After 29 rounds of EuroLeague action, one spot in the playoffs remains open and on Friday night it will go to the winner of the game between Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul and visiting Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade. Big man Milko Bjelica is the perfect player to talk to before this crucial game. Not only is he a veteran of eight EuroLeague seasons and two previous playoff appearances, which makes him the most-experienced player on the Zvezda team, but he played for Darussafaka last season, too. Bjelica has contributed to Zvezda’s success this season with 7.7 points, 3 rebounds and 1.2 assists off the bench and he is coming off his best game of the season, having matched his career-high with 19 points last week against Unics Kazan. Such offensive contribution could be of crucial importance for the Serbian champs, who go into the regular season finale with the competition’s best defense. “We stress our defense, and from good defense we get good offense,” Bjelica told EuroLeague.net. “We have a young, athletic squad that does well with that style. I think that is our advantage, but we also have our weapons on offense; we have enough depth in all positions, and I think we have proved we are a tough opponent.”
Hello Milko. Darussafaka plays Zvezda in a do-or-die showdown for a place in the playoffs. Can a regular season game get any more exciting for a player than this?
“Honestly, it is similar to how it was in previous seasons when there were also games deciding who qualifies for the Top 16, or for the playoffs. Only now, we are 30 games into the season. For sure, this is exciting, even though it falls for us right after we won our Adriatic League semifinals series, and right before our Adriatic finals start. It is tough from that side, but on the other hand, I believe every player likes to play more games rather than having extra practices. The thing is that I think no one expected before the start of the EuroLeague that 16 wins would not be enough to qualify for the playoffs. There was speculation that 12 wins might be enough, 13 or 14 for sure, but now we have 16 wins in eighth place and need to win to qualify. Regardless, I’d say we had an outstanding season, we beat most of the teams at least once, and from that side I think our goal is completed. But, the last game decides the playoffs. Darussafaka is at home and has the advantage. They are the favorites, but it is far from us going there with white flags. We have our chance, we have quality to compete, and we hope that we will get the result that will keep our EuroLeague season going.”
You are in an even more special situation, having played last year with Darussafaka. From having been there, what do you understand that maybe others don’t about your opponent on Friday?
“Last season I played there, we had our good moments, we reached the Top 16 in our EuroLeague debut. I know Darussafaka’s gym is a tough place for visiting teams to play. It is relatively small, a former concert hall turned into a gym. It is different and unique compared to the other arenas, by how it looks and how it feels. Darussafaka does not have organized fans, but their attendance is big and the atmosphere the fans create there is heated. And that’s a little different from what other teams have. But they are not unbeatable, they have lost games on their home floor, and I also know they will be under the same pressure as us. They need to win to go through, so everyone is all in.”
Zvezda lost at home in Round 1 to Darussafaka and now these teams will decide so much in Round 30. Is that hard to believe, or does it just prove how much every game counts in the new EuroLeague format?
“It’s been a long time since we played them at the beginning of the regular season. The teams changed, both rosters changed since then, and this coming game will be totally different than the Round 1 game. The new format is better for viewers and fans, but it has been tougher on players, especially with those five weeks that had two games in three days. And it is tough if team travel is not adjusted. I think that is one of the things that leveled the field and why favorites had been losing more often than in the past.”
Zvezda has the competition’s best defense, allowing just 73.3 point per game. Is that your biggest advantage, and what else does Zvezda have to do to win?
“We stress our defense, and from good defense we get good offense. We have a young, athletic squad that does well with that style. I think that is our advantage, but we also have our weapons on offense; we have enough depth in all positions and I think we have proved we are a tough opponent.”
Your starting point guard Stefan Jovic has missed six of the last eight games, and one of those that he played he was far from fit. How does a team overcome the absence of such an important player?
“He has been out more or less for the last two months. It’s a pity he got injured at this point of the season; he is an outstanding player and point guard, and our concept was based a lot on him. However, I think we reacted well after he got hurt, other players compensated and I am satisfied with how we look on the court without him. The situation is what it is, he will be out for a certain period of time, and we have to accept that. But we showcased that we can play good basketball even when our best player is missing.”
