Chus Mateo appeared at a press conference after Real Madrid’s victory over Barça in the Euroleague Final Four.
These have been his words:
“We started the game in the right way but Barça’s success from long distance in the first half could be a problem if they kept scoring like this. At halftime we talked about when we might have a chance, when they wouldn’t score so easily and we could come into the game from defense and rebounding. We fight every rejection and no losses. That was the important moment to reach the end with a chance to win, we found that window and went through it.
Some players have played very good defense against Mirotic and Laprovittola but at the end of the game, with the veterans, we kept the rhythm of the game and they allowed us to beat Barcelona, which is a magnificent team with very good players. It is not easy to reach the Final Four and it is even more difficult to reach the final. We are very happy because our dream continues and we can continue dreaming of one more game. We will see what happens against Olympiacos but today I am very happy for the hearts of my players. We are a team.
At halftime we saw that we had a choice because last year we came down 11 at halftime and we won the game. And if they leave us alive and don’t finish us off, we like to redo ourselves in the face of difficulty. They were scoring a lot from outside with 9 triples and it is true that some came from our failures and others from their great success, but we knew how to stay calm and not go crazy. Waiting for the moment and the moment was when his percentages dropped. We still believe in defending those shots but being ready to grab the rebounds. We managed to rebound acceptably because we have shortcomings and we know it but we were good. And when we found that window I’m talking about, it opened wide and we got right in there. They came back but we were already inside. The team has the capacity to suffer and knows how to fight. I am very happy with the chemistry that has been created, especially because the season has been hard but that hardness helps us to get ahead. We already know where we are and we know what it means to represent this team, always subject to whether we played well or badly but with a cool head and thinking about focusing on our work.
We talk a lot about Tavares and we talk a lot not with him alone, but with the team, about how important it is for him to be in the team. He has realized that without Poirier he needs to spend 30 and many minutes on the track for the team to revolve around him. Edy is a special player for everyone, for us and also for our rivals. It is not necessary to tell him much, every time he has a greater capacity to understand the game and to understand what is needed of him. I’m very happy with how he works and it’s wonderful to have him. I am very glad that things are going well for a person as good as him.
If you see my smile when we talk about Chacho… because it’s something spectacular. Between him, Llull and Rudy at the end of the team they have managed the rhythm again, but how difficult it is to stop a player with so much talent. He is a trilero, he is very nice for the fans to see him. We know the shortcomings that Sergio Rodríguez has at the back, that he hasn’t had them today either, but up front it’s hard to stop when he’s plugged in. When he takes out his crutch and starts fighting, it’s wonderful to see him and I’m very happy with him. They all deserve it and they have been fighting a lot since the beginning of the year.
“If you see my smile when you talk about Chacho…”
The words of Chus Mateo about the game of @SergioRodriguez pic.twitter.com/R7nF5ceplv
– Giants of Basket (@GIGANTESbasket) May 19, 2023
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2023-05-19 21:14:21
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