Chus Mateo explains what cost Real the semifinal vs. Unicaja / News - Basketnews.com

"We missed too many free throws once again… And we have made a costly 3-of-21 from beyond the arc. It's difficult to win with these stats," Mateo admitted post-game.

Credit: Erikas Ovčarenko/BNS Credit Erikas Ovčarenko/BNS

No EuroLeague team will play in the Copa del Rey final on Sunday night. Valencia Basket, Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, and FC Barcelona were eliminated in the quarterfinals, while Real Madrid were stopped in the semis on Saturday. The Blancos lost against Unicaja Malaga 93-82.

Player of the Game EFF 24 David Kravish Points 20 Accuracy 7-11 Rebounds 6 Assists 1

Real head coach Chus Mateo attended the post-game conference with a serious face.

"They deserved this win. They played with more intensity in all the situations," Mateo began.

"We haven't played a good game, especially in the second half. They have shot and passed the ball better. They have also been harder in rebounding, which was something we had emphasized," the Spanish specialist continued.

He then pointed out the importance of shooting accuracy.

"We missed too many free throws once again… And we have made a costly 3-of-21 from beyond the arc. It's difficult to win with these stats. We did not play as we have been competing recently."

Apart from the numbers, Mateo also highlighted the character as one of the keys.

"I think that the heart and the brain count a lot in this game, and they have had a little more soul. They have understood better than us that this was a final."

After Sergio Llull's injury in the quarterfinals, Madrid registered Rudy Fernandez on the roster for the semis. However, the Spanish veteran played for just 4 seconds.

"We must be patient with him. With his injury, it could have been risky to make him play. We thought we could have options without him after halftime. I'm sure he would have helped us, as well as Llull. We missed them," Mateo admitted.

Asked about the fact that no Spanish EuroLeague team will be in the grand final, Mateo reminded how tough is the domestic league.

"There is tremendous equality in this league. Copa is a three-game tournament, so any team can win it. There is so much talent here. I'm not surprised that none of the EuroLeague teams will be in the final," he acknowledged.

Despite the loss, Chus Mateo confessed it does not affect the rest of the season.

"We cannot forget or even despise the work we have been doing this campaign. We have to wake up and keep going," he concluded.

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