By Cesare Milanti /info@Eurohoops.net
KAUNAS, Lithuania – Building a double-digit lead in the first half quickly turned into a catchup situation for AS Monaco with Olympiacos playing brilliant defense in the second half of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four Semifinal Friday.
“There is no explanation for this,” was the immediate reaction of Sasa Obradovic referring to the team performance after the break leading to the disappointing loss, “We were really soft. Maybe a matter of experience of knowing how to play these games. But they knew. They were here already. They jumped on us and we backed off.”
“We have to congratulate Olympiacos for an unbelievable third quarter,” he confessed during the postgame press conference confirming the record-breaking 27-2 run of the third period as the turning point.
“For us, it would not be so painful if you lose the game,” added the Serbian tactician, “We arrived here with a bit less experience in such kind of games.”
Diving into specifics of the game held in Zalgirio Arena, Obradovic focused on Thomas Walkup. The 30-year-old defensive specialist did not score but produced seven assists, three rebounds, and one steal over 18 minutes.
“Real justice is when you see the player who scored zero points and dominate the game,” he praised the Stephen F. Austin product, “There was a leader, he took the ball, took responsibility, put people on the spot. Destroyed everything defensively.”
Postgame press conference
Reduced to the consolation portion of the Final Four, La Roca Team will take part in the third-place game Sunday.