Chauncey Billups
Chauncey Billups
Chauncey Ray Billupsis an American retired professional basketball player who played 17 seasons in the National Basketball Association. A star at the University of Colorado, he was selected third overall in the 1997 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics. A five-time NBA All-Star and a three-time All-NBA selection, Billups played for the Celtics, Toronto Raptors, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, and Los Angeles Clippers during his NBA career. He won the NBA Finals MVP in 2004...
ProfessionBasketball Player
Date of Birth25 September 1976
CityDenver, CO
Our whole focus is trying to get home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. We play every game focused on the big picture, not against our opponent that night.
That was one of our goals. That and trying to get home court all the way through. So it was important.
It feels great to get some rest. We worked hard for that and we're going to cherish that right now, even if that means losing a few games, you know what I'm saying? We're all trying to get rest and the guys that are out there are trying to stay healthy more than anything. I mean, so what? We did what we've had to do so far.
We're just trying to win all the games we're supposed to win, and not play down to the level of the competition.
When he gets a tech, he always seems to be a little more in tune with what's going on. We ran his plays a little more after that, trying to keep him going.
We were trying to go to him, inside or outside. He was very aggressive and his shots were falling, so we were going to keep going to him until he tired himself out.
We were trying to go to him, inside and outside. We were going to keep going to him until he got tired.
We're trying to get back to our winning ways right. That's more important. We still have three more games.
I wanted him to stay in. Just keep trying to make them. We were going to try and make sure we got stops on the other end. We have each others' back anyway.
He took himself out, but I wanted him to stay in. I wanted him to keep trying to make them. We'd get the stops on the other end. We've got each other's backs.
They live and die with their three-point shot; they got a lot of great three-point shooters. We're just trying to run them off that line -- either go to the rack or shoot mid-range shots. Because we know if they get it cooking from that three-point line, you could give yourself a long night.
It was just another game for us. We're just trying to win every game we can to gain home court through the playoffs.
I want to win the game, don't get me wrong. But mostly, I am just trying to stay healthy. That's the most important thing right now; that and trying to lock up that home-court advantage.
I was just trying to play solid D, no reaching, no poking. When they switched off a big man, keep my hands up, try to front. Little stuff like that, but it didn't end up working.