Chus Mateo: "We'll try to win and focus solely on our game"

Chus Mateo and Sergio Llull spoke in the run-up to Partizan-Real Madrid, the last game of the Euroleague regular season. The coach spoke about the game in Belgrade (Thursday, 8:30pm CEST): "We're going there to put in a good performance against an opponent who are always solid in Belgrade. We'll try to play well to give ourselves a chance of winning because we know it's not easy over there."
"I try to think about what we have to do. It doesn't guarantee anything in terms of being in the playoffs, but we have to respect our work regardless of what the other team do. Winning doesn't guarantee you a place in the playoffs and all I'm trying to do is manage what we can control. If we're able to do things right and get the win, we'll have done what we had to do. Then there are the rest of the results."
Non-unified schedules
"I would have liked to have already qualified. We have to play on Thursday and we have to focus solely on our game. Let's try to do our job well. The latest results give us security and confidence. We're putting in a good final sprint. We've been playing finals for a few games now. Now we're sure to play the playoffs and we will try to make sure we are as high up the table as possible. We can still go very far and be champions. We're going to do what depends on us."
The opposition and motivation
"We've been to that court many times. We know what the atmosphere is like, they're an opponent we respect because of their history. There's a significant rivalry because we've faced each other in recent years. They're going to try to please their fans and they'll want to end the season in the best possible way."
What do you expect from the game?
"We have to play a calm, composed game and do things right. We mustn't make the mistake of magnifying our losses or mistakes that may come up and try to react quickly. On a court like this, you have to try to minimise turnovers. We must try to play a serious game and play well."
Llull: "We're expecting a tough game"
"We're really looking forward to it, knowing that it's an important game and the last one of the regular season. We still have a chance to finish in several positions and we're going to fight until the end to see where we'll be."
"We're expecting a tough game in Belgrade, with a very supportive crowd and a team that will play without pressure because they're already eliminated. That's going to make them more dangerous. We have to play a very solid game for the full 40 minutes and take the game to them to win. We have to play hard, close down the rebound and move the ball well in attack."
The team's form
"The team is doing well, working hard and getting victories. Now is the time to be at our best and the team is looking forward to this final stretch of the season with enthusiasm and excitement."