Pablo Laso satisfied with Thompkins' comeback: 'He has quickly integrated' / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Zuma press – Scanpix Credit Zuma press – Scanpix

This Friday, Real Madrid (15-3) and Bitci Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (7-12) faced the third time this season. The Blancos got the victory again in a pleasant game decided almost at halftime.

Player of the Game EFF 27 Guerschon Yabusele Points 17 Accuracy 8-11 Rebounds 8 Assists 3

Pablo Laso could not hide his satisfaction after the solid game his team completed during the 40 minutes of action.

"We knew it was not going to be an easy game because both teams have been without training a lot of days," he began. "That's why I have to give a lot of credit to my players for staying focused. We have been very solid in attack and in defense."

Madrid won in Vitoria by 28 points, adding a 15-point margin at the WiZink Center.

"We have been really solid today. If you allow Baskonia to grow during the game they can hurt you. They have offensive talent and quality. They are a good team," said Laso.

Anthony Randolph finished with an impressive double-double. The American power forward scored 13 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in just 12 minutes. He has not grabbed that amount of rebounds since 2016.

"We always asked him for this intensity because we know how good he is. Obviously, he is far from his best level," admitted Real Madrid's head coach.

Trey Thompkins returned after nine months sidelined, scoring 10 points in 13 minutes.

"He was not expected to play today, but due to the circumstances (Rudy and Tavares tested positive for COVID-19) we called him and he has integrated quickly into the team," confessed Laso.

On the other hand, Bitci Baskonia's head coach Neven Spahija recognized it was not an easy game for his players.

"We have been without practice for two weeks. This is too much time. We have lost our team and rhythm. It is not about looking for an excuse, we have not been hard on defense," analyzed Spahija.

"Real Madrid are really talented. If you want to succeed against them you have to defend. Yabusele made all 7 shots and we did not make any single foul," regretted the Balcanic coach.

Spahija concluded his press conference celebrating Alec Peters' return. "He is not in good shape yet, but it's great news to see him back on track."

Subscribe to BN+ and get access to exclusive content.