Mirotic: “It’s the hardest day of my career”

Nikola Miroticplayer of the FC Barcelonahas recognized after the defeat of his team against Real Madrid (66-78) in the semifinal of the Euroliga Final Four which is the “toughest” day of his career. The Montenegrin power forward extended his curse with the Euroleague in Kaunas: sixth participation in his entire career and sixth time in which he will leave the most important European basketball event empty-handed. On this occasion, in addition, he leaves after signing one of the worst games of his career: 3 points, with 0 of 7 three-pointers, 2 rebounds, one assist and a final rating of -2. A drama on a night that Barça and Jasekivicius, their coach, were risking the future of a project that depended on lifting the trophy on Sunday after the bumps of previous years.

This time it can’t be either. The star of the Catalan team, who returned from the NBA to dominate Europe, assumes her part of the responsibility for the blaugrana failure. “It is a collective defeat, but without a doubt I’ve had the worst game of the season and at such an important moment. That’s why I assume responsibility and apologize to the fans,” said the power forward in statements to Catalunya Radio after the match. “It is the hardest day of my career, there are not many opportunities like this and there are already too many losses. One more in a year in which you finally think that things are going to work out and that they should work out and in the end it doesn’t happen. It is what hurts me the most. I feel that I have not been for the team, that I have not helped them and I have to analyze the reason, ”he added. The blow has been so hard that Mirotic, just as he has picked up RAC1, leaves his future up in the air: “I do not know what will happen”said the 32-year-old player.

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In the same line that his pupil expressed himself Saruns Jasikevicius. The coach was risking everything or nothing in this Final Four: if he won, he automatically renewed, if he lost, it is most likely that the board would put an end to his project at Barcelona. After a new defeat in the semifinal and again against Real Madrid, everything suggests that he will not continue next year in charge of the Barça bench. “It is a very hard stick that is not going to hurt only now, it will hurt many years. We have not played as a team. I haven’t known how to calm the boys down, plan plays to better move the ball… It was a very bad game for us. The punishment is very great ”, the Lithuanian has recognized, who has not wanted to talk about his future:“My future? I do not careWe just lost a semifinal, I don’t care about that.”

The coach has downplayed Mirotic’s disastrous performance and has asked the team to focus on fighting for the League. “They are all human,” he said of the Spanish-Montenegrin. “We have to get up and we have to finish the season by winning the league, but it won’t be easy, because we have to play our basketball again,” he insisted.

Satoransky, like his coach, has explained the defeat in the lack of team play. “We wanted to figure it out on our own and we don’t work as a team, something that we had done in recent months. We rushed many times”, analyzed the Czech player in statements to Catalunya Ràdio. “I don’t know what can go through the head of each player. There is a lot of pressure, but the truth is that some of us have not been well. Difficult to explain it by others. Today we wanted to win so much that we didn’t work as well as a team, ”he concluded. “We have controlled the first part, but we have not been faithful to our game and if you let them, then this happens”, he summarized Alex Abrines. “It’s not Real Madrid’s fault, the problem was ours,” he concluded. A black night for Barça in Kaunas that leaves Jasikevicius in the abyss.

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