Pablo Laso prefers big loss over narrow defeats, expects Barca to be better / News - Basketnews.com

Pablo Laso expressed a preference for losing a single game decisively over numerous close defeats: "I'd rather lose one match by 40 than 40 games by one."

Credit: dpa/picture-alliance - Scanpix Credit dpa/picture-alliance - Scanpix

On Friday night, FC Bayern Munich suffered their largest EuroLeague defeat. Pablo Laso's team was crushed by 39 points (59-98) in Barcelona and fell to a 2-2 record in the 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

Player of the Game EFF 18 Jan Vesely Points 14 Accuracy 5-7 Rebounds 4 Assists 1

Expressing his disappointment, coach Laso highlighted the challenge of facing Barca at Palau Blaugrana, noting the necessity of a strong start.

"Barca is playing with a lot of confidence. We know how difficult it is to win here, but you have to compete well from the first play, and we haven't done that," he stressed.

"We were exposed from the first seconds. In the first actions, there was a different speed and level of concentration. The best news is that at half-time, we were only down by 16 after not playing at all."

Laso then continued by expressing a preference for a huge loss over a series of narrow defeats.

"I'd rather lose one match by 40 than 40 games by one. This has probably been our worst day regarding effort, attitude, and concentration, but the EuroLeague has just started. Here, you can't get lost because other teams have no mercy for you. Today was a great lesson for us," Laso added.

Reflecting on FC Barcelona's flawless start to the EuroLeague season, the 56-year-old coach recognized the team's positive trajectory but envisioned them to improve over time.

"The team is doing well. They have made an important change of players and coaches, but it is a team that has a long way to go," he said. "Evaluating a team in October is very difficult. The season is very long and demanding, and a thousand things can happen."

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