Pozzecco names a moment that changed the game vs Zalgiris / News - Basketnews.com

Pozzecco said that Paris Lee declined to enter the court in the last minutes, trusting the teammates who were playing at the moment. The coach said this episode was more important to him than his first-ever EuroLeague win.

Credit: D. Lukšta Credit D. Lukšta

In his second EuroLeague game with LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, head coach Gianmarco Pozzecco got an upset win against Zalgiris Kaunas away from home. After the match, the Italian specialist shared a story about a situation that happened during the crucial minutes.

Player of the Game EFF 26 Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot Points 19 Accuracy 5-9 Rebounds 6 Assists 1

Talking with the local presenter in a mandatory post-game interview, Pozzecco said that one moment was more important for him than his first-ever EuroLeague victory.

"I don't care about my first victory in the EuroLeague as a coach. Something amazing happened tonight. I'll explain to you why. Three minutes until the end of the game, I called Paris Lee. I wanted to put him on the court because of the offense. Offensively, we needed him in that moment. Defensively, we were playing amazing," Pozzecco began.

"He looked at me and did like this with his face (a wink and a nod), [saying] 'Are you sure?' I said, 'What do you want to do?' [He said], 'Let them play.' That's something that's more important for me than anything - to build this kind of an atmosphere, to build this kind of a relationship in the locker room between the players," he explained. "It means a lot to me, and this signal is unbelievable. I'm really happy."

In his true emotional self, Pozzecco later declared love for his team.

"We put everything on the court, we never gave up. I love all of my players. They did an amazing job," the coach concluded.

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