Spaniard Pau Gasol has pointed out that his team, San Antonio Spurs, “fought to the finish”, but noted the losses to the Golden State Warriors, who have been imposed 4-0 in the final of the NBA West Conference .
“The team fought until the end and we fell fighting, although of course we would have liked to have won the victory in the fourth and previous games,” said Gasol at the conclusion of the meeting that lost 115-129. “We would have liked to win, but the rival is very powerful, with players of great level, and our casualties weighed.”
The oldest of the Gasol brothers, who had 14 points (6-8, 0-0, 2-3), nine rebounds – six defenses – and three assists, also acknowledged that his team also paid dearly for their mistakes.
“We needed to have been in full to compete face-to-face and now it’s time to digest defeat, take stock of the season and start disconnecting,” Gasol said.
Precisely on the question about his assessment of what had been the first season with the Spurs, the older of the Gasl brothers defined it as contrastive, but good.
“A season, adapting, learning and a little how the dynamics work, also find out what my role was in this team and tried to do my best,” explained Gasol. “For me it has been an important change in dynamics and in the role sometimes.”
Given all that experience of news, the best Spanish player of all time in the NBA admitted that in the end the balance had been positive as demonstrated by team statistics.
“We have managed to be among the four best teams in the postseason, second best in the regular season and I personally happy with my contribution,” said Gasol, who finished the regular season with averages of 12.4 points; 7.8 rebounds and 1.1 caps. “You would always like to do, contribute and help more, but well I tried to do my best,” he said.
Of what he has no doubt is to be ready to continue in the best basketball in the world, regardless of what the statistics may say.
“I want to continue not one more year, two three and five as many as I can, God willing,” said Gasol. “I love this sport, this profession.I’ll work hard to continue competing at the highest level against rivals now much younger than me, with an NBA there is a much more dynamic, fast, transition game of three.”
All of the above is much more work as recognized by the player of Sant Boi, and more at this point in his career, as he played the 16th season as a professional after having already held two league titles.
“But I’ve always tried to be a versatile player that adapts to any situation and I’ll try to do it until I can not,” said the 36-year veteran.
Precisely, Gasol lived the great ovation that the fans gave to the Argentine escort Manu Ginóbili when it concluded the party in the AT & T Center of San Antonio before the possibility that it was his last encounter with the Spurs, after 15 years in the franchise.
“We do not know what Manu will do, the ovation is a little in case he retires, because it always remains as a nice homage, great ovation, and recognition of what his figure means for this franchise and also for basketball in general, Given that his contribution has been very much, “said Gasol.
But like the rest of the Spurs players and the team’s own coach, Greg Popovich, nobody knows yet the decision that Ginobili will take.
“Let’s hope he decides what he wants most to start, I still think he has not,” said Gasol. “I wish I could play another year and do it again, here, with the team of his life, where he has completed his entire career in the NBA.
As for the other key player in the outcome of the elimination against the Warriors, injured Kawhi Leonard, from the fifth game of the Western Conference semifinals against the Houston Rockets, and that the left ankle sprain Suffered in the first of the finals, Gasol admitted that he did not know his mood, but he would be affected in his place because he could not help the rest of the team.
“I can not speak for him, but I imagine that in his situation he would not be very good at being unable to help my team to compete against one of the best opponents and knowing that his presence at one hundred percent would have helped us,” Gasol.
