By Alex Molina / info@eurohoops.net
Xavi Pascual did not hide his frustration after his team’s defeat against Armani Milano, pointing to a mental collapse in the start of the game that ultimately decided the outcome.
Speaking after the game, Pascual said the opening quarter did not reflect how his team actually performed, despite the early deficit on the scoreboard. “In the first quarter we played better than the result,” Pascual explained. “We didn’t score one open shot. We created a lot of open shots and we didn’t score. This destroyed our mind and we became mentally down.”
According to the coach, the inability to convert good scoring opportunities early had a visible psychological impact on the team, which struggled to recover as the game progressed. After halftime, Pascual hoped for a response from his players, but instead saw the situation worsen. “After halftime, we tried to react and it was worse. The third quarter was a total disaster, we gave up,” he said.
The Spaniard was particularly critical of that period, describing it as unacceptable for a team competing at the highest level. “It’s unacceptable what we did in the third quarter. Defensively, we didn’t exist at all,” Pascual admitted.
He broke the game down into three distinct phases: a competitive start, a long stretch dominated by Milano, and a late push that nearly changed the narrative.
“Today we had to face three games,” he said. “In the first quarter we played more or less OK, we had zero turnovers and shot more times than Milano — we shot 1/7 and they 4/4. From the second quarter until the end of the third there was only one team; Milano was much better. And in the last quarter we showed reaction.”
Despite the disappointment, Pascual acknowledged that the team’s late effort showed some character. “In the last quarter we found six players fighting until the end. We had the opportunity to equalise the basket average, but with the last foul we lost it,” he added.
However, the coach remained troubled by the loss of control his team experienced during the worst stretch of the game. “Some mistakes we did today have no explanation. We became out of the game, out of control of the coach, out of everything,” Pascual said. “Some turnovers… it was a disaster.”
He concluded by stressing that the team mentally conceded the game too early once the deficit began to grow. “We saw the score, under 12, and we thought we were going to lose. We gave up — something that cannot happen at this level, and it happened today.”