Bologna –
Coach Banchi’s words after the game against Zalgiris: “Difficult to comment on a game like that, we suffered their physicality in the first two quarters, then we understood what level of intensity to use to equalize. Tough game, then you can score or miss shots but in the useful minutes some refereeing decisions influenced the end of the game. The players dictated my choices, their attitude convinced me, they gave me the signal to use quintets that worked. The reaction was there in Lyon, it was there tonight, the team refused the idea of registering three defeats with tonight’s: we have always shown that we can play, it happened with Efes, it happened in Lyon. Then of course that costs you in terms of nervousness and in terms of lucidity. Then about the last two minutes of the game you can’t help but think about the basket past the 24-second mark or another whistle on Cordinier. Cordinier designated for game endings? In Isaiah’s technical evolution, playing in that role with those characteristics, he can take those initiatives, in his evolution there is a need to find a balance between what he does for himself and what he does for his teammates. Will was affected by the fact that, playing a lot of minutes, he didn’t come into the end with the same energy as in the previous minutes: he tried to make a play by taking a lead, we generated a shot from Hackett’s corner and another situation from a double on Will in the low post. There is no directive on who should take the shots: I remember Daniel’s shot, Pajola’s shot, Cordinier’s shot, all choices that came from Zalgiris’ move to clog the area. In the second half we were good at adapting and raising the intensity level. In the final game the team goes to those who have the ability to create advantages for themselves, then you have to be cynical in exploiting them.”
