I think both teams settled into 'this isn't our night mode'. The home team has to win those games, and that's what we did.

The defense was good for the most part all night. I thought early on, Chris Paul, that was the game plan, just try to get the ball out of his hands and make somebody else make plays.

It hurts us not to play Friday night games. We got home late Thursday from Puerto Rico and had to play a day game the next day on the 12th. We can get home at 1 o'clock not fall asleep until two and have to be back up at eight while the other team has been here. They are in bed before we even get home.

They are the rare team that has three great players. Most teams have two - except Miami maybe has 2 1/2 with Shaq and Wade.

We played as soft as a team can be. They were tougher mentally, physically and there was no way we were going to win that game.

I don't know if it was vital [to get the win], but it was big. We needed the win because I look at the whole picture. We still have a lot of work to do, but it was nice that we just played better. We played solid basketball.