This was one of those grind-out wins.

Then, it wasn't a Finals atmosphere, but he went up against Bruce Bowen, one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, and he gave Bruce fits. Al wasn't one of those guys to play with the ball. He caught it and shot it or caught it and drove it and shot it. Not many people could stop him.

This is one of our biggest wins since I've been here.

It softens things up and makes you able to enjoy the break a little bit.

I felt proud of them and happy for them as friends. But then I was, not jealous in a bad way, but I just was wishing I had been there ... It did take me a while to accept that reality, but that's over with now.

I've been playing guys like that all my life. I'm not worried about that.