Chus Mateo: “We had to work hard for the win”
“The players have given a very strong performance” said Hezonja.
Chus Mateo and Lorenzo Hezonja discussed Real Madrid's win over Baxi Manresa and their passage to the Copa del Rey semifinals. The coach said: “We had to work hard for the win and we had to be very focused from the off. Our preparation was very important. We didn't let them play the way they wanted to. I'm very proud of the job the boys did.”
The semifinals
“We know we have to focus hard on a semifinal that is going to be really tough. Copa del Reys are won play by play, minute by minute, regardless of who the opponent is. We all have a chance. All we have done today is take a step forward in pursuit of something big.”
Praise for Hezonja
“I don't really like to talk about individuals, but it's unavoidable. Hezonja is an extraordinary player, he brings so much to the table. We are very fond of him personally. Thanks to his character, he’s been able to gradually mature over many events and realise where he is. Hopefully he can give us many more glorious evenings, those of us who have Real Madrid in our heart see him as another Madridista. This team wouldn’t make sense without Hezonja.
Defense in the paint
“I'm very happy with the defense. Although there has been a lot of free throw scoring from both teams, in the paint we have been able to keep our opponent to 41.5%. With our physical attributes, we have made 70% of our two-point shots. We have played very intelligent defense.”
Hezonja: “The players have been at a very high level”
“We're taking this trophy very seriously, starting with our coaching staff, who have been competing and winning this competition for many years, they know what it's all about. The players have been at a very high level and have understood the importance of this cup. The score doesn't tell the whole story, we beat a team that are really good all year round and have a fantastic coach. Now on to the semi-final”.
Do you feel like a leader?
“The God here is called Sergio Llull. When you sign such a long contract with the best club in the world, you get a lot of responsibility, that's why you'll often see me angry with Chus because I want to play 40 minutes every match. But I have seen that you can lead a team in many other ways. Thanks to them I am showing a version of myself that I couldn't show before. I feel very comfortable. It's very easy to say you're a leader when you win, but you also have to be one when the team loses. The leaders of this team have shown this and we will always fight for this jersey”.
His rich form
“This performance is not down to me, congratulations are in order for Chus for getting us all to a place where we give our all. Ibaka came on today after not playing in recent weeks and was the best player on the court; Garuba was out with an injury, came off the bench and got us three decisive defensive rebounds... for things like this, you have to give Chus credit. It's very difficult to manage this squad. Hopefully I'll be here for many years to help him and to lead the team and make his job easier”.