Bologna –
These are the words of coach Sergio Scariolo: “First of all I join in the hug to the friends in the flooded areas, places where I spent my childhood and adolescence, to which I am very close and which are close to my heart.
About the game we are satisfied: we had an impact so-so the first 5-6 min that were not much then we picked up the thread of the discourse of commitment, effort, physicality, using our qualities. Gradually we took a lead that expanded even further than the demerits of our opponents, however we were good at keeping our concentration and moving the ball well. From this point of view we definitely took a step forward from the last game. Defensively, with some moments like that when the gap was wide, pretty good there. Good to be 2-0 but we know that in a playoff you win by 1 or by 30, but in the end a point always counts.We are in a very good situation but we still have to take a big step and we have no doubt that the next one will be a very difficult game and we will have to face it from the beginning with all the concentration we are capable of.
Abass? I am very satisfied because to try to keep a 10-player rotation you have to have everyone present and Abass has an important role for the ideas we have and the structure of the quintets to keep on the court. Today he had a great game on offense, shooting with confidence: what we always tell him is to never doubt open three-point shots but at the same time use your body to defend and attack the pitturato and rebounds-a complete game. Now he just has to give you continuity.
I will ask the players about the difficult start, but I can’t bend it: we did what we always do and what we did in the other games. I also want to review it because I want to see if there was a technical aspect rather than a little bit of relaxation after Game 1. Our longs played a very good game together, they are growing, the team is looking for them, they have regained the trust of teammates on the team, while they never lost mine because a coach by definition cannot lose trust in his players. We are one of the very few teams in Europe not to have incorporated any players during the course of the season, so all the more reason to stay there and not give up, continuing to give opportunities even when things are going badly, giving confidence to the players, giving them opportunities back: in the end they , are responding at an important time in an important way. Hopefully they will continue because the tests ahead will definitely be more challenging each time.
One can always improve. Today I am happy with the game of Teodosic, who was the last to be incorporated after the physical problems of the last few months, we have already talked about Abass, and I would say that Cordinier is also at full strength. Pajola and Hackett had some aches and pains but they managed to overcome them with their great heart and desire to compete. We will have one more day hoping for a recovery: especially Teodosic I saw him take a step forward and I am very happy about that.
Sometimes we weigh that seasons are an upward curve, but it’s actually a sine wave, but it’s important that when you have the downturn then you get back up. Every game is different, the opposition of the opponent, whether you get shots in or not: just keep analyzing our game as we have been doing all year, touch iron and keep healthy, because I would like to give you great tactical secrets but health is the only thing and some time to prepare for the games , the only variation we have introduced because it came by itself. Let’s just think about the next one.”
