By Alex Molina / info@eurohoops.net
Xavi Pascual analyzed his team’s defeat against Real Madrid in a press conference that began with a message of gratitude for the fans’ support, although he quickly pointed to the key moment of the game: “The game was decided in the second quarter; we competed in the other three.” During that stretch, he explained, the opponent showed extraordinary accuracy from beyond the arc — “24 points from the three-point line” — which ultimately broke the balance. “Everything came together. Once we fell behind, we weren’t able to respond,” he added.
Beyond the opponent’s shooting accuracy, the coach focused on the mental impact the score had on his team. “We suffered a mental drop when we went behind. We fell apart, stopping our defensive transition, going for rebounds at the wrong moments…,” he lamented. For Pascual, the problem was not only tactical but also one of consistency: “With our overall offensive play, you can’t compete with Madrid.”
The second quarter again took center stage in his analysis. “They scored from every situation, whether they were open or not. We didn’t have the same accuracy,” he explained. The coach acknowledged that the team is going through a poor shooting streak: “Accuracy is very important and we’re in a very bad run. We can’t find a way to change it. We collapse too easily.”
The team’s current situation is concerning. Pascual admitted that their level is far from what was expected: “We’re not at the level we would like or where we had been before. It’s quite a bad run.” Although he highlighted the recent win in Valencia as a small turning point, he noted that the same problems reappeared against Madrid: “As soon as they started hitting shots, we faded.”
Among the shortcomings he pointed out were the lack of leadership on the court and offensive inefficiency: “We can’t find reference points, someone to lead the way. Our play was too direct and very inaccurate. We missed a lot: fast breaks, open shots, under the basket…” Against a top-level opponent, he was clear: “If you score so little, it’s not enough to win.”
Despite the setback, the coach tried to put the result into perspective and focus on what lies ahead. “We have 48 hours to recover. The games away at Efes and Red Star are the most important right now,” he stressed, describing the upcoming week as “very important.” In that sense, he insisted: “It’s a regular season loss. We have to turn the page.”
Regarding minute management, he explained that the flow of the game affected rotations: “You’re chasing the game and end up playing some players more minutes than planned. We had to compete and try to get back into it.”
As for the team’s recovery, Pascual emphasized collective effort: “It’s always difficult to lift the team. We need to stay focused and improve individually. When two or three players are underperforming at the same time, we can’t find replacements.”
Finally, Pascual dismissed any speculation about reinforcements: “There are no signings, and there won’t be any. We’ll go with what we have. We need to focus on finishing the season well.”
Se acabaron las dudas: el Barça no fichará
🚨 Xavi Pascual: “No van a haber fichajes, tiraremos con lo que tenemos. A día de hoy estamos así y así estaremos. Ya no voy a hablar más de esta situación. Estan saliendo nombres y nos tenemos que centrar en terminar bien la temporada” pic.twitter.com/dwqFthf0Re
— Alex Molina (@alex30mp) March 22, 2026
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