By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
BERLIN, Germany – Once again, Real Madrid will fight for the EuroLeague trophy, this time against Panathinaikos. In order to find the title on the line against the Greek powerhouse, they first had to overcome their fiercest rivals in Olympiacos.
In the post-game press conference, Chus Mateo had high praise for his team. “I think we understood perfectly what we had to do to beat Olympiacos, which is a great team with great heart. We knew it was gonna be very tough to beat them, because they played great defense all the season. It was important to control the rhythm of the game, and we were able to run after rebounds”, he commented.
But how did Real Madrid manage to stay ahead in the second half? “We controlled rebounds, the rhythm, running, and defending really well. Even scoring well from outside. This made us take an advantage. When we came to the locker room we knew it was not enough”, he first said.
He addressed the Greek team’s comeback. “We kept fighting. When they started to heat with threes and offensive rebounds, we fought together and we were able to control the rhythm of the game at the end, with two point guards. It’s amazing to see how they fight, and how they defend together. It’s good to see when they want to defend like they did in the second half, I’m very proud of them”, Chus Mateo added.
Asked about which differences he found between this year’s team and last year’s side, he kept it clear. “They kept the same character. Their coach is great, he’s been one of the best in Europe for some time. They made them believe they could win even without [Sasha] Vezenkov and [Kostas] Sloukas“, he said.
“This summer, they had to build the team again. For me they kept the style, they kept the heart of the champion, and they are always gonna be in the Final Four because they deserve it”, Chus Mateo continued praising Olympiacos.
Finally, he addressed his celebration when Mario Hezonja stole the ball in the first half. “Mario [Hezonja] is an amazing player, it’s beautiful to see him play on offense. But when he dives for the ball and defends like this, For me and for the whole team it’s something great, because it shows the character. And that’s inside of us, they make me feel so proud”, he commented.
“It’s not going to be easy. They have leaders, good scorers, rebounds, and good chemistry. It’s gonna be tough. Tomorrow, after tonight’s beer, I will start thinking about the final”, he spoke ahead of the championship game against Panathinaikos.
Watch the full post-game press conference:
PHOTO CREDIT: Eurokinissi