Dante Exum gets Jasikevicius’ praises: 'He is savage in practices' / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Rodolfo Molina/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images Credit Rodolfo Molina/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images

FC Barcelona (18-5) managed to pull off another tight game in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, defeating FC Bayern Munich (11-12) by five points (71-66). Dante Exum and Kyle Kuric were key players in the last minutes.

Player of the Game EFF 22 Kyle Kuric Points 20 Accuracy 7-9 Rebounds 3 Assists 0

Sarunas Jasikevicius did not hide his disappointment after a bad start despite the win.

"We were not prepared for the game properly, neither mentally nor physically," the Lithuanian mastermind began. "I warned my players about their toughness. The first half was frustrating for me, we did not do anything from what we prepared."

"They shot 16 times more than us in the first 20 minutes. I can not explain how this was possible. In the second half, thankfully, we were much better," Jasikevicius added.

Jasikevicius praised how his players ended the game, in which Exum and Kuric made some clutch buckets to seal the victory for the Blaugranas.

"We have experienced players, so we have been more solid in the last minutes. Calathes was great in direction, defending Jaramaz so well. We found the balance, and offensively Dante (Exum) and Kyle (Kuric) helped us a lot with their shots and lay-ups," added the 45-year-old coach.

Barcelona's head coach regretted the lack of desire in the first half.

"We knew we were going to face an adamant team. Bayern's rhythm is completely opposite to the Spanish teams in the ACB League. They played harder, committing many fouls… It is true that we play every 48 hours, so it is not easy, but we won".

Asked about Dante Exum, who finished the game with 9 points, Jasikevicius analyzed his situation and how he is practicing.

"Exum's first month was not easy at all. He was not in shape, he has never played in the EuroLeague… He is still excellent in practices. Let's see if he can help us even more now that he knows my philosophy better. He is savage in the practices," Jasikevicius praised the Australian.

Dante Exum

MIN:15.17PTS:4.56 (60%)REB:2.33As:0.78ST:0BL:0.11TO:0.78GM:9ProfileEuroLeague2021/2022

Meanwhile, Exum expressed his satisfaction after the game.

"The crowd was amazing. They really pushed us to win. I am happy about the win. My job is to bring energy to the team, especially on transitions. When I hit that 3-point shot, I felt great," said Exum.

On the other hand, Andrea Trinchieri talked about the physicality of the game, admitting his team could deserve something else.

"Congrats to Barcelona. It has been a really physical game. It was like a Playoffs game. I think my team put together an excellent effort. I have the feeling that we could deserve a better result, but they were better in the final minutes. I am proud of how my team fought. Kuric and Exum were awesome in the last quarter," said the Italian coach.

Trinchieri could not hide his admiration for Barcelona's defense and roster.

"Barcelona have one of the best defenses in the entire EuroLeague. It's very clear how they play. Jasikevicius is crystal clear about what he wants. The team executes at a high level. I believe they are one of the best teams, for sure. They are a Final Four team, obviously," he concluded.

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