Mirotic: 'I received two birthday presents: the victory and the elbow in my face' / News - Basketnews.com

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FC Barcelona (20-5) caught Real Madrid (20-5) at the top of the standings after a convincing win at the WiZink Center, where the Blancos had not lost this season yet. Since he arrived to Barcelona, Sarunas Jasikevicius is unbeaten at Madrid. Six games, six wins.

Player of the Game EFF 27 Nicolas Laprovittola Points 20 Accuracy 7-8 Rebounds 7 Assists 2

"We are really happy, we can not hide this. It means we are doing things well. It is never easy to win here", said the Lithuanian mastermind after the match, downplaying the importance of this surprising statistic.

The Blaugranas took the lead after a stunning beginning. Barcelona dismasted Madrid with a 2-24 in the first minutes of the game.

"It was kind of surprising when we saw we were up by 20. If you score three or four three-pointers in the first minutes everything is easier.

We managed to keep the advantage, which is not easy. I want to congratulate my players on this. It pays a lot to stay focused during the whole game, especially against a team that always fights", continued Jasikevicius.

Barcelona has won three of the four Clasicos this season.

"We are so happy, I will not deny it. But now we need to be smart, realizing the next game will be a new story", added Saras.

Nikola Mirotic, who turned 31 years old on Friday, was ecstatic after FC Barcelona's victory on the road.

"There is no better way to celebrate my birthday. I'm proud of my teammates. Everyone contributed to a win. We played great offensively and defensively. We need to keep this consistency", explained the power-forward.

"I received two presents: the victory and the elbow in my face", concluded Mirotic.

Rokas Jokubaitis ended the game with 6 points and 5 assists, showing maturity coming off the bench.

"When you see the result it is clear that we control well the game. I have enjoyed myself a lot on the court. I felt some kind of pressure when came in from the bench to keep our advantage, but we managed to pull it off", admitted the Lithuanian guard.

On the other hand, Pablo Laso analyzed the game quickly, recognizing the beginning was decisive.

"They changed our rhythm radically. We tried to come back too fast, we did not work too much. We lacked consistency and patience overall. They got an important margin and knew how to keep it.

If you score just 2 of 22 three-pointers it is difficult to win in this sport. But I am not worried about the percentage, but about finding good spots. We need to bounce back sooner", Laso confessed.

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