Real Madrid

Real Madrid visit Montepaschi Siena on Thursday for Game 3 of the Euroleague Top 16. Prior to heading to Italy tomorrow, Ettore Messina discussed the keys to returning home with a victory.

“Winning a road game is crucial, especially in such an evenly-balanced group. There are few road wins in the Top 16 and we will be playing on a tough court.”
 
“Our defense faltered in Istanbul. We cannot let them move the ball easily and we must not be inconsistent. We need to play strong defense for 41 minutes.” 

“Reyes is most definitely out after abandoning practice. Lavrinovic's performance will be important. After what happened in Istanbul, where the president argued with referees, we can expect a very hostile environment. We need to keep our cool, defend against their transition offense and control the offensive glass.”

“Kaukenas doesn't know how he will respond to such an emotional home-coming of sorts. Few players play in an arena where they have had their number retired. He is preparing well and training hard.  He appears to be very focused and anxious for the game to get here.”

“Ante Tomic has a great personality, which comes out when he speaks to his teammates and when he is on the floor. He reminds me of Nesterovic, who I coached at Bologna. He came in as the fifth man at the age of 22 and ended up being a starter and performing well. We hope Tomic makes the same progress.”