By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
FC Barcelona is on the verge of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four, with a 2-0 score before Game 3 against Zalgiris, first on in Kaunas (03/05). Still, Sarunas Jasikevicus assures his team must approach the game as if it is tied.
“The most important thing is to go there as if we were 0-0. If we go out with the mentality that we are 2-0 and maybe we can not give our best, we will return to Palau quite sad with 2-2, but we have to trust this team,” Jasikevicius said.
He insists everything must start from the defense.
“We have to start from the defensive point of view, which is the base for our team. We know that in the second game, we were not good at it. We scored a lot in the first three quarters and the boys suffered and defended very well in the last one, but there you have to play a complete game.”
Maksvytis: “We will give our all in front of another sold-out crowd in Zalgirio Arena”
Zalgiris‘s coach Kazys Maksvytis has the same approach. His team will give it all to survive and make it to Game 4. Step by step.
“The EuroLeague Playoffs are coming back to Kaunas. We were really close in Game 2. We were more aggressive and had a much better game in offense than in Game 1. We need to lower the points scored by the opponent. FC Barcelona had 91 points and 89 points in the first two games, and that is way too much. We have defended better throughout the season, so we have some reserve in this area. We are looking to the next game only. We are ready and motivated, and we will give our all in front of another sold-out crowd in Zalgirio Arena,” Maksvyits said.
Arnas Butkevicius believes that there’s no pressure on Zalgiris after two losses in Barcelona.
“We are waiting for this game because we know how great the atmosphere will be in Zalgirio Arena. Other than that we are preparing for this game as usual with concentration and focus. We need to fix mistakes in our defense. We have watched a lot of videos and are working on that. I don’t think there’s more pressure now when we are down in the series, because we are taking one game at a time,” Butkevicius claimed.