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Two teams, a ball, one ticket to Berlin
 Hello again, from Barcelona! I know that everyone watching is talking about this great series we are in with Tau, how it's gone back and forth, road wins, home wins, totally unpredictable. And I can tell you that, yes, it feels like a great series on the inside, too! It's probably the most intense one of all the matchups in this year's quarterfinals. You can say that our teams know each other so well and that's why the series is so equal. Both teams have big road wins. Both teams proved that the homecourt advantage doesn't automatically mean so much help. We think it's a great series, and I personally rank it already as one of the most intense I have ever been in – and still with one game to go!
And now, Game 5. It doesn't get more exciting. I have some experience in Spain, Greece and Slovenia in these kinds of decisive games, whether its Game 5 or Game 3. In games like this, there are not any secrets left by the last game. Even if teams didn't know each other well before, they do by now. There are no surprises left, no time to invent new stuff or trick defenses. You have to believe in what you have been preparing and playing all year. Then you just have to play aggressive, all out, save nothing and try to be the best you can.
We also have to forget about being on the homecourt. We know, of course, that the crowd will be our sixth player and support us all the way and make a great atmosphere at Palau Blaugrana. But we also know, for sure, that the hard work will be ours to do. We are 100-percent sure of this. This way, the possibility of relying on homecourt too much and getting surprised, won't be a factor. We know from last week and two weeks ago that Tau is also capable of winning here in Barcelona. That is the experience of this series, and we can't lose sight of it. We have to do our job not depending on the homecourt advantage.
In fact, on Thursday, I don't want anything to be a surprise. You can't change your routine or try something special on the day of a game like this. As players, our biorhythms are set and you want to keep doing the same things to maintain them. I will wake up the same time, eat something I normally do on game days, and so on. I am not going to change anything. By keeping our biorhythms the same, it will help keep our heads and minds focused on the game.
If I were to single out one thing that has made the series great from the viewpoint of a player, I would stick with the aggressive defense being played by both teams. Tau is known for its aggressive defense and approach to the game. We knew coming in that if we wanted to compete in this series and win it, we would have to be very, very, very aggressive ourselves, too. And that, as far as what I have seen from the inside, is the signature of the series. There's a mentality out there on the floor that not even one ball can be given up on by either team until the end. Not even one.
POSTED BY
Jaka Lakovic, Barcelona
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