NEWS STORY. 26/01/2023
Chus Mateo, Llull, Deck and Musa discussed Real Madrid's win over Barcelona in round 21 of the EuroLeague. The Real Madrid coach said: "It was a very exciting and entertaining game for the fans. We showed a lot of heart and were good in the last quarter. We battled for the rebound and I'm happy because character and heart also win games, even if you don't put in a great performance".
"We didn't start the way we wanted to and gave Barcelona the advantage and we had to dig in to give ourselves a chance. Every time we came close, they went away again".
The win and basket average
"It's a win that feels good. These games are emotional, they're about energy more than about accuracy and playing well. Barcelona defended well at times, but we also recovered 13 balls. It's just another win in the Regular Season, but we've overcome the basket average and that's important".
Llull: "It was a team win"
"It was an important game for us given that it was at home against Barcelona, a very strong team. The team has displayed the kind of character that has been lacking this season to finish off games and play our game, which is running and entertaining the fans. We did that today and that's why we're very happy".
"I felt good, positive at the end. I've said it a lot of times, I'm not going to hide. It can play out well or badly. I also had the last ball before overtime, but the important thing is that the team wins. It goes well sometimes and sometimes it doesn't, but it was a team win. I think Musa, Deck, Tavares... everyone played their part and we got an important win".
Deck: "We deserved the win"
"We knew it was going to be a difficult game. We stayed intense and focused for the whole 40 minutes. It went to overtime, but we got the win, which is the important thing. The comeback energised us and we were better in overtime and deserved to win. We showed our character".
"I always look to help and give something back to the team. We're all win together and we all lose together here. El Palacio was amazing and we hope to continue with the same support to win more games".
Musa: "It's an incredible feeling"
"It's an incredible feeling to win the Clásico and especially in this manner. It was a very tough game for 45 minutes. They got off to a good start but we managed to get back into the game and were able to play even harder and more focused to turn it around. You should never rule out Real Madrid".