Darussafaka won in Belgrade despite being 16 down in the second half back in October. What does your team need to remember from that defeat going into Friday’s rematch?
“That was six months ago. That is really a long time ago and a lot has changed since then. First, I think We have to be happy that we depend on ourselves half a year after that opening-week loss to Darussafaka, that if we win now, we go through and we do not depend on anyone else. Even if we lose, you cannot blame us much after the season we had. But that game and the entire season tells us a lot about Darussafaka. They start with a starting five and one type of defense, but then they shorten their lineup a little bit and start switching on defense a lot more. And on offense, by stretching the floor, they give their guards space to create and to get easy points. But that’s something probably everyone knows about them. That type of game, as much as it gives Darussafaka advantages, it also has it flaws. I think they have been lucky in recent weeks that they were able to turn around a couple games that they looked like they were going to lose. But as much as we know what they do, and their individual qualities, they also know what we do. After 30 rounds, there are not that many secrets left out there. And especially about me in this case, as Darussafaka’s assistant coaches from last year are still on the staff.”
How do you see their front line, with centers Ante Zizic and Furkan Aldemir, and power forwards Luke Harangody and Adrien Moerman?
“I know them all really well. I played the last three seasons in Turkey, so I know all those players, whether playing alongside them or playing against them. And we played against Ante Zizic in the Adriatic League when he was with Cibona Zagreb before he joined Darussafaka. He bolstered that position a lot. I know how all those players play, and each of these guys has his own traits that make this a versatile group. However, I think we can match them and play against them.”
What do you see as Darussafaka’s weaknesses, and what do you think you and your teammates need to do to exploit them?
“They have a lot of strengths, but if I think of weaknesses, I believe it is the ups and downs that Darussafaka has. They have these down periods I think we have to use. Despite all the focus and preparation, those ups and downs really make it harder on a team to win. So we can use that to our advantage, but under the condition that we avoid those same down periods ourselves. “
You have as much experience as anyone on Zvezda. What advice do you have for your mostly younger teammates in a do-or-die situation like this?
“First of all, I can individually help, especially with the knowledge about players I played against and played with in the past, which is natural, since I have spent all these seasons in the EuroLeague and in Turkey. And I know in these types of games, with such high stakes, the pressure is huge on the home team. Their expectations are bigger than ours, which comes out of the size of their budget, and Coach Blatt, who they brought in and expected to bring them the type of success they have not had thus far. And this is their chance, which also brings pressure. It is on us to stay calm, build our game and try to make an upset.”
You also have the most EuroLeague playoff experience on the team. How much do you want to get back to the playoffs?
“I played twice in the EuroLeague playoffs, with Efes and with Baskonia, and once I was close to making the Final Four. Without a doubt my career goal is to reach the Final Four and win the EuroLeague. Sometimes you need to be realistic, and at this moment it is unrealistic to expect us to reach the Final Four. But, anything is possible, and it would not be the first time a team with a smaller budget does great things. Everybody on our team, including me as the eldest player, we have great ambitions, and we would not be here without those ambitions. And if we win this game, it would already be a huge success in this EuroLeague.”
How much would a win in this game, and a playoff berth for the second season in a row, mean for Zvezda and its faithful fans?
“It would mean a lot. But not only the fact that we reached the playoffs, because Zvezda played in the playoffs last season, too, but the extra game or two against Real Madrid or CSKA Moscow, which are the opponents we would be facing in the playoffs. To give our fans one or two more games against one of those teams, to pack Kombank Arena and create a crazy atmosphere. All of that would mean a lot to our fans. But even in this moment, we still cannot forget our domestic competition and the importance of the Adriatic League, because that’s how we return to the EuroLeague for next season, too. I think we are in a good situation going into the game against Darussafaka, we already achieved a great result, but we will try to do a little more.”
Via EuroLeague.net
