Pablo Laso on Real scoring 47 points: 'We struggled and made stupid mistakes' / News - Basketnews.com

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Real Madrid had their worst offensive performance against Zalgiris Kaunas, scoring only 47 points. After the game, Pablo Laso admitted that his team was nowhere close to the level it was supposed to be.

Player of the Game EFF 17 Edgaras Ulanovas Points 15 Accuracy 5-9 Rebounds 2 Assists 2

"Congratulations to Zalgiris. They outplayed us in most part of the game," Laso said after the game. "We were not hitting shots, we were not playing good defense, we were out of energy. It was difficult to compete against a team which played very well. They were organized, and they deserved the victory."

Real have recently struggled on offense, scoring 51 points against Anadolu Efes Istanbul, 59 – against Barcelona in Copa del Rey final, and all-time low 47 points against Zalgiris on Thursday.

So, what's the problem?

"When you're 1/15 from the 3-point zone, it's difficult to score points. We have to create better situations for our big guys, pick & roll players, and better situations in general. If you also make 16 turnovers, with such percentages, it's very hard to stay in the game.

It's something we have to improve. I think defensively, we've done a good job. I'm not that worried about the number of points, although it's normal that you asked me. But in the King's Cup semifinal, we scored 94 points. So we were good on Saturday, but in less than a week, we looked terrible on offense.

I understand the question, but it's also a problem of energy and confidence in the offense. I'm not saying that we have bad shooters. Somebody told me that in ACB we are first in 3-point percentage.

So, when you have a bad night like today, everything looks harder. Today we struggled, we made stupid turnovers, 16 of them are too many. We were not able to run and hit shots, so it was difficult to stay in the game," Laso gave a detailed comment.

Points this season

46%78,0Points made:78,0Accuracy:45,5%Place in standings:7Record max:95Record min:47Best scorer:Walter TavaresTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

Last season, Real also lost to the worst EuroLeague team at the time, the Khimki Moscow region. However, Laso disagreed that the problem relies on motivation.

"I hate it, but I understand your question. We lost against Khimki last year and tonight against Zalgiris. It shouldn't be a problem of motivation.

If you're not motivated against the EuroLeague team… I always say every game and every team is competitive because you play against the best teams in Europe. It shouldn't be a problem of motivation.

For me, today wasn't about motivation. We had to be ready to play. We weren't ready neither physically nor mentally, and they outplayed us. With Khimki, it was different. They played a great game, just like Zalgiris did tonight. In these kind of games, you have to be ready, and we weren't ready tonight," Laso said.

Asked about the events in Ukraine, Laso noted that peace is above everything.

"We talked about it, of course. I think it's normal, everyone talked about it. The only thing I can say as a basketball coach is that peace is above everything. That's the most important thing. Peace is the first thing that all humans need.

It's true that we talked about it, and everyone is worried about it, but as I said, peace is very important for all of us and should be the main thing," Laso concluded.

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