Chus Mateo: “The WiZink Center gives us extra boost of energy to play more aggressively and better"
"The game against Anadolu Efes will be tough as they've got a lot of offensive talent and are playing very well" explained Tavares.
Chus Mateo and Tavares were speaking to Realmadrid TV ahead of the EuroLeague round 10 clash between Real Madrid and Anadolu Efes (Thursday, 8.45pm CET). The coach gave his thoughts on the game at the WiZink Center: "We're up against a tough nut to crack in Efes, who've managed to win four games away from home this season, where they're proving to be very consistent and tough to beat. They're a great team".
"We play more aggressive and better when we have that extra energy. We had a good defensive game yesterday, especially in the third quarter and the WiZink Center also gives us that extra energy. It's obvious that we feel more confident playing at home".
Opponent
"They've got a very complete roster, they know their game, they do some very good things in attack, where they have a lot of talent. The outside players generate a lot of play and they're capable of finishing inside".
Run of form at the WiZink Center
"We're only focused on Efes, not on the past and not on what's to come. It's going to take a lot of energy to beat this team".
Poirier's return
"We've only got good things to say about Poirier, about his professionalism and his attitude, doing his best to help us win. He's worked really well with us and made the decision to go elsewhere in search of another role, but he's always done a magnificent job and we have a lot of love for him".
Tavares: "We're going to do all we can to carry on winning at home"
"We're feeling very good at the WiZink Center. First and foremost, we need to be strong at home and try to win as many games as possible. We can feel the backing from the fans. We know that winning away is difficult and we have to keep improving".
"It'll be a tough game against Anadolu Efes because they've got a lot of offensive talent and they're playing very well. Playing against them is always complicated. It went to four overtimes last year. We're going to try to do our best so we can continue to win at home".
Offensive performance at home
"We're doing well, we're playing comfortably and are full of confidence. We've got the support of our fans behind us and we would like to show every team that it's going to be very difficult to win at the WiZink Center".