Well, I normally err on the side of telling the truth, so I'm going to tell it. I'm really embarrassed by what happened out there. I thought we came out in the second half, we were pretty much as soft as I've seen. We played with very little heart, very little aggressiveness.

It's possible. I have the unfortunate experience of . . . whenever I have tried it, he has burned us. He has made (the free throws).

We feel fortunate that Shaq played 24 minutes.

We kind of had a pop to our step most of the game.

It's safe to say that's a lie. I wasn't even aware anybody said that. I didn't even get into it verbally with anybody during the game.

We just couldn't stop him in key moments.

We kind of lost our poise out there and they ran away from us. In a matter of minutes, the game was gone.

It's been a good impression; he's a very good offensive player. He's got a lot to learn on the defensive end, as all rookies do. I'm not sure, yet, what his future holds here. But he's definitely on the verge of being an NBA player.

We haven't yet in either game played the kind of defense that we've played the whole year to get a gauge on how we can play against (Miami).

We just expect a few basic things. We need him to defend, rebound, run the floor -- same things we've always needed. He's got to be able to find a way to get that done for us.