Following Mexico’s defeat against Montenegro, coach Omar Quintero addressed the press conference, discussing the match and his team’s performance.
Despite their persistent efforts, Quintero’s team faced a convincing defeat with a score of 91-71. While they managed to threaten their opponents at times, the inaugural game at the World Cup slipped into the hands of their rivals.
“First and foremost, I want to congratulate the Montenegro team. Their standout player, Nikola VuΔeviΔ, controlled the game. Our six minutes of stagnation cost us the match β three minutes at the beginning of the second quarter and the same duration in the fourth quarter,” Quintero stated at the outset of his presentation.
Call the fire brigade, Montenegro is catching fire! π¨βππ#FIBAWC x #WinForMontenegro
— FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 π (@FIBAWC) August 25, 2023
“Consistency is key, especially against quality teams like Montenegro and Lithuania. They will capitalize on any gaps, which was evident tonight with their 9-0 and 10-0 runs in their favor. This was crucial. We found ourselves in this situation; it’s simple β we need to win the remaining two matches.”
“We allowed them open three-pointers, which Bojan DubljeviΔ and Nikola IvanoviΔ punished every time. As I mentioned, we played well for 34 minutes. In the final five minutes, we managed to close the gap to just six points. There’s nothing more we can do against Montenegro,” Omar Quintero concluded, summing up the Mexican team’s performance.
Mexico’s next match is against the Lithuanian team, scheduled for Sunday, August 27th, starting at 14:30 Central European Time. The Mexican team is striving to bounce back and secure a victory in their upcoming encounter.