we adjusted, we really adjusted well. We have those types of players on this team that could adjust to almost any style. Shaq goes out of the game we run with them a little, when he’s in the game we throw it into the post and we do a lot of cutting and we are hitting a lot of jump shots. Also when Shaq is out of the game we run a lot of pick and rolls with Dwyane Wade and he just takes the pick better than everyone else. I mean we’ll just bury them.

New Jersey Nets Head Coach Lawrence Frank

On the game:
“Miami did what they are supposed to do. They have earned the number one seed, got home court advantage and held serve. So, we have to go back to Jersey and respond. Obviously, Alonzo (Mourning) was a game changer. The points in the paint and fast-break points were a huge disparity. We had several uncontested looks, goods shots and unfortunately, rhythm shots that couldn’t fall. We just got to keep on plugging away.”

On the HEAT’s defending of Vince Carter:
“They have done a very good job. They have basically put five guys in the paint. You try and get him (Carter) into different situations by movement. Nenad (Krstic) was a big recipient of that and other guys got good looks as a result. When they (HEAT) put five guys in the paint, Vince (Carter) is making the right basketball play. The only payment is to make shots or extra penetrations. Our intent for the most part was right. Sometimes shots fall, sometimes they don’t. We just have to continue to do a better job on the defensive end. Alonzo (Mouring) was really dominant in the paint. We probably gave him too many layups in and around the paint. We have been here before. Last year we lost the first two games in Detroit. We understand that the only thing that matters right now is learning from our mistakes and being as mentally and physically ready for Game Three.”

Nets Forward/Guard Vince Carter

On the game:
“We knew that they were going to load up on one side and try to make us play on the second side; it is all about patience and moving the ball and trying to make them pay for it. We have to limit their second shots, 14 offensive rebounds is alot to give up. We did a better job of not letting Shaq dictate the game. We have to keep them under 100 points and cannot let their bench come in and score. Zo [Alonzo Mourning] had 21 and Dooling [Keyon Dooling] had 10, that is alot to give up to the bench unit. We missed an opportunity tonight; when Shaq or Dwyane [Dwyane Wade] do not have a great game and they are in foul trouble, you have to take advantage of it. We missed alot of shots. We have to come focused and do our job, take care of home.”

On the play of Alonzo Mourning:
“We need to do a better job on limiting their bench scoring, he was big tonight, he got offensive rebounds and he hit free throws.”

Nets Guard/Forward Richard Jefferson

On the game:
“They are a very balanced team. They are a very good team. Dwyane’s play was outstanding. They had very good balance. We did a good job of containing Wade and some of their perimeter shooters, but they are a balanced team. When you take one thing away, they will get you in another spot. We are still feeling very confident. They protected home court. We were in a similar position last year and we forced a Game Seven. We are still scoring points, but our defense is our big problem. We tried to make a concerted effort to get up on Wade and get up on some other guys. I thought we did a good job. Wade scored some points late, but it is going to take a total team defense to stop them as a team. They have huge dominant guys. Curly [Nenad Kristic] did an unbelievable job. He was a s good as I have seen him against that type of talent. We will be all right. We are not shaken. They are a very good team. You give them all of the credit for the first two games. We respect them, we are going to come home and try to get things straight.”

Nets Forward Brian Scalabrine

On the game:
“Every time we would make a run, they would come back and make a shot, get fouled, or get a transition basket. It was tough. They were a good team today. Once again, we need to go back and make adjustments. We are very disappointed. They [Miami HEAT] controlled the home court. Game three is going to be big for us, so hopefully we can get the game. They were tough in side. I give a lot of credit to this Miami HEAT team.”

On the play of Alonzo Mourning:
“Alonzo [Mourning] did a great job. There must be something in the air down here or in the water because he does not get tired. He can all of a sudden grab offensive rebounds and dunk on people.”

Nets Center/Forward Clifford Robinson

On the game:
“We had some shots that we normally make that we did not make. If we can continue to get those shots, we need to be able to knock them down. We can’t ask for anything more than to knock them down.”