The match against Baskonia will not be easy for Barça, but both Jasikevicius and the team are clear about where the key to success lies: in defense. Against a team with tremendous offensive potential (in ACB they got 51 points in half) Barça will try to defend “even better” than they did against Partizán. Looking for their second win this week
Baskonia: “We have defended Partizan well and we will have to defend Baskonia even better. The numbers don’t lie. They are top-3 in almost every attacking category. Those who put the most, those who throw the most three. They attack very well. In ACB they scored 51 points in the first half. We were heavily punished for our mistakes. It’s a super difficult match, I think Baskonia has a lot of players with points on their hands. We have to start from this defensive mentality that we had on Tuesday. Even more”.
Marcus Howard: “You never know how a player is going to react. He will come with more desire to play a good game. Not just him, but the entire outside line. They are very good. They are managing the team better every day”
Last quarters. “We always talk that we reached the last quarter with important income. It is difficult for us to close the games. I don’t know why we lost the last quarter. Many games we arrive with a lot of advantage. We know that we have to close the matches better. Play the 40 minutes. We’re playing good basketball.”
Baskonia trajectory. “You never know how the players coming from the Eurocopa were going to adapt. The truth is that they are doing very well. His coach has spent seasons making his teams play good basketball. Winning in Vitoria is difficult. It is not a big surprise, the surprise was that the last year they were not good. It is back there as we have been used to for the last 20 years”.
Baskonia trip: “I don’t know if it’s good for us. In a double week we are used to playing every 48 hours. You never know how this is going to play out. It seems like almost every weekend we’re playing Friday-Sunday.”
Da Silva: “Baskonia are very good offensively”
Rival: “The issue is defense. Baskonia is very good offensively. We have to take steps forward in our defense as a team”.
Good match: “It’s not easy but I already knew that before coming here. I keep making steps forward especially in ACB. Also in Euroleague. What I do is what Saras asks me to do, play with energy, defend”
Adaptation: “Every game I play I want to do well. It was my first EuroLeague game that I felt good playing. That’s the way”
Return of Mirotic. “I don’t think having the EuroLeague MVP is a problem. It’s a good thing for the team. My strengths are that they are different from Mirotic’s. That’s why I think it will be even better.”