Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul bounced back after last week's loss against Panathinaikos, and head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius was in good spirits after a win in his country.
| Player of the Game | |
|
EFF
21
|
| Devon Hall | |
| Points | 16 |
| Accuracy | 6-10 |
| Rebounds | 1 |
| Assists | 9 |
Saras cracked jokes about the incident at the beginning of the game and even discussed the latest news regarding Manchester United.
"Well, if the guy came to paint the lines a little bit hungover… He painted them at a slightly wrong angle. What are the problems with that? It was fixed, and we continued to play," Jasikevicius talked ironically about the incident.
Speaking of the game, Jasikevicius was happy that his team managed to find a way to reach victory.
"Congratulations to our players and fans especially, who came here [to Kaunas]," Saras said. "We found ourselves in a very difficult situation and managed to change the way the game went. We were looking like a team in 4th quarter. We found a lineup that finally started functioning defensively."
"We changed a little bit of tactics that I didn't want to go the whole preparation time. Okay, thank God we won because, at this point, to play very good basketball is absolutely impossible," Fenerbahce's head coach continued.
When asked about the team's struggles at the beginning of the season, Jasikevicius admitted that they existed.
"There are some problems finding our rhythm," Saras admitted. "The team is completely new. We need to look at the situation. We can think of it as an excuse, but our two centers were signed during pre-season. Our smartest guard [Wilbekin] is sidelined [long-term], another forward [Luka Samanic] headed back home in the middle of pre-season."
We have 6-7 new players. We look like a team from the street trying to do something. Yes, we have experienced players, but they play with their own ideas. We don't hide it and talk a lot about it.
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul / Schedule
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv
Partizan Mozzart Bet BelgradeTwo Maccabi players play with their [ideas], two players from Emporio Armani – with their own. Two more are coming from sitting on the bench in the NBA, and another is from Girona. The little Latvian guy came from BC Wolves, so you know…
There are no miracles. I really don't like the phrase 'A win is a win,' but we are taking this win tonight. We go home, and we try to watch the video. It's extremely difficult, but it is what it is," Jasikevicius said in a detailed response.
Jasikevicius also brushed off the thoughts that Bonzie Colson can't find his place in Fenerbahce so far.
"Bonzie started the season really well. Maybe he's been struggling a bit in the last week or so, but I don't think there's something here. Everyone understands it, he adapted to the team very well.
As I said, when there are so many new players, it's impossible for everything to be perfect," Jasikevicius noted.
Saras was also asked about what it's like to work with Wade Baldwin IV, knowing that he can be a difficult character. However, Jasikevicius wasn't having it.
"Who from society knows him [personally]? You can talk a lot, but to talk with the journalists about what the public thinks is illogical to me. Wade brilliantly adapted to the team, and I like him very much," Jasikevicius confirmed.
Finally, Jasikevicius was asked about his long-time supported football team – Manchester United.
The Red Devils recently played Fenerbahce in the Europa League and are experiencing a period of turbulence as manager Erik ten Hag is set to be replaced by Ruben Amorim.
"The draw in Istanbul looks like… I won't talk much about which team I supported because I won't be praised for that. We have a new manager already, though, right?
The media members pointed out to Saras that the deal with Amorim isn't official yet.
"Well, when 10 million will reach [Sporting's] bank account, it will be official, yes?" Saras said, laughing. "For them [United], 10 million are not a problem. It's like Fenerbahce basketball this year – we have to live through the difficult period, and then the good times will come," Jasikevicius concluded, admitting he didn't expect any questions about Manchester United.
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