Bologna, November 14 –
These were the words of coach Luca Banchi after the victory against Olimpia Milano in the Turkish Airlines Euroleague derby: “First of all I want to congratulate Milan who played a great game and I think both teams gave a great performance tonight, a game that I was happy to coach, a beautiful game to play and a spectacular game to watch. I think it’s only fair to start by congratulating our opponents, who came to Bologna to play the best game of their season with great concentration and discipline, a high level of execution and defensive effort, like a top team. I am very happy with the way we responded, at the same level. I am very proud of our players, who made great efforts to turn this dangerous night into a special night. I thank the players again for playing a great game, and I hope the fans are happy and proud of this victory.”
“I think we couldn’t have competed without everyone’s participation and this common sense of urgency that turned into the sacrifice of doing things that didn’t seem possible on paper. We were in a physical gap on most defensive pairings, that happens a lot when you play against Milan. You try to make up for it with aggressiveness, we did that very well the second period by changing the inertia of the game and starting with certain details like pressure on the ball and defensive aggressiveness by opening up the court well. Abi’s accuracy was important, but at the same time also the initiatives of the small guys who managed to penetrate Milan’s defense with continuity, which up to that moment looked like an impregnable fortress. What happened before the game I think is a due act of respect for the opponent, of the high regard there is for him, esteem and admiration. I’ve only been here a short time, if I didn’t know the history of this club I couldn’t project it into the future. I have absolute respect for history because for me it is an inspiration. There is a lot of Sasha here, a lot of Sergio, but when I see the V I think of Dan Peterson, Porelli, Messina, Alberto Bucci. To have the privilege of entering the field alongside him for me is an honor. He doesn’t have to thank me, it’s us who thank him because we experienced this night as something unique and special. Every night that you play a Euroleague game or you face teams like Milan with certain champions or you face a coach like him, it’s only right that you reflect on the privilege you are experiencing.”
On Dobric’s defensive performance: “He did a good job offensively as well. We were able to get in and touch the area and he was one of those who best managed to do that especially in the second period, and that gave us oxygen. From the defensive point of view he turned up the heat, very good also Alexander putting pressure on the setter but then he did a great job on the passing lines and from those fouled balls came easy baskets that were oxygen for us.”
On team chemistry and the 6-2 record: “It’s not science, it’s not knowledge, but it’s creativity, which I believe is in the art of every coach, especially us Italian coaches, who in these moments of emergency give full rein to our best weapons, which are improvisation and creativity. It’s a sport that is also played emotionally, I don’t take credit that I don’t have. You play against Milan, at home, with this crowd, the designated opponent is the defending champion of the Italian league, the team is among the most accredited to the playoffs and the Euroleague Final Four. There is no need to push any buttons other than to keep the team together and give them the confidence that even in an emergency situation like this we had the resources to compete. It was a matter in the last two days of channeling their effort and commitment, I knew we would be commendable in that respect. We missed in Madrid but it was critical to respond tonight. I don’t look too much at the record but I am extremely proud of the six victories we have had, there is no one less important than the other.I know how difficult it is to get the next one, this is a ruthless tournament that puts you in front of the best teams. I would not be surprised if we ran into a series of defeats that would not change my judgment on a team that is within a process of getting to know each other but that on nights like these has to be able to become aware that they have resources if only from an emotional point of view, and that each one of them may have the ability to bring something. Even Iffe, who is going through a particular moment in his basketball career, knows that he has a specificity and uniqueness that is indispensable for us. What he is able to do, especially as a second ball carrier, elevates the quality of our game.”
On bench points and Shengelia’s minutes as a 5: “It’s a particular situation that I don’t like at all because firstly it involves in an overexposure of Toko in terms of minutes, secondly it distorts our DNA as a team. Losing Toko’s physical presence as the second long makes us lose consistency in protecting the iron and rebounds. We are managing a paradoxical situation with what happened to Achilles and now Jordan, it is not easy to manage. You have to try to take something from everybody, you can produce a game like this but you can’t have the continuity over as many close games as is happening now. Tonight the outfielders did a crazy job on the perimeter, however, you can’t always expect to have that consistency. There are teams that have incredible creativity from the arc and if you don’t have protection behind it’s complicated.”
