Fioretti: "Big applause for the boys. A performance like this isn't a given. We'll get back to it on Sunday."
Mario Fioretti's compliments to his team conclude a Game 3 in which Bertram Derthona Tortona effectively overcame the first two favorable losses against Umana Reyer Venezia. At the Nova Arena, the first-ever Serie A playoff game played in Tortona, the black and white team capitalized on home-court advantage with an 82-71 victory that extends their lead to Game 4, once again at home, on Sunday.
"Praise to the boys. It's not easy to come out so aggressive in a game like this, aside from a few mistakes in the third quarter and a few poor defensive rotations," the Tortona coach said at his press conference.
We put in an incredible defensive effort, everyone worked hard to do the right thing. We obviously suffered a few setbacks on the rebound, but also because we forced a lot of poor shots. Offensively, we managed to produce plays without making any major mistakes, doing what we wanted to do and staying focused on moving the ball properly. We're happy, now we're back on track.
It wasn't a given that he'd bounce back after losing 0-2 in Venice, especially in a game where Olejniczak was forced to retire early due to a red card. However, his natural replacement, Paul Biligha, was able to offset this by a solid performance: "We played two games in Venice with many highs and a few lows, and those lows really cost us dearly. At home, Venice put in two truly incredible performances, they played very well. So winning here today gives you an idea of what kind of group we are, what kind of guys they are, how much work we've put in this year: this then gives you the confidence and knowledge that even in a difficult situation you can get through it. Paul," he continued, asking about his center, "was incredibly intense, present, he gave us depth, his eyes were playoff-caliber, but today I feel like all of our players had it."
