Scariolo: “It was a very even game”

Sergio Scariolo and Mario Hezonja addressed the media after the Euroleague game against Zalgiris in Kaunas. The coach said at the press conference: “It was a very even game. We were up by four with only a few minutes left, but we missed three open shots and layups. We were not very precise. The game became back-and-forth. Regarding the last play, I have no words. The team competed. We are hurt because we made the same effort as our opponents. They were slightly better in the final offensive actions. Congratulations to them, and now we focus on the next game.”

“We are all very close in the standings. We were in the top 4 for several weeks, and we are still there. We want to stay there, and next week it will be decided.”

Difference between home and away games
“At the beginning of the season, we had a new team and a new coach. Along the way, we were not effective. In the second half of the season, we have been more effective, but we lost some games in strange ways, like in Athens and tonight.”

Hezonja: “Next week will be crucial”
“We had the game in our hands. We played very well in those last two quarters. We found ourselves. They grabbed several rebounds and stayed in the game because of that. Other than that, we deserved to win, but we know how this works. Heads up, we have a massive game this weekend and especially the two coming next week.”

“In these three months until the end of the season, we need to close out games in the Endesa League and Euroleague. In the Euroleague, the higher we finish, the better we secure home-court advantage, which helps a lot. It’s a shame about the loss because we deserved to win, but again, heads up.”

“We need to focus on ourselves. We have to concentrate on our game and what we can take from today’s match to do better. Next week will be crucial for the Euroleague standings.”

Disclaimer: Translation generated by artificial intelligence. It may contain inaccuracies.