Sergio Scariolo highlighted defense as the key to the win against Barcelona in Round 22, while also praising Usman Garuba for his impressive performance in a crucial win.
Real Madrid cruised to a win in El Clasico against FC Barcelona in Round 22, defeating their eternal rivals 80–61 at home on Friday.
Speaking after the game, Madrid head coach Sergio Scariolo highlighted the team’s defense and work on the glass as the keys to victory in this important EuroLeague matchup.
"Well, obviously, basketball is 50 percent offense and 50 percent defense, and that was definitely the case tonight. We played a good defensive game and controlled the rebounds, which is always key in this kind of matchup," Scariolo said.
"I think we did a really good job against their main scorers and first options. The whole team contributed, allowing us to run off those stops and rebounds and control the game, mostly through our defense," he noted.
The coach also praised Usman Garuba for his performance. Garuba finished the game with 16 points and 3 rebounds and was one of the key contributors on both ends of the floor in the win against Barcelona.
"He's playing well, and since we made the decision regarding the situation between Bruno (Fernando) and him, bringing in another player as the first center, Usman has taken on the role of the second center at a high level of efficiency," coach said.
He gives us a different way of playing, especially defensively. He can score as well, and he had a very good offensive game, but defensively he gives us different ways of guarding, particularly in pick-and-roll situations compared to Edy (Tavares)," Scariolo added.
With the win, Real Madrid moved into the top six of the EuroLeague standings, tying Barcelona with a 14–8 record.
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