Laso on being in the final without Doncic: 'Back then I was coaching Real, not Luka' / News - Basketnews.com

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Going into the semifinal against FC Barcelona, Real Madrid had a 5-losing streak against their fierce rivals, but that poor run ended when it mattered the most and punched the ticket into the final.

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Real won the nail-biting thriller 86-83, and head coach Pablo Laso was proud of his team and how his players stepped up in a difficult situation.

Real Madrid made their first EuroLeague final since 2018, and despite having most of the players from the 2017-18 season, the Spanish powerhouse will be missing its brightest star Luka Doncic.

Despite that, Laso emphasized the importance of the whole team, not just one player.

"As I said, in that game, I was coaching Real Madrid, not Luka," Laso said in a press conference. "Luka was one of my players, and I'm very happy to watch Luka the way he's playing now."

"But I'm also very happy to watch my players now, I don't think about Luka. I love watching him play and I [loved] coaching him, and I love to be European champion here in Istanbul [actually meant Belgrade]. But I also love my players," Laso added.

In his post-game statement, the Spanish mastermind emphasized his players' character and dedication to the game plan.

"We did a great effort the whole game, playing against a great team. We had 3-4 poor minutes in the second quarter, and they killed us," Laso admitted. "They quickly got a double-digit advantage. We played solid first, third, and fourth quarters, but Barcelona is a great team, and in the second quarter, they outplayed us."

"I'm happy that players understood the game plan, and they stayed focused on it. When everyone at halftime thought that we are finished, we stayed in the game. We were looking for the best situations on both ends, and we got a victory," Laso continued.

Player of the Game EFF 24 Guerschon Yabusele Points 18 Accuracy 6-9 Rebounds 8 Assists 1

However, Real's victory came bittersweet after Nigel Williams-Goss suffered an injury in the first minute of the game and didn't return to the court. Despite that, Fabien Causeur stepped up and finished the game with 18 points, 3 steals, and 18 PIR.

"When you have a problem as we did with Nigel so early, it changes your gameplan," Laso began his answer on Causeur's impact. "What's great about my team is that everyone can step up."

"If I have to talk about Fabien, he played with a lot of character. Some things didn't go well in the first half, but he played solidly in the second half and his 3-pointer and a steal in the fourth quarter were very important for us. We always believed that he's a player who could step up in those kinds of moments, and I'm very happy to have him," added Real's head coach.

Causeur wasn't the only French player who stepped up for Real Madrid. After having sluggish first half, Vincent Poirier and Guerschon Yabusele also finished the game strongly.

Causeur, Yabusele, and Poirier combined for 42 points (10/19 2PT, 5/8 3PT, 7/9 FT), 14 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 48 PIR.

"All three French players played very well," Laso said on his French trio. "Fabien was very aggressive going towards the basket. Yabusele hit a very important 3-pointer in a very important moment of the game. Meanwhile, Vince was very dominant, reading defensive and offensive situations."

"But it wouldn't be enough if only three players played well. Abalde, Hanga, Rudy… Everybody did a great job, but I'm very happy for those three guys," Laso added.

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