Sekulic: “We lost concentration and consistency”

He Zalgiris Kaunas silenced the Palau Blaugrana with a comeback of great merit (81-88) cemented in a spectacular last set. The deep local disappointment for having let slip an income that seemed decisive was felt in the speech of the protagonists, especially in a very dull Barça locker room.

Alexander SekulicBarça coach, did not hide his disappointment at the collapse experienced in the last period. “It was a demanding and physical match for both teams. We tried to maintain our advantages and we managed to do so for many moments. We did a good job in three quarters but in the last we did not have a good response,” admitted the coach. The lack of clarity in the climactic moments and the offensive jam weighed too much: “Our best shooter lost confidence and composure on open shots. In the last quarter I missed that sense of urgency. They played more intelligently in the last minutes of the game,” he stated with self-criticism.

Far from seeking simple justifications, Sekulic He focused on the urgent need to mature to compete regularly in the continental elite. “I don’t want to be the person who constantly complains but we need evolution to continue improving and sometimes these bad moments come,” he analyzed before pointing out the cardinal sin of his squad: “We had the game under control but then we lost concentration and consistency, something we need to do every game and in every minute to be successful this year. We have to take this defeat as a lesson and learn from it to improve in the next game.”

The other side of the coin was personified by Tomas Masiulisradiant after certifying a victory of enormous specific weight for the Lithuanian team. “We showed character and personality, we knew how to stay united in the last quarter and we didn’t panic when we were down ten,” celebrated Masiulis, praising the mental strength of his locker room.