Ibon Navarro He appeared at a press conference after Unicaja’s brilliant victory at Real Madrid’s WiZink Center (93-99). A victory that the cajista coach considers “a lot of faith” after believing in the work after coming back from 21 points in the home of the same team that had a balance of 19-0. Of course, the message remains clear: “When you win one more you are closer to losing. Keep your feet on the ground.”
Balance
“Congratulate the team for doing, with obvious mistakes, 40 minutes of good work. For having had faith, for not getting frustrated by the score in the face of Real Madrid’s brilliant actions in many moments, for really complicated baskets that are only within the reach of players of talent like those Madrid has. I would call it a victory of great faith., of great determination, of believing that we had to do 40 minutes of work without looking at the scoreboard and wait for our moment, trusting that the fourth game in a week could weigh on them. For that you have to spend 40 minutes and 40 minutes believing in what you do to have any option as has been the case.”
Keys
“I believe that everything must be contextualized. I insist on the team’s faith, continuing to work despite the score. We wanted to play a long game and we had to overcome the bad moments. That fourth game in a week could weigh on them. None of their players has exceeded 25 minutes except Facu. It was the way, a 40-minute game to get there. Under that context it can go well or very badly and you start to fall in 20. The team has believed in what we were doing. There are two games in which we have overcome that difference away from home. “It speaks well of the team’s mentality, continuing to work despite the score.”
wait for the moment
“The plans look good on paper, but then you have to take them to the field. As I often say, if you anger Madrid early, it is difficult to beat them. The plan can never be to concede 54 points in the first half. You I would be lying if I said that was what we wanted to do. Obviously not. It is true that if you go to a long game, you have more chances of getting to the end than if you play a very tough game against them, they don’t feel comfortable and that’s where they grow. On paper, if you go 21 down and they score one, it’s already 24. It’s probably over. If you upset Real Madrid early in a match like this, you have few options“.
Second part
“We were making a lot of errors due to a lack of intensity in the first half. We were making a change with Chacho sunk and throwing a three-pointer in our faces. With Facu on the three-point line. Errors that are not our own and they were 60% success, something that can happen, but you have to try to take away the simplest ones from them. We achieved it in the second half. When you do that and take away the rebound, the confidence with which they shoot is not the same and they can even score because they are extraordinary. After raising the level and securing the defensive rebound, we have had the opportunities to win“.
Ninth consecutive victory
“We are closer to losing. When you win one more you are closer to losing. Our feet are on the ground. Let’s see if we recover, let’s see if Kendrick doesn’t have many problems. We have a complicated trip to Le Mans, a very important on Wednesday. Tranquility. Not even when we lost three games were we a disaster, nor are we going to win the League now.. Don’t worry, contextualize the situation in which we have beaten Madrid and don’t forget that last year, when everyone was talking about an extraordinary season, we beat Barça 1/3 and Madrid 1/3, which is normal. “You don’t always beat them.”