By Nikola Miloradovic / info@eurohoops.net
Fenerbahce Beko made it to the EuroLeague Final Four for the second straight year and seventh time overall, taking down Paris 3-0 in the Playoffs.
After the game, head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius, who is going to his fifth Final Four in a row, shared his thoughts.
“Huge respect for my players. Last month, we even went one level up. This is the most important thing—every level we go up, we must get better and better, just like for the Final Four. You must find a way to improve to play against Paris and stop them from playing transition basketball. Probably having fewer than ten turnovers per game in the three games was one of the biggest keys. We were patient. We were good. We played very good basketball. We believe we deserved to win, and now it’s time to celebrate. Hopefully, we can go to Abu Dhabi and give ourselves a chance for the European title,” Jasikevicius said at the postgame press conference.
He also took the chance to praise Paris for a great debut season.
“They had a fantastic season. I’m sure they won the hearts of many basketball fans all over Europe. Some teams have started to play a little bit like Paris; we took some things from Paris.”
Jasikevicius also spoke about the journey to Abu Dhabi.
“Well, it’s a different team. We changed many players. We had the unfortunate luck of Scotty going out, and Scotty was supposed to be a big piece of the equation. So everything is different. The European season is ten months long, so you’re constantly trying to juggle situations. I think, I mean, I like where we are right now. I really like where we are, and most importantly, we’ve given ourselves another opportunity at the title. We are two games away, and it’s just a one-game situation. Let’s see, we must remain optimistic“.
Lithuanian coach also touched on his team’s strengths going into the Final Four.
“What I like about this team is how they’ve responded to adversity over the year. It’s a great time right now, and while it doesn’t guarantee anything in Abu Dhabi, it’s a very positive sign. They’ve been through a lot, but they kept their heads above water in the first part of the season, then found a way to play better basketball. It’s a great feeling, and shows a lot of character. In the Turkish league, we’ve pulled out games that seemed impossible. We have the poise, the character, and we’re still improving. It’s a fantastic feeling.”
He also talked about Tarik Biberović’s great performances and another career-high with 21 points.
“He is not an X factor anymore. Tarik is a big—T is a big piece of what we do. I think maybe he was an X factor two years ago, or maybe even last year, but not this year. He’s not the X factor. He’s a huge factor.”
After the game, Jasikevicius ended up in a jacuzzi during celebration.
“I was just trying not to get a concussion with Nigel rolling me. The backflip was pretty impressive, but I was a little out of control there,” Fenerbahce‘s head coach said, “I wish all problems in life were like this—just a wetsuit and a freezing cold jacuzzi. This is what we do, and why I ask my players to give 100% every day. It’s not easy for them to be coached by someone like me, but moments like this make it all worth it. It’s important for our unity as a team.“