Metropolitans 92 Reach Final with Impressive Defense: Post-Match Reactions from Coach Vincent Collet and Lahaou Konaté

Vincent Collet : “It’s a great performance. This game is the most successful and strongest of our season. We had already played Match 2 very well on Tuesday but we took another step forward. We were able to produce our best defense of the series. Is it a feat? Not sure because that would mean that Villeurbanne, especially with the absence of Nando, is much stronger than us… I was very scared when Antoine Diot took charge and they took over because I don’t forget that my players are under 20 years old. We had the good idea to brace ourselves on our defense to find the few baskets we needed. Before, we lost all the close matches. This shows that we learned a little: we knew how to make the stops and we managed to win, despite the 1/4 free throws in the last 30 seconds.

This final is a great happiness for us. It’s Victor’s team, but not only. It is also Bilal’s team and a few others. We have an exceptional state of mind: I am very happy for our elders, the Lahaou Konaté or Steeve Ho You Fat, who are going to experience moments that they have never experienced and that they will certainly never experience again. As for our young people, they are not even 20 years old. In our top three ratings are our two youngsters.

Yes, the season is very clearly successful but it does not stop there. We want to succeed even more. It will already depend on the face that we will offer in the final. I hope to take one game, take two games and that’s it… (smiling, he gestures to mimic the rest). Do not set unnecessary limits. Objectively, Monaco are the best team in the league but that doesn’t mean they can’t lose. Their potential is greater but we will do everything to reverse the balance of power. It’s not like it’s never been seen before, that’s the beauty of the sport. »

Let’s go to the Final for the Mets 92 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩#GoMets92 #BetclicELITE pic.twitter.com/frpwldFyiI

– Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92 (@Metropolitans92) June 4, 2023

Lahaou Konate : “It’s unbelievable… It’s really like a dream that continues. It’s a very good reward. We have an incredible group, we manage to stick together in tough times. We didn’t do that in the last game and we really wanted to find the state of mind we’ve had since the start of the season… (he corrects himself) Well no, since TaShawn Thomas arrived, since Barry Brown arrived, since some left… We try to have a very good chemistry. That’s why we didn’t give up today. We gave everything. I am thinking of young people, like Bilal Coulibaly and Victor (Wembanyama), who had a super complicated first half but who were told to be patient and that good things were going to happen. We have this heart and this determination that we have day to day. The coach motivates us, gives us confidence, gives everyone a chance without making a difference according to age. We have a super young team but with a lot of heart. This is what makes the difference because we still had the defending champion in front. We manage to answer this all the same, it’s magnificent.

Sometimes it’s good to take a slap. We wanted to show a completely different face this Sunday and avoid a Match 5, clearly. It was really what we wanted. It’s the defense that saves us, we contained their best players, it paid off. The final has been our goal since the start of the season, we’re finally there, it’s incredible. We have nothing to lose, everything to gain. We know that Monaco is one of the best teams in Europe. We will remain humble and focused. »

The Metropolitans 92 in the final, ASVEL eliminated!