By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
ATHENS – The EuroLeague Final Four Athens, presented by Etihad, Semifinals concluded Friday’s schedule with Real Madrid overcoming Valencia in Telekom Center Athens to advance to the championship game.
Los Blancos controlled the flow of the contest, particularly in the latter stages, to secure their spot in Sunday’s final. Following the victory, head coach Sergio Scariolo praised his team’s execution and adaptability under pressure.
“We definitely had a very good performance in rebounding during the second half,” he noted start his postgame interview. “We managed, also, the pace of the game.”
Operating with a limited lineup, Scariolo emphasized how his remaining players stepped up to fill the void.
“We had good contributions from all the players,” he mentioned. “We had a very short rotation, and Usman Garuba got hurt, so we don’t know what’s going to happen, but definitely, if you are few, you get the bigger few, and we had a good few.”
With Alex Len and Walter Tavares on the injury list, Usman Garuba was forced to an early exit from the semifinal contest, making him questionable to play against Olympiacos in the championship game.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game, but you’ve got to be thankful and focus on the next game,” said Andres Feliz, after contributing 15 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and one steal against Valencia.
Extending their 15th Final Four appearance, the team based in the Spanish capital is one more win away from the 12th EuroLeague title in team history.
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