Three of her four playoff pairs Euroleague they have gone to a fifth and decisive game.
In one of them, Monaco will host the Maccabi Tel Aviv (10/05, 21:00) aiming for a place in the Final Four, in an amazing series with break after break and many emotions.
THE Jordan Lloydone of the top players of the Monegasques, commented on what his team needs to do and the character they need to show in order to secure a place in Kaunas.
His statements in detail on the official website of the Monegasques:
– Jordan, how do you describe this series against Maccabi? With four completely different matches… and incredible intensity.
“It’s a series, it’s true, with a lot of commitment and constant tension, where no team wants to give up. The proof is that we reacted after losing Game 1 in a very good way. And Maccabi did the same after losing Game 3 at home. Every match has its own story and the outcome is hard to predict. It will be decided in the details and we are lucky to benefit from the home advantage. We worked hard all year for this.”
– You returned with a victory from Tel Aviv, was that the most important thing?
“Yes, initially that’s what we wanted after losing one of our two games at home. But as a competitor, we want to win everything and that’s what we wanted there too. We put together a Game 3 that was just brilliant in spirit, with a team that did it from start to finish, like a lot of completely crazy actions. After that, Maccabi were under pressure but we couldn’t get the point, which is a shame. A good 10 minutes and we collapsed back.”
– How do you explain the collective struggles in Game 4 after a great performance two days earlier?
“It is basketball and the specificity of these series in play-off mode. One day’s truth is not tomorrow’s. As I said, we are off to a very good start, in the momentum of the 3rd match of the series. With good defensive aggression, and a ball that moves well. And then we broke up in minutes. That 20-0 conceded in 4 minutes turned heads, and set the pace for the rest of the match. A long run and back was hard to come back. Maccabi played like their lives depended on not dying in this series. We know what to do and what not to do in the final match.”
– Can we say that Wednesday will be the most important game of the season and of their career for most players?
“Honestly, I think yes we can say that. Even if there are still important deadlines for us in the French league with a title we want to bring back. But the Euroleague is different. It is the second highest competition behind the NBA. We worked hard all season to get there, to have the opportunity to be in the Final Four, which would be a first for Monaco and for many players. So yes, it’s the most important game of the season. In life, in death. And in front of our fans. This evening promises to be exciting.”
– What will be the keys in this last game of the series?
“It’s up to whoever wants it the most. We must not let them enter this part as they please. We will have to put constant pressure on their creators, always on the edge, as we were able to do in games 2 and 3. That will be the key. Defending very hard and controlling the rebound. It is up to us to do it, to show that we are playing in front of our audience and that coming to fight in our stadium will be very complicated for Maccabi. We have to let them understand that from the first minutes. Defensively, every basket should be difficult and offensively we know what we can do once the ball moves well.”
– Will limiting Baldwin and Braund be your main task to impact this team’s performance?
“Of course. We know that the influence of Wade Baldwin and Lorenzo Brown is huge on this team. When the two shine, it’s all guys who tune in and follow suit as we’ve already seen in this series. They are very good defenders who do a great job. It is up to us to contain them, to ensure that they cannot breathe from this shock. This will be important data. But there are some great people behind them with guys like Hilliard and DiBartolomeo who can be skilled, and so can Colson. And their strengths in the racket with Nimbo and Poythres for example who know how to be dominant in the rebound. If we want this Final Four, we’re going to have to respond collectively in all areas of the game first.”
– Finally, a word for supporters, tell them how much you will need them…
“We just need an atmosphere like we never had at Gaston-Medecin. The fans should be… on fire and give us that extra soul in every action. Game 2 was pretty incredible, but we still need more there. We have to fight for the club, for the shirt, for them for 40 minutes. We made sure to take advantage of that home advantage thanks to our very good regular season. You have to make it fruitful. And that’s why we expect the fans to give everything in the stands to push us, so that together we can achieve this historic appearance”.
Source: Sport Fm
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