One of the reasons why he returned to Europe was to lift titles like Granada. Niko Mirotic appeared happy after the Cup final against Madrid, an exhausting physical battle, a challenge of character, which the Montenegrin player managed to overcome brilliantly. Hero of the evening together with the Lithuanian baseman Rokas Jokubaitis, his performance (19 points, 5 rebounds) was once again one of the keys for the Barcelona fans and that earned him the title of MVP of the final, with which he relieved his teammate Cory Higgins, present in the stands with crutches after undergoing an operation on the plantar fascia that will take him out for three months.
?? TIME TO PARTY!!!
??#ForçaBarça! pic.twitter.com/RWyn8oKhvy
— ? Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) February 20, 2022
“We are very happy. I feel like one more within this great team and the family that is Barcelona, it is a great day for our club and it is time to enjoy”, said Mirotic, acclaimed by the Barça fans, with whom he has managed to connect from the first day, and escorted by his two children on the parquet. “We knew how to win. Real played very good defense. They played much more physically than us. But in the end, in the second half, we improved defensively and got through a difficult game”, explained the Barça star, who highlighted the team’s character to adapt to the type of game that Madrid proposed. “We had to change our mentality in the second half. In the end, things turned out better offensively, although it wasn’t a particularly brilliant game and we scored few points”.
? ??? @NikolaMirotic33 ?
⭐ Fifth cup, NIKO! pic.twitter.com/6cCqv2A5Ey
— ? Barça Basket (@FCBbasket) February 20, 2022
“A Triumph for the People”
The Barça coach, Sarunas Jasikevicius, was just as enthusiastic, changing the dynamics of recent years to bring the Barcelona team back to the fore and dominate hegemonically against Laso, with 10 wins in their 13 clashes in these two years. “In the beginning they surprised us with an approach with such a tall quintet and the changes in the defenses. But then we have brought out the character as in many other games this year. We started to play with rhythm, to defend and we managed to get through the final & rdquor ;, pointed out the Lithuanian coach, who also celebrated on the pitch with his two sons and his wife. “This victory is for the people, for Barcelona fans. I had never seen a Cup like this with our fans, so thank you very much & rdquor ;, said the Lithuanian coach, thanking the support of more than a thousand followers in the stands.
? I swear I’ve never seen a toast like this in my life…
The only thing that I get clear from here is that winning a title like the #ACB Cup makes you do crazy things@daanteee ? @SanliSertac@FCBbasket pic.twitter.com/tKjUSeq7fP
— #ACB Cup (@ACBCOM) February 20, 2022
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In the agonizing outcome of the match, the young Rokas Jokubaitis, 21, confirmed that the bet made by the club this summer by incorporating him was a good one. His determination also helped turn around an uphill game. “I can hardly believe it & rdquor ;, he pointed out. “I am happy for my first title with Barça. It means a lot to everyone. For me it is one of the great achievements, if not the best of my career. We knew how to find the energy and the way we fight and not stop believing, it allowed us to win the title”