Laso: “We want to guarantee home-court advantage for the play offs as soon as possible”
'We'll need to be at our best to get the win', explained Deck.
Real Madrid face Anadolu Efes in round 31 of the Euroleague Tuesday, 6:30pm CET. Pablo Laso looked ahead to the game: 'We're aware of just how difficult the game will be, considering what's at stake for all the teams. We've got four games left to play and we want to guarantee home-court advantage as soon as possible. By my calculation, with two more wins we're mathematically in the top four and that's what we're aiming for'.
'Last week was physically difficult as we had a lot of players out of action. We've got another very demanding week with trips to Istanbul and Tel Aviv as well as Fuenlabrada at home. We'ev got to try to physically and mentally recover, although we know that it's going to be very demanding. We're still without Taylor, Causeur, Abalde and Alocén, who won't be travelling as things stand. Thet's four important players out. We'll bring in Sediq Garuba and we'll see how Hanga is getting on, he will travel, and Thompkins will also come in'.
'Last week was physically difficult as we had a lot of players out of action. We've got another very demanding week with trips to Istanbul and Tel Aviv as well as Fuenlabrada at home. We'ev got to try to physically and mentally recover, although we know that it's going to be very demanding. We're still without Taylor, Causeur, Abalde and Alocén, who won't be travelling as things stand. Thet's four important players out. We'll bring in Sediq Garuba and we'll see how Hanga is getting on, he will travel, and Thompkins will also come in'.
Opponents
'Efes is one of the most talented teams in Europe, in my opinion. They have players in every position who can unbalance teams. Micic and Larkin are of course the players that the game revolves around, but they've also got Bryant, Beaubois, Anderson, Singleton, Moerman... They're Euroleague champions for a reason and we've always got a lot of respect for them. We know each other really well. We played them in the playoffs last year, they were in a different situation, but they've still got the same group that brought them so much success. They've had a slower start to this season, suffering from injury problems and they're fighting to get into the playoffs, something we've already achieved'.
Areas for improvement
'We're at a good level defensively in general and offensively we're lacking a bit of fluidity and a bit of sharpness. We have to improve our static and open court play, as this is a must for us if we want to compete at the highest level'.
Deck: 'It's never easy playing away from home in the Euroleague'
'Anadolu Efes is a strong team, and we will certainly have a tough game. It's never easy playing away from home in the Euroleague and even less so in Istanbul, which means that to win there, we'll need to be at our best. They've got a great squad, with very good players in every position so we'll need to keep a close eye on them. I believe that our focus is helping us pick up a lot of wins and when we lose our concentration we really struggle. For this reason, it will be essential tomorrow to maintain our concentration for the full 40 minutes'.
'Efes is one of the most talented teams in Europe, in my opinion. They have players in every position who can unbalance teams. Micic and Larkin are of course the players that the game revolves around, but they've also got Bryant, Beaubois, Anderson, Singleton, Moerman... They're Euroleague champions for a reason and we've always got a lot of respect for them. We know each other really well. We played them in the playoffs last year, they were in a different situation, but they've still got the same group that brought them so much success. They've had a slower start to this season, suffering from injury problems and they're fighting to get into the playoffs, something we've already achieved'.
Areas for improvement
'We're at a good level defensively in general and offensively we're lacking a bit of fluidity and a bit of sharpness. We have to improve our static and open court play, as this is a must for us if we want to compete at the highest level'.
Deck: 'It's never easy playing away from home in the Euroleague'
'Anadolu Efes is a strong team, and we will certainly have a tough game. It's never easy playing away from home in the Euroleague and even less so in Istanbul, which means that to win there, we'll need to be at our best. They've got a great squad, with very good players in every position so we'll need to keep a close eye on them. I believe that our focus is helping us pick up a lot of wins and when we lose our concentration we really struggle. For this reason, it will be essential tomorrow to maintain our concentration for the full 40 minutes'.