Credit: BasketNews/Begum Unal
Credit: BasketNews/Begum Unal
Credit: BasketNews/Begum Unal
Credit: BasketNews/Begum Unal
Sometimes it's a rough day for you, but the luck comes back at a time that matters the most. Isn't that the story of Nikola Mirotic and his buzzer-beater no-look diving layup? His post-game words also reveal frustration but also joy and relief, knowing the job is done.
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"I was trying to find the rhythm today. Honestly, I didn't feel great, especially offensively. I couldn't make the shots I usually make, but I was trying to do some different things."
Indeed. Mirotic did not have a good game by any means. Miss after the miss, even on the important occasions.
Mirotic was 0/6 behind the 3 point line, and 4 turnovers did not look tidy, either. But Sarunas Jasikevicius still had full trust in him for the game-winning play.
"We knew it was going to be a really difficult game, so at the end, Coach Saras made a great timeout play. They looked for me, and with a little luck, in the end, I was able to score. So I am very happy that we won the game, even though we didn't play our best game, best performance."
Sarunas Jasikevicius was also relieved to see his team remain undefeated in the upper half of the double-game week, which FC Barcelona have to play away from home.
"Congrats to all players and fans for the victory. It's always a pleasure being here," Saras said. "Honestly, with the ability of Fenerbahce to defend, we knew it is going to be a difficult game."
"We started the game a little bit soft, then we picked it up. At the end of the game, we made up for the mistakes that could cost us. But the grind is important," the Lithuanian added.
Despite the win, it was hard to say that Barcelona is at their best these days. 93 points per 100 possessions against Fenerbahce meant that it is the fourth consecutive game that Barcelona remains below 1 point per possession.
They still sit among the three teams with an offensive rating beyond 100 (with CSKA and ASVEL), but some decline in this department is visible. Would Jasikevicius be concerned about this?
"Obviously, with 18 turnovers and poor shooting, we far from being our best. But we managed to come out on top. We are still early in the season. Honestly, we are trying to integrate new guys.
We have players missing. We played most of the season so far without Abrines, without Sertac Sanli. Four new players are trying to understand one another. I'd like to score more and play better. The building blocks for every team togetherness is the hard work, defense and at this point, we are relying on that," Jasikevicius concluded.
Barcelona are unbeaten since the Supercopa game against Real Madrid (12 September) both domestically and in EuroLeague. They are heading to Tel Aviv to play against Maccabi, who are currently on a three-win streak.
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