By Alex Molina / info@eurohoops.net
Xavi Pascual analyzed Barça’s defeat against AS Monaco, pointing to a decisive factor: the difference in free throws. The Blaugrana only attempted 12 from the line, while their opponent had a whopping 29 attempts, a disparity that, in the coach’s opinion, ultimately decided the match.
Pascual was direct in his assessment in the press conference: “We committed too many shooting fouls and lost the game because of it. It’s clear the game was decided by free throws.”
Despite the result, the coach wanted to emphasize his players’ effort. “I want to congratulate the players; we competed to the best of our ability and were always in the game,” he stated. “I think we should have had a bigger lead, but a 7-1 run meant we ended up trailing. In the second half, Toko’s foul trouble was a problem, and that was decisive. They got to the free-throw line a lot, 29 times, while we only got 12, and that was crucial to the game.”
Despite the loss, the coach wanted to focus on a positive takeaway, as the vital match against Bayern Munich next Friday is still to come. “Today we took a step forward in our basketball. We need to play our best against Bilbao and prepare for the game against Bayern.”