Face to face again, the two greats of Spanish basketball. A timeless classic that is repeated (they have played seven of the last ten finals) without losing relevance, without giving up an iota of the almost agonistic emotion of basketball. For this new assault that begins today at the Palau Blaugrana (9:00 p.m.) the battle has moved from the basketball to the mental. In the mental retina is the blow dealt by the whites in the final four after five classics, including the Copa del Rey final, dominated by Saras Jasikevicius’ men. Barça is no longer that team that was overwhelming three months ago. Now he is faltering in force, although the demonstration of character and defensive discipline that allowed him to add two wins at the Olímpic de Badalona make him a firm candidate.
It also happens that the battle of the benches has been somewhat blurred by the loss of Pablo Laso. Jasikevicius’s numbers in the classics are fantastic. He has won eleven of the last fifteen. And as if that were not enough, he has overcome the seven qualifiers to more than one game that he has played so far. “Each match against Madrid is different. We have played to many points and few. Every day is a new story. You have to know how to suffer, because it will surely be very difficult”, explained the Lithuanian coach, who did not want to respond to Carles Durán, Joventut coach, who called him rude. “We live in a democratic country and people can say what they want. We must accept that this gentleman has said this. But I don’t have to answer this man,” he said.
Jasikevicius’s main concern is to contain Walter Tavares, decisive in the series against Bicti Baskonia. “We will try to get him out (of the painting). Let’s see if we get it. It is very difficult and it will surely hurt us, but we have to know how to move on, ”he asked. Barça point guard Nicolás Laprovittola fears, on the other hand, that the team’s concentration is not optimal. “You have to learn to suffer, be solid and play well. And not lose focus. When we play the 40 minutes in our own way we are very difficult to beat, ”he settled.
In Madrid, the absence of Pablo Laso conditions everything. Few coaches command game tempos so well and instill so much confidence in their players. Chus Mateo will replace him, although it is not ruled out that Laso could reappear throughout the series. “Pablo has been with us these days, he is fine. I couldn’t say for sure if I’m going to direct the whole series. We are pleased that he leads a normal life. Although he is not here, the important thing is that he is perfect and what has to be will be, “explained Mateo. Despite this, Real Madrid arrives at one of the best moments of the season and the absence of their coach is nothing more than a new reason to show his undeniable competitiveness, no matter how much Mateo denies it. “This goes well in the movies and it’s very nice, but this is basketball and the important thing is that we are prepared because the demand will be brutal”, assured the coach.
