Congratulations to CSKA on reaching the final; they showed us where we need to improve to be more competitive at this level.
Once again, I want to say that I am proud of my team. In this series, we never gave up for a single second no matter how things were going. Yes, today there were moments where we could have played smarter, and at times we lacked toughness. Unlike our previous semifinal games, this time we didn't start the way we had planned—and that impacted the flow of the game. We showed the right response after halftime, but overcoming a large deficit against an opponent like CSKA is very hard. But we still fought our way back into the game and made for a tense clutch.
Now, the bronze medal series lies ahead—where finding motivation can be the hardest challenge of all. But I am convinced that when you look back on your career, every single medal you’ve won along the way will matter. That is the message I will try to convey to the team. We need to finish this season on as high as we can. Third place is, without a doubt, better than fourth.
