By Alex Madrid/ info@eurohoops.net
Real Madrid head coach Pablo Laso said that his team didn’t make any particular defensive adjustments after Mike James’19 points in the first 11 minutes of the game between the “Blancos” and Olimpia Milano.
James finished with a career-high 35 points but his Milano lost 92 – 89 in a game that was decided in the very last possessions.
“No no,” Laso answered when asked if James’ first quarter changed his defensive plans on him. “I consider Mike James a great player and I know what he is capable of doing. We have already suffered by him in several situations when he was with Baskonia and Panathinaikos and I do not think he is a player that you are going to leave in 0 points. I do not care what Mike James does, I care that Madrid wins. I heard the “ooooh” from the crowd, that’s fine for me. But in the end, the winner is Real Madrid. What is important to me is that Real Madrid gets the win, not that any of my players make 35 points or put the crowd on their feet and make “oooh”. To me, that is fine if my team wins.”
Laso added that Real forward Gabriel Deck won’t play in Friday’s (22/3) EuroLeague game against Baskojnia and is questionable for Sunday’s ACB Clasico vs. Barcelona. “We’re not optimistic about Friday. He’s not going to play. We will see about Sunday.”