EuroLeague, Virtus Bologna-Zalgiris Kaunas 68-71: The Press Conference

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PRESS ROOM – Statements from coaches Andrea Trinchieri and Luca Banchi following the Segafredo Virtus Bologna-Zalgiris Kaunas 68-71 match, part of the 3rd round of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague 2024/25.

ZALGIRIS KAUNAS Coach Andrea Trinchieri: “I try to provide balance and anchors for this team that needs to rely on energy. We will never be a tactical team, but we have great heart. Francisco has enormous potential, and I am trying to make him a bit more stable. If he achieves a controlled exuberance, he can become an important player. Smailagic was decisive tonight, but at the start of the season, he plays little because he needs time to find mental balance and adapt. He needs Dunston to guide him. Did everyone who played score? It’s not such an extraordinary thing in modern basketball; in the past, when there were five starters playing 38 minutes, it was. For me, it’s important to have a deep rotation where everyone feels involved.”

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VIDEO | EuroLega, gli highlights di Virtus Bologna-Zalgiris Kaunas 68-71

SEGAFREDO VIRTUS BOLOGNA Coach Luca Banchi: “It’s hard to comment on a game like this. We suffered their physicality in the first two quarters, then we understood what level of intensity we needed to match theirs. It was a tough game; you can make or miss shots, but in the crucial moments, some refereeing decisions influenced the final result. The players dictated my choices; their attitude convinced me and signaled me to use lineups that were working. There was a reaction in Lyon, and there was one tonight; the team refused the idea of recording three losses, including this one: we’ve always shown we can compete, as we did with Efes and in Lyon. However, this obviously costs you in terms of nerves and clarity. Regarding the last two minutes of the game, one can’t help but think about the basket made after the 24-second shot clock or another whistle on Cordinier.”

“Cordinier designated for the end of games? In Isaia’s technical evolution, playing in that role with those characteristics, he can take those initiatives. In his evolution, he needs to find a balance between what he does for himself and what he does for his teammates. With Clyburn, the fact that he played many minutes affected his energy level in the final minutes: he tried to play by gaining an advantage, generating a shot from the corner for Hackett and another situation from a double team on Will in the low post. There’s no directive on who should take the shots: I remember Daniel’s shot, Pajola’s shot, Cordinier’s shot—these are all choices stemming from Zalgiris’s strategy to clog the paint. In the second half, we did well to adapt and raise the intensity level. In the final moments, the team goes to whoever has the ability to create advantages; then, we need to be ruthless in exploiting them.”

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