Mario Hezonja didn't hold back after Real Madrid's loss to Olympiacos in Game 1, questioning his team's identity, praising the Reds' tactical approach, and throwing a cryptic jab at his Panathinaikos past. With Madrid on the ropes, his words hit harder than the scoreboard.
Mario Hezonja sat in Real Madrid's locker room at the Peace and Friendship Stadium, visibly perplexed, searching for answers after his team's disheartening 84-72 loss to Olympiacos Piraeus in Game 1 of the EuroLeague playoffs on Wednesday night.
| Player of the Game | |
|
EFF
31
|
| Aleksandr Vezenkov | |
| Points | 23 |
| Accuracy | 8-11 |
| Rebounds | 7 |
| Assists | 0 |
The defeat not only marked a challenging start to the series but also highlighted deeper issues within the team.
Hezonja's expression conveyed a blend of frustration and contemplation as he tried to make sense of another lackluster performance.
The Croatian forward, who contributed 13 points and 5 rebounds in 27 minutes of play, was candid in his assessment when BasketNews reached out for comment.
"We were not prepared," he said bluntly.
"Our start to the game totally sucked – from effort to planning. Later on, we picked it up a little bit, but against a team that good, it's not enough," he added.
Indeed, Madrid's performance was marred by 19 turnovers, many of which translated into easy points for Olympiacos.
On the offensive end, Los Blancos dished out 14 assists, in addition to a dismal 29.2% shooting from beyond the arc, highlighting a season-long struggle with offensive consistency.
Last season, Real Madrid's EuroLeague campaign had all the trademarks of a championship-caliber team: strong identity, clear roles, and a polished style of play that culminated in their third straight presence in a title game.
The Spanish powerhouse lost out to Panathinaikos in Berlin, but it had showcased cohesion, confidence, and basketball with purpose throughout its journey.
However, this season, things have felt scattered and disconnected.
Even though they managed to sneak into the Play-in showdown, Madrid dropped their first home game against Paris Basketball and made the playoffs courtesy of a convincing win over Bayern Munich.
Thus, Hezonja pointed to a deeper issue: the lack of
