Pablo Laso on Sergio Llull: 'I have never doubted him' / News - Basketnews.com

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Real Madrid managed to pull out a nail-biting win at home against AX Armani Exchange Milan to keep second place in the standings. The Blancos won in the overtime with a vintage Sergio Llull.

Sergio Llull

MIN:19.35PTS:8.07 (37.05%)REB:1.74As:2.3ST:0.41BL:0TO:1.26GM:27ProfileEuroLeague2021/2022

Llull ended the game with 20 points, leading the comeback in the last quarter. The Spanish guard scored 10 of his 20 points in the last 10 minutes.

"We needed this victory against such a team like Milano. The team is working well, but we were in a bad stretch. It is a long season, and there are bad moments, the key is to bounce back, and we did it tonight," expressed Llull in the mixed zone.

The 34-year-old scored 40 points in the last 48 hours, showing character and being Madrid's soul once again.

Pablo Laso attended the post-game conference satisfied after an important win for Madrid.

"Second half is a good example of how equal both teams are. We have had to play overtime. I am extremely happy for the guys, how they played and how we faced the game. Our goal is to clinch the home-court advantage," Laso began.

The Spanish coach talked about character, one of Madrid's DNA.

"We showed this spirit as football's team did on Wednesday against PSG. We pushed our fans, and they gave us back confidence. I am proud of them and also of this team. The spirit is compulsory," he added.

Laso praised his team effort during the whole game, having a special mention to players who have lacked confidence in the last weeks.

"If you do not win, you start thinking you are doing something bad. I really appreciate Nigel Williams-Goss. His defense tonight was impressive. Anthony Randolph is fine there is no problem at all. He has been sidelined a year.

We have a deep rotation in the frontcourt. It does not mean I don't trust him. He will, and he should be ready. Gabriel Deck is really important for us, he will help a lot. The worst thing is to not having him since the beginning of the season."

Asked about Llull's performance, Laso admitted he is always ready to help the team.

"Until he tested positive for COVID-19, he was doing a magnificent season. He was playing fewer minutes but being too productive. He always shows spirit, he has been decisive tonight when we were collapsed. I have never doubted him", he concluded.

On the other hand, Milano's head coach Ettore Messina made a quick summary of the game.

"We played well overall, but we missed the last three or four minutes, where we all didn't have the patience we had before. The feeling is that we have thrown it away a bit. Congratulations to Madrid, Laso, and Llull, he guided his team once again", he said.

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