Fenerbahçe Beko head coach Šarūnas Jasikevičius, summing up the second game of the Türkiye Sigorta Basketball Super League play-off final series against Beşiktaş Fibabanka, in which his team won 84–76, warned that no easy games lie ahead.
— We took the lead, but Beşiktaş managed to come back and make the game tight, — said the Lithuanian coach while speaking to reporters right after the final buzzer. — My players fight and give everything, but, frankly, we were not attentive enough to details today and allowed the opponent far too many easy points. What hurts the most is that those points came precisely from the areas in which Beşiktaş is traditionally strong.
The coach stressed that, despite the victory and a 2–0 lead in the series, he was far from satisfied with everything he saw on the court:
— The third quarter was a serious wake-up call for us. We conceded a run, let the opponent believe in themselves and basically handed them a chance to come back. That stretch clearly showed that things will not be easy from now on. In a final, any lapse is punished, so we have to stay focused on every possession: fight for rebounds, switch correctly on defense, not lose shooters on the perimeter and pressure the ball from the first second.
Jasikevičius ended the conversation on an optimistic yet demanding note:
— The guys are battling and I see their character, but we need to raise our discipline. There is at least one more game ahead, and only maximum commitment and attention to detail will let us reach our goal. The players understand it, the staff understands it, and I’m sure our fans will see a team on the floor that deserves the title.
