By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
BELGRADE, Serbia – Last year, Lenovo Tenerife came up short against Hapoel Jerusalem in the Basketball Champions League Semi-Finals, and came home from Malaga with a bronze medal.
This time, in Belgrade, they managed to overcome the first obstacle against Peristeri especially thanks to the last piece added to the puzzle. Kyle Guy dropped 34 points over 6/11 from three-point range and a perfect 10/10 at the free-throw line.
Stopping by in the mixed zone after the win, the American guard gave his thoughts. “We fought hard, we didn’t play a clean game. We have some things to tie up before Sunday”, he first said. “Win is a win. My teammates have a lot of faith in me, my coach has a lot of faith in me. When people believe in you, you take a shot”, he also added about the confidence Tenerife has instilled in him.
Joining the Canarian side after starting the season in Panathinaikos, he showed he was the right adjustment to make. “I like taking pride in being able to adapt. If you wanna play slow or if you wanna play fast, I can do it. If you want me to pass or whatever, I can do it. I take pride in being able to do a lot of different things, my time needs me to score, and that’s what I do”, he commented.
He has no regrets about his Panathinaikos days. “It was a tough long road, I loved my time in Greece and I loved those guys. We’ll be friends for a long time, I want to say happy birthday to Marius Grigonis. It was tough, but I felt it was the right thing to do trying to go play, in what I hope it’s my prime. I felt I didn’t want to sit on the bench for the year. I don’t mind playing or not playing, I just wanna win. But the right opportunity in Tenerife came, and I jumped at it”, he said.
The former Virginia Cavaliers‘ sharpshooter wasn’t the only reason why they advanced, considering another huge performance from Marcelinho Huertas and Giorgi Shermadini. “I have trust in them, they have trust in me. We’re a very talented team. Some people think since we’re an old team, maybe our time as a big and dominant team has come to an end, but we’re gonna try to win every game when we step on the court”, he also said about an experienced Lenovo Tenerife.
Job isn’t done for sure, as Txus Vidorreta’s team is eager to get its third Basketball Champions League title. “We still have one more game, obviously it’s a big deal. I don’t wanna say it’s another game, because it’s the Final Four and it means a lot. It’s a bigger stage. But we came here to win on Sunday”, Kyle Guy finally commented ahead of the BCL Final against either UCAM Murcia or Unicaja Malaga.
PHOTO CREDIT: Basketball Champions League