Poirier, closer

The end of the regular phase of the Endesa League, the Euroleague playoff, the Final Four, the last day of the ACB and the quarterfinal tie against Gran Canaria. All followed and without truce until Madrid qualified for the semifinals and has had six days off and preparation enters one and another series. This Tuesday (9:00 p.m., #Vamos) a best-of-five playoff begins against Joventut for a place in the final against an opponent full of confidence and game that comes from defeating Baskonia 0-2 with the gunner Kyle Guy at a magnificent level. vincent poirier He already trains with his teammates, but Chus Mateo will not have him, in principle, because he has yet to achieve better physical shape. So more minutes again for Tavareswhom the coach saw tired in Gran Canaria. “I hope that both he and Hezonja have recovered in these six days, in what has been a little oasis, of the previous effort and are one hundred percent. Against Joventut we will have to give everything and if Tavares has to play 35 minutes, he will do it ”.

A memory of Jorge Sánchez, who has just passed away. “First of all, I want to send a message of encouragement to the Estudiantes family, who has lost Jorge Sánchez, who was a historical physical trainer for the neighboring club. An irreparable loss for Madrid and national basketball, that of a person who has always dedicated himself to basketball”.

A very dangerous opponent. “I see Madrid as good, they are training very well and with enthusiasm. In front of us we will have a great team that has had a terrible series of quarterfinals against Baskonia, playing wonderfully. A team that is well known, with many mechanisms already acquired. They have shooters, decisive point guards, a fantastic center and a really good inside game, and an outside player like Parra who plays low post and also outside. A very complete and very dangerous rival. We are good, wanting to have a good first game”.

The return of Poirier. “We are already training with Vincent Poirier, but it gives me the feeling that we are still going to have to wait a little longer (for him to come in to play). It’s not easy to join after having been idle for so long and hopefully he’ll soon be at the moment he and the team need to face the Endesa League playoffs”.

On a 12-win streak, at the best moment? “The streaks must end before playing, it doesn’t matter if they are bad or good. Of course we arrived in a good dynamic, because otherwise those victories would not be there, but the important thing is to focus only on the game of the next day, because what has come before is not going to give us victory”.

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Kyle Guy’s big moment. “In the two playoff games he has scored at an incredible level, with amazing percentages and averages. But it is that Joventut has very good players and we cannot focus on one, although of course Guy is decisive for them. But we cannot only think of him and that Parra, Tomic, Feliz or Brodziansky appear, who is also in a great moment. We must try to defend as a block, team defense in every way: shooters, one on one, low post, pick and roll… They play a lot in the paint and in the quarterfinal playoffs, however, they destroyed from the perimeter”.

Tavares’ overexertion. “We have three weeks of very hard work left, of very intense games, of a playoff against Joventut that we have to get it out anyway. And in this semifinal they will have to give everything and if they have to play 35 minutes, they will have to do it. And if the game doesn’t allow us to play as much, a teammate will. Poirier has been out for two months and we have been doing what we can with colleagues who replace him in that position, even if it is not his position. I hope that these rest days have been good for Edy to recover energy, something very important. Both he and Mario Hezonja, especially, have made a huge effort during the final part of the Euroleague and I hope they recover and are one hundred percent. Both are key in our team’s gear and I trust that these six days without games have been good for them, which are like a little oasis”.

Does Joventut’s moment make it very dangerous? “Yes, he is in a moment of great confidence with players at their highest level, at an extraordinary level. A team for me now from the Euroleague: the players feel very protagonists, the team is closed and plays from memory. A very well trained team, very nice to see and with many resources. We will have to pay full attention.”

What is the ideal rest time between one heat and the other? “It depends on the players. The other day I saw Tavares tired in Gran Canaria and it is normal because he has been playing demanding games for a long time. These six days have been good for us in that sense. For other players, stopping makes them lose their rhythm, but in our case it can come in handy, although we’ll see about it tomorrow. We really want to do well in this final stretch, due to commitment and desire, it will not be left. And I hope we have been able to recover the energy during these days”.

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