The Cluj guard is excited ahead of his team's quarterfinal matchup with the Spanish side
Sasu Salin: 'All the pressure is on Valencia'
Interviews
8 Mins read
Despite not playing in the BKT EuroCup for the last six seasons, U-BT Cluj-Napoca guard Sasu Salin has a lot of experience in the competition, taking part in 101 games and ranking fifth all-time in three-point shots made (222).
Last week, the Finn helped Cluj beat Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius 99-100 in double overtime to make it to the quarterfinals with a third different team after previously doing so with Dreamland Gran Canaria and Unicaja Malaga. Salin had 8 points, 4 assists, 2 steals and a PIR of 13, proving once again that he is way more than a three-point specialist.
Cluj now faces Valencia Basket, a team that Salin has regularly gone up against in the last decade. He believes that if Cluj can focus on doing what they do well, this could be the last-ever EuroCup game played at La Fonteta, as he explained in an interview with Euroleague.net's Javier Gancedo.
Hello, Sasu. First things first, what a way to start the playoffs with a double-overtime road win! What allowed you to stay in the game after a slow first half and win it down the stretch?
"Thanks. Yes, we were behind all the time in the first half and we were missing all the little things on defense. We gave them easy dunks and easy looks, and just looked bad from the beginning. But luckily, we were able to turn it around in the second half. We showed character after the break – it's never easy when you go play one game away and you have to win on their court. I think we showed a lot of character."
And Zavier Simpson had an extraordinary performance with 26 points and 14 assists. You have played with many great point guards, but what do you like about him?
"Well, it is just his ability to go to the basket and to beat his own guy. It's extraordinary. I played with great passers and great minds that helped my game, and Zavier can play like the typical point guard, passing the ball and everything. But his ability to score, I think, it is at another level. And that's why he scored 26 [points against the Wolves] and we can rely on him in difficult moments, too. He makes our easy game easier."
Man, he can also hit hooks shots, it's unbelievable...
"Yeah! That's one of the things that of course I knew before he came here to Cluj. All my teammates said, 'Oh, you have Captain Hook, the hook guy' and I was like, 'yeah, that's his thing'. He said he got tired of the big guys blocking his shots so many times, so he started to do something else, and he is mastering it!"
Yeah, totally. Moving on, you have been to the quarterfinals with three teams: Gran Canaria (even to the semifinals), Unicaja and now with Cluj. From your experience, what's most important to do in these do-or-die games?
"Now it is just one game and you just have to think about that. We are the underdogs here. Everybody has been talking about Valencia and how tough they are, and how they are going to probably win the EuroCup, so all the pressure is on them. We just have to think about our stuff, what we can do better comparing to the other games that we played against them and if we can play the 40 minutes as we want, making no mistakes. If we play our best game of the season, we have a chance. We have nothing to lose."
During your career, you have played a good number of times at La Fonteta, with not many good results (3-12 in all competitions). How can Cluj turn that into an advantage, Valencia being the heavy favorites to win the game?
"First of all, I think it helps that we have experienced guys in our team. We are not new to international competitions, and we know pretty much how to prepare for this. And like I said before, we have to make their game harder and don't let them get into their flow, which they did against us and what I see now in the ACB against Zaragoza (Valencia won 71-115). They run, take open threes and make them, and they can really, really hurt teams. But we just have to keep them to five-on-five offense, limit their ability to run and just make every shot for them harder. On the other side, we have to take good shots, not let them run and get those easy points and take some rebounds. It's going to be a dogfight!"
In the first of these two games, you built a 16-point lead in the opening 16 minutes. Is that an extra motivation for this game?
"Yeah, we did play well and, of course, they were kind of struggling with their shots in the first three quarters if I remember right. And in the last quarter, they just did what Valencia has been doing this season. I think we were great on defense from the beginning and were aggressive. We showed them all the time that we were ready and we want to really stop them, and we didn't give them anything easy. We were fighting for the rebounds and through that, everybody in our team got confidence. We were making shots and were up 16, but that told us about Valencia's level; they came back even when they didn't have their best game, they were still able to win. So yes, it's not going to be easy for sure, but we have confidence in our own game and I think we have a chance to win."
Cluj is one of the fastest-rising clubs in Europe. After a decade in Spain, what do you like about the club, its organization and, of course, the fans?
"Yes, we have great fans in here and when we play at home in the EuroCup, it is pretty much a full gym. They do a lot of spectacular things, like what they do with fireworks. It's been great. You can see that Cluj has been rising in the European basketball world. They have been doing a good job investing, putting good money and getting better players. And now, people want to come here, but it started from little steps. And then you start winning and right now, we have the chance to take another step. We have a very good chance to do that because last season it was the same; we made it to the quarterfinals and lost against the London Lions. We have a new chance this year and you never know. We never stop believing and I hope it is our turn now."
Patrick Richard is back with the team. He hit a critical three-pointer in the second overtime period against Wolves. How important is the captain’s presence, on and off the court, for this team?
"Well, Pat has been here for so long. He is the leader, of course. He is our captain and a guy who likes to talk, and he brings calmness to the team. And there's also his relationship with the coach – he understands him very well. I think it's easier when he is around and we have been much calmer, even though we were losing the last game [against Wolves] when Pat was there. He gave us leadership and that really has helped. It's great to have him back on the court and back healthy."
You played with DJ Seeley in that Gran Canaria team that made the 2016 semifinals. How cool is it to share a locker room again?
"He is a funny guy and I have good memories with him in Gran Canaria. Of course, like I said, he is a great dude and is keeping the locker room much more chill. He is a very easy-going guy. It's crazy how the different paths come together again and now we play together in Cluj, so it's been fun."
Cluj already made history but has a great opportunity to do even better. How exciting is that, and what would it mean for the club to beat Valencia?
"I think it would be the biggest win in the club's history. I think everybody realizes what's on the table and what we can do. But still, like I said, we don't want to put pressure on us because the pressure is not on us. It's on Valencia. They play at home and were the guys waiting for a quarterfinal opponent. We have to enjoy the moment, enjoy the game that is coming and before that, prepare ourselves and be ready for a fight."