Pablo Laso: 'Nobody in our team thought that this series would go 2-0' / News - Basketnews.com

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Real Madrid are one win away from their seventh Final Four in ten years since Pablo Laso arrived at the club. The Blancos destroyed Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in the second game of the best-of-five series (2-0).

Real Madrid / Schedule

Real Madrid Maccabi Tel Aviv84-74 Real Madrid Maccabi Tel Aviv95-66 Maccabi Tel Aviv Real MadridTue18:05 Maccabi Tel Aviv Real MadridThu18:05

Madrid is now the only team that completely fulfilled its home-court advantage in the 2021-22 EuroLeague playoffs.

Pablo Laso left the court with a smile on his face, praising the fans for their support. More than 8.000 people crowded the WiZink Center. It was a kind of reconciliation after some harsh weeks.

Laso appeared in the post-game conference relaxed and satisfied after the biggest win of the season.

"I would like to congratulate the team for their work," began Laso. "I think we were able to control the pace throughout the game to end up getting a comfortable victory, which means what it means in the Playoffs. I'm very happy with the 2-0 win," he added.

A 3-and-1 play from Keenan Evans put Maccabi ahead of the scoreboard (18-16). It was a mirage. Llull's rally from beyond the arc broke the game, and Madrid controlled the game until the end.

"In the second and third quarters, we did a better defensive reading, finding a point of solidity on which to grow and making more offensive errors than defensive ones," analyzed Laso, who preferred not to overreact.

"I would be wrong in my message if I was exultant. We still have a lot to achieve in these playoffs against a very dangerous Maccabi", expressed Madrid's head coach.

The Blancos have completed an excellent week, recovering some of the fluency they lacked in the previous games.

"The mood is set by wins and losses. But victories are not given to you, you have to take them. I believe a lot in this team, and all the wins are team wins. I think we have great players, and my obligation is to get the most out of each of them for the benefit of the team", pondered Laso.

2-pointers this season

53%19,4Points made:19,4Accuracy:53,1%Place in standings:11Record max:27Record min:9Most made 2FGs:Walter TavaresTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

Asked about the EuroLeague playoffs and the other series, Laso recognized they are unpredictable.

"Nobody in our team thought that this series would go 2-0. In my staff, I had people telling me that Bayern would be unable to beat Barça in any game and that Efes would come back from Milan with a 0-2."

Williams-Goss has been great in the first two games of the series. He was determinant offensively on Wednesday, while he stopped Wilbekin on Friday.

"I think Nigel has had a very solid season. He's never going to be a brilliant player with spectacular performances, but he's always given us a lot. I value his work a lot, and I think that in this series, he is giving us a lot in both defense and attack", Laso praised the American point guard.

Laso revealed that Rudy had a wrist problem, and he was a game-time decision until the end.

"We didn't know if he would be able to play. But we also had a feeling that he was ready to help us. All the players have their importance in this team. For example, I knew Taylor couldn't play, but I wanted to have him in the team so that Maccabi would think he could come in at any time to help us", confessed the 54-year-old.

Real Madrid will seek a spot in the Final Four in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, where Laso expects a great atmosphere.

"It will be a very difficult game against a very dangerous team offensively. Maccabi is a team with a lot of offensive potential, capable of getting incredible runs. They also grow, especially at home.

We have not achieved anything yet, and we are still one win away from our goal", concluded the Spanish mastermind.

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