Monaco coach wants to win in Greece with ‘energy and heart’
The main team will play a decisive fifth match in Greece on Wednesday against Olympiakos in the Euroleague quarter-finals after equalizing at 2-2 on Friday.
Sasa Obradovic, the coach of Monaco, appreciated “the heart” of his team to win against Olympiakos (78-77) in the 4th match of the Euroleague play-offs, and believes that now everything depends on herself, who knows how to “win under mental pressure”.
How do you analyze this victory?
Sasa Obradovic: I find it difficult to analyze. But at the end of the day, the victory is there. A victory is a victory. It really is the most important. The energy of this match and especially the energy displayed by my players was at a completely different level compared to what we showed in the past. Winning under mental pressure is strong. And the players now have it in them. On a already beaten Olympiakos at home. I know it will be very different. But we showed so much energy in games 2 and 4! Of course, there, it will take more than that. It will take patience, that everyone contributes. Tonight (Friday, editor’s note), we really won this match with a big heart. It was a perfect physical match. That’s why I reduced the rotations to stay with the most important boys.
Thomas was essential in this victory, was not it?
It’s hard to take someone out and say they were the best. But for me, Will is the heart of this team. And not just in this game. It goes beyond statistics, he hangs for rebounds, helps his teammates. He is an incredible professional, one who sets an example on a daily basis. He is one of the most important players of my career in this sense. In addition, he has experience, a big basket IQ and an important character. This gives stability to the team in every game.
How are you going to approach this trip to Athens?
Already, we are going to regenerate. We will see if Alpha Diallo will be able to come. We really missed him in these last two games. Now that’s not the atmosphere, that’s not Olympiakos. It’s us ! We put pressure on them. Now, we will also have to manage to find certain solutions, like against Moustapha (Autumn), who hurts us in the painting. Olympiakos have a lot of experience and know how to prepare for this 5th match. But I rely on our current energy and heart. You will have to know how to balance the pragmatic side, the ability to keep emotions away, and this energy. In a few days, I will put all my experience for the players. But they have to dive into their own experience. We would have a little time to prepare well for this match.