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24 SECONDS WITH CROATIA'S DYNAMIC DUO: Filip Krušlin & Miro Bilan...
SPANISH FANS FAVOURITE: MIRO BILAN, CROATIA...
A strange thing happened on Sunday in the final Group D game between Croatia and Germany.
As the main court at the Telefonica Arena in Madrid started to fill up for the impending Spain-Serbia fixture the Croat side was down 25-10 to the Germans, leaving them bottom of the group.
But the Spanish fans who had come early decided that the team coached by Darko Kunce was in need of their help, and for the second day in a row cheered and sang in support of the Croatian youngsters.
The result was an amazing turnaround in performance, and led by Filip Kruslin with 29 points Croatia started a phenomenal comeback which ended up giving them third place in the group and dumping Slovenia out of the qualifying round.
Despite not getting many minutes, Miro Bilan seemed to be drawing the most support as a group of fans sang and held up cards spelling out his name, a feat which earned them a photo-op with the young Croat after the game.
Surrounded by a very amused entire Croatia team, we spoke to Kruslin and a rather embarrassed Bilan about fans, a Croatian one-man circus and mutual appreciation.
FIBA Europe: So, tell me about that crowd.
Bilan: It was amazing. The people were cheering for us and I was surprised really. I think it’s great and I think maybe they will be cheering us even more today.
FIBA Europe: Filip you had another great game, and finally it was rewarded with a win. Do you think this is the turning point now for Croatia in this tournament?
Kruslin: I think so, because before the European Championships we played well and it didn’t happen for the first two games. But in the last game we’ve shown that we can play and that we can win, and I think it’s now going better and every game we’ll play better and better.
FIBA Europe: How happy have you been with your personal displays so far?
Bilan: I’m not really happy but I hope I can play better than before. I hope that I can gain more minutes. With the crowd behind me though I’m sure I can do better. They are a wind at my back.
IGRAÈ O KOJEMU BRUJE SCOUTI: MILAN MAÈVAN, SRBIJA (ORIGINALNO ROÐEN U VUKOVARU 1989.)...
Kruslin: I’m happy with my last two games because I think I played well and I think it’s crucial to do that. I played really badly in the first game and we lost badly too. I just think, though, that you can always do better. But of course the team is the first thing, you know? You can play well but the team performance and winning is always more important. I just want the team to play well.
FIBA Europe: And now after this win and with the crowd I imagine that the spirits in the team are really high?
Kruslin: Really high, yes, because we are all really good friends, you know? You can’t be a good teammate without being a good friend too I don’t think.
Bilan: Yes and we have [Marino] Sarlija, the number 13. He is, well it’s hard to explain. You really have to see him. He’s just like a one man circus.
FIBA Europe: And after the high of the game and the crowd how do you come down again and relax?
Both: Sleep.
Kruslin: Either playing a game or sleeping. Rest is crucial so you play well in the next game and, well, I think that there’s no better way to relax than to go to sleep!
FIBA Europe: You obviously really enjoy your basketball. You can see that on the court. But have you always been basketball players or did you start out in another sport?
Bilan: No, for me just basketball. I’ve been playing basketball now for about nine years.
Kruslin: I was a swimmer. I don’t know, maybe until I was about 10 or something like that I was really into swimming but then I changed to basketball. I’ve been playing now for about eight years.
FIBA Europe: And who is your favourite team or player in this fine sport?
Kruslin: Lots, but maybe Michael Jordan I think.
Bilan: For me Tim Duncan, and of course this guy here (slapping Kruslin on the back)!
Daniel Aubrey
FIBA.COM
Post je objavljen 08.08.2007. u 20:54 sati.