When it comes to the third-place game, there are many players who would rather be at home. Don’t count Jordan Loyd among them.
"We want to leave with a good taste in our mouth,” the AS Monaco guard said Saturday afternoon.
"I’m a glass-half-full guy," Loyd continued before listing the benefits of the third-place game for his team. Among them is building momentum as he and his teammates prepare for the French League playoffs, where Monaco will face Strasbourg on Wednesday night. He explained that when watching scouting video of Barcelona, the coaching staff stressed the similarities between some of Barcelona's sets and those of Strasbourg, so his team can use the third-place game as part of its preparation.
Another reason is that this is Monaco's second EuroLeague season and first time in the Final Four. A victory, even in the third-place game, would be a first in club history at the event.
Team captain Yakuba Ouattara added a few more reasons.
"When you see the last game, the way we played in the second half, we want to go home with a better picture of how we play basketball. Our fans made a trip to support us and we want to show them a better face than what we showed before," Ouattara said. "We are better than what we showed yesterday. Today is a little bit hard because we still have a lot of frustration from yesterday. But as a competitor, we have to swallow it and get back on track."