Check out what the protagonists are saying ahead of Round 18 of the BKT EuroCup, and who might be missing in action.
Round 18: Pregame quotes and injury reports
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Tuesday, February 4
Trefl Sopot vs. Dreamland Gran Canaria (19:00 CET)
Jaka Lakovic, Dreamland Gran Canaria head coach
"Sopot has changed several players, and in recent days in BKT EuroCup, and in the Polish league, they compete very well. They beat Wolves in Lithuania, they were 18 points ahead here at home against Bahcesehir...They were in the game against Besiktas until the last quarter. A tough rival awaits us, who competes well right now. We have to be very focused, prepared, and without any type of relaxation because our objective is to compete very well, try to put ourselves in a position to win the game and improve our chances of finishing second, although we know that this does not depend only on us."
Umana Reyer Venice vs. 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (20:00 CET)
Neven Spahija, Umana Reyer Venice head coach
"We come into this game on a negative streak, but we must not let that affect us. We are playing the most important game of our European season at home, and everyone is ready. We have the full roster available, and we will do our best to win. Lietkabelis is a better team than their results suggest, and we will be prepared."
Kyle Wiltjer, Umana Reyer Venice forward
"This is a game that will require a lot of energy and focus from the start. We know what we need to do, and we need everyone's support. We must stay positive and give everything we have. It won’t be easy, just like every EuroCup game."
Wednesday, February 5
Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius vs. Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (18:00 CET)
Alessandro Magro, Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius head coach
"We started the BKT EuroCup months ago and we arrived at the final game that is incredibly important for both teams. We are facing one of the teams that, now, is in the best shape in order of confidence, performance, and results in the ABA League and BKT EuroCup. They play physical basketball and share the ball. It's nice to watch them playing. For us, it's a very important test but we feel blessed to be able to arrive at the last game and have a basketball game with that level of importance."
Regimantas Miniotas, Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius player
"The stakes for this game are massive, knowing how much is on the line. But everything is in our hands, so we are happy to have the opportunity to play such an important game. We will face a team that has found a great rhythm, winning 13 of their last 14 games. We understand the level our opponents are at right now. We are preparing, and staying focused. To win, we must maintain concentration throughout the entire game, stick to the game plan, and bring great energy."
Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul vs. Dolomiti Energia Trento (18:00 CET)
Selom Mawugbe, Dolomiti Energia Trento center
A difficult match awaits us against a strong and physical team, which is fighting for a place in the playoffs. We want to end our EuroCup adventure in the best possible way and to do so we will have to put in a great performance for all forty minutes of play.
ratiopharm Ulm vs. Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv (19:00 CET)
Ty Harrelson, ratiopharm Ulm head coach
"We absolutely have to reduce our turnovers - this is the only way we can be more efficient offensively. Another focus will also be on the rebound duel, which has to be won. If we take these things into account, I think we have a good chance of winning."
Dimitris Itoudis, Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv head coach
"We're facing a team that has demonstrated its quality throughout the season. Ulm plays a fast-paced game and has depth in every position, with at least two high-caliber players at each spot. They bring size, shooting, pick-and-roll efficiency, athleticism, post-game presence, and full-court pressure. They’re a highly competitive team and lead the league in scoring off screens—especially their two left-handed players, Jessup and Plummer, who excel in these situations. They’re very effective coming off screens, and we need to be prepared for that.
We understand how important this game is for them, just as it is for us. That’s why we are preparing with full focus. It’s going to be a tough challenge—Ulm is a dangerous team- but this game will be a strong test of where we stand right now."
Antonio Blakeney, Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv guard
"Obviously, we’re coming in to compete and hustle. This is a big game for us and it's also a big game for Ulm. They need it just as much as we do, so we have to stay focused and be fully prepared."
Aris Midea Thessaloniki vs. U-BT Cluj-Napoca (19:00 CET)
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Veolia Towers Hamburg vs. Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (19:30 CET)
Benka Barloschky, Veolia Towers Hamburg head coach
"I expect that Cedevita Olimpija will arrive very motivated because there is still a lot at stake for them in the table. You won't want to fall into the trap of slipping out as our favorite at the end of the season. In the last few games they have played with a lot of energy as a team, they are very athletic and fast. We have to pay particular attention to their fast breaks. They try to provoke turnovers and go straight into the transition game even after missed throws. We have to be very focused so as not to let them get going. They can be dangerous from the three-point line, but not too much."
Zvezdan Mitrovic, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana head coach
"It’s the last game of the regular season, and everyone is talking about how important it is, as a win secures home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. You can sense that the team is somewhat fatigued, especially mentally, as we’ve played a significant number of games in January. We’re heading to Hamburg after Saturday’s crucial [ABA League] victory over Split. We’re in good rhythm, and most likely, Andrija Stipanovic will return to the court, as he is feeling much better. His presence on the court is vital for us. We’ll try to deliver a strong performance."
Joan Beringer, Cedevita Olimpija center
"This is an important game for us as it’s the last test of the regular season. We need to beat a solid Hamburg team because we know what a victory means. We have to give our best to return to Ljubljana with a win."
Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem vs. Turk Telekom Ankara (19:30 CET)
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Valencia Basket vs. Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse (20:30 CET)
Nate Reuvers, Valencia Basket forward
"Every match is important, regardless of whether or not it has relevance in the classification. But especially after losing our last game away from home [in the Spanish League], we need to come together, play well with our rhythm and get our game back. I hope a lot of people come to the game and cheer us on like they normally do, giving us the energy to play well at home. Rebounding is something we've been a little weaker at lately and we're trying to improve, especially attacking offensive rebounds. I couldn't play against Bourg in the first part of the season, so I'm looking forward to playing against them now here at home."
Injury report: Ethan Happ is injured long-term.
Joventut Badalona vs. Bahcesehir College Istanbul (20:30 CET)
Dani Miret, Joventut Badalona head coach
"I ask the team to give the best possible image and work to improve and learn. We have to do a lot of things better, we are building, and we are positive on the way to compete better and better. Tomorrow we have to work and bring productivity to the game. Obviously, we will have specific goals. It's an opportunity we have to improve things. We must approach the game with the utmost responsibility and give the best possible image in front of our people. We are now looking for Michael Ruzic to enter into a dynamic and rhythm. We believe that in order to be more competitive we have to extend the rotation of players."
Injury report: Miguel Allen is out, club announced on its website.