Dani Miret’s Post-Game Thoughts Following Asisa Joventut’s Loss
Dani Miret Speaks Out
So, after a bumpy ride during the second semifinal showdown where Asisa Joventut faced off against Valencia Basket and ended up losing 90 to 76, our fearless coach Dani Miret strolled into the press room, and boy, did he have quite a bit to say.
His first take? Well, let’s just say the opposing team came out swinging. “The physical tone on defense, full-court pressure, and their knack for creating contact just knocked us off our feet. They had a whopping +17 lead in the first quarter! That kind of start is a game-changer. We just couldn’t muster up the physicality we needed to assert ourselves. Once a game starts off like that, it ain’t easy to turn things around on the fly. That’s the kicker right there!”
He didn’t stop at the analysis; he expressed massive gratitude for the Penya supporters. “Huge shoutout to all our fans who showed up! Your presence was felt, and I can promise you, when we hit the court for the third game, it’ll be a whole different vibe. I’m all in on this squad and know we can bounce back in just 48 hours!”
Miret had more thoughts swirling in his mind. “Now, about our playing style: we really struggled out there. How we moved the ball in our offensive sets, how we engaged with blocks—it just fell apart. When your offense is as weak and anemic as it was today, defending becomes a Herculean task. Last game was a scoring extravaganza, with neither team able to stop the other, but today? They had us on lockdown! We’ll be tweaking our game plan. We need to get back to being physical—that’s what gives us a fighting chance.”
He had some wisdom to share, too. “It’s crystal clear: in our triple-threat position, we can create opportunities. By being quick and playing as a team, that’s how we thrive against Euroleague teams that know how to apply pressure. In our next game, we need to use our creativity and skills to draw fouls, and when we refine our offense, that’ll allow us to get to the free-throw line.”
Flipping the script, Miret said, “The bar has been set high! Valencia Basket set the tone, and we just didn’t respond—we found ourselves down by 17. The outcome hinged on these aspects far more than any nitty-gritty details. I assure you, the third game will be a different ball game than the first two!”
He continued, “Honestly, our mentality today was a bit off. There were too many excuses floating around instead of stepping up and being physical from the get-go. Our defense was slacking—less activity, fewer contacts, not taking responsibility… that’s priority number one! If we don’t pick up our game, Valencia will keep racking up those hundred-point games, and let’s be real, they only didn’t hit that mark today thanks to their huge early lead.”
In a nutshell, he emphasized, “We gotta sharpen our attack! If we execute better offensively, it’ll be tougher for them to be aggressive, forcing them to play on the back foot. That’s the crux. If they come at us hard, and we’re hesitating because the fouls aren’t getting called, they’ll keep ramping up their intensity while we’re left second-guessing ourselves. This is playoff ball—if we nail it at home, the fouls will come our way.”
At this point, Miret pointed out some inconsistencies in officiating. “The playoff refs are always a topic. If we can hold our ground at home, we’ll get the calls. It’s all about fairness! The officiating has been on a high level, but we were shocked that Ricky didn’t get a single foul called against him in the first half—come on! We need to do better on our end, but it’s clear that playing at home will let us unleash our main playmakers. Hunt has been closely defended over the last couple of games, and Ricky had a dazzling opener. We need to play for that advantage in the third!”
The Bright Side
As for now, let’s hold onto that glimmer of hope for the next game—it could very well be our redemption arc!
Celebrating a memorable month, Valencia Basket secured a title in the Liga Femenina Endesa and reached their first-ever Euroleague Final Four—now that’s one for the history books!
