Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of Round 11 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.
Pregame quotes hub: 'I can step in and do the job'
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8 Mins read
Friday, November 22
Zalgiris Kaunas vs. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (19:00 CET)
Christos Serelis, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens head coach
"We are expecting a very tough defensive game from Zalgiris. They effectively slow down the tempo and utilize a wide variety of defensive schemes throughout their games. They play with great physicality at home. We need to be prepared for a physical contest and must analyze their defense well because Andrea Trinchieri frequently adjusts their defensive strategies. Beyond that, we aim to implement our offensive game plan. We have high-quality players who can secure the win. I believe the key is how quickly we can adapt to their intense and varied defensive approaches during the game. That’s absolutely crucial. The second important factor is controlling the defensive rebounds because Zalgiris is among the best teams in offensive rebounding. Even when their players miss shots, they often renew their possessions. I think our ability to capitalize on defensive rebounds will play a significant role in the outcome."
Panagiotis Kalaitzakis, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens guard
"As every year, Zalgiris is a highly competitive team, especially on their home court. This season, they started very strong with a 6-1 record, though they’ve now had [three] consecutive losses. We are in a very good place right now, ready to play another away game in a very tough arena. We are prepared and determined to get the win. We need to stay focused and play our game, bringing energy to the court. When playing in such a challenging arena, it’s not enough to have a strong half or a solid quarter. We need to deliver our style of basketball for full forty minutes and maintain our energy throughout. Even though our coach is absent, and we are dealing with some injuries, we have a deep roster, as we've shown in the past. I believe we’ll be ready and secure another road victory."
FC Bayern Munich vs. FC Barcelona (20:30 CET)
Gordon Herbert, FC Bayern Munich head coach
"Barcelona is coming off a tough loss to Paris – so we can be sure that we will see the best Barca in Munich, as they will want to respond. It will be a tough challenge, and we will certainly need not only a very good performance but also our fans. They have been the sixth man for us so far, and our players have visibly enjoyed playing in this arena. If we play with enough energy and togetherness again, the fans will be behind us and push us. It's up to us."
Oscar da Silva, FC Bayern Munich forward
"Barca is one of the best teams in Europe. It will be a tough game, and they have strengthened their squad well. They have a very experienced, slightly older roster. These are all guys who know how to play basketball."
Joan Penarroya, FC Barcelona head coach
"This will be our first game without [Chimezie] Metu. 'Lapro' [Nico Laprovittola] has been out for a few weeks. The situation makes us adjust as a team, and try to give a boost as a team. We will play in a different court against a team that is playing a very dynamic basketball, very similar to Paris and Valencia, our last two opponents. It is a team that plays with a lot of possessions and uses three-point shots a lot. I believe they rank first or second in three-point shots attempted. They have players in great shape, [Carsen] Edwards is the obvious choice but [Andreas] Obst is playing with enormous confidence, [Devin] Booker... They are playing really well and this is why they rank so high in the standings. We will play different, of course. With Metu, we had a versatility that we don't have right now. We will adjust with the players that we have, and it is clear that Fall and Willy [Hernangomez] have to take a step forward and help our frontcourt, taking into account special situations like Joel [Parra] and Jan [Vesely] playing at the '4'. We have to readjust, this is clear."
Jan Vesely, FC Barcelona center
"It will be a tough opponent, they are playing very good at home in the new arena. Honestly, we are looking forward to it and I think we are ready for it. Anybody who gets injured, it is not easy to replace him right away. We have to do a good job recovering, getting rest and getting ready for those games, and stepping in [for Chimezie Metu] at this moment. I don't think I can play position '4' as my main position, but at some point I can step in and do the job at the '4'. I don't have a problem with that, whatever coach wants me to do, I will do."
Thursday, November 21
Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. Paris Basketball (18:30 CET)
Tomislav Mijatovic, Anadolu Efes Istanbul head coach
"Entering the new week of the EuroLeague competition, we are playing at home against Paris Basketball which is the team that has turned the most heads up to this point with their aggressive style, with their aggressive system of play and with their success that they had up to this point so far in EuroLeague. We are fully aware that we have to play an extremely concentrated game for 40 minutes offensively and defensively, control the rebounds, control the pace of the game with the great support of our passionate fans. We have to do everything in our power to win the game. So we are expecting a 40-minute hard-fought battle in order to reach our goal to win the game."
Elijah Bryant, Anadolu Efes Istanbul guard
"Great team. We have to come ready to fight."
AS Monaco vs. LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (19:00 CET)
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Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade vs. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (20:00 CET)
Ioannis Sfairopoulos, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade head coach
"This is the first derby of the season and every game is different from the previous one. We don't count what happened in the past against Partizan. We are solely focused on how we will play the new derby. It is important to stay focused for the entire 40 minutes and follow the plan. On the other hand, we need to play with the highest energy and intensity. These are the types of games that depend a lot on aggression."
Nikola Kalinic, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade forward
"We are preparing like for any other game. We train, hold meetings, scout... A somewhat specific game, more difficult, but we try to make everything normal, like before every game. We want to play well and improve the impression [we gave at] ASVEL."
Zeljko Obradovic, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade head coach
"We know our situation in the Euroleague very well. We are aware who we are playing against and what this game means. We should do our best and come out with our heads up high. The motives are always the same when playing against anyone in the Euroleague. Of course, Crvena Zvezda is a specific opponent, and I don't believe that there is any one of us who is not extremely motivated."
Brandon Davies, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade center
"We worked really hard during practice, so we need to make sure we bring our best effort and make smarter decisions on the court."
Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (20:15 CET)
Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos Piraeus head coach
"Baskonia has a very good coach. They always play at a high tempo, and they score a lot. They had some difficulties this season because they changed their game style. Still, Baskonia is a very good team, and we have to be serious in order to get the win. We have to be focused on our offensive plan, take quick and good decisions, move the ball well as we usually do, fight for rebounds, and control the pace through all those that I have already mentioned. We have five wins in a row, and the worst thing that we can do is to believe that our job will be easy. Most of the time, in this kind of game, we always get in trouble. The game against ASVEL is an example of this."
Giannoulis Larentzakis, Olympiacos Piraeus guard
"We want to keep up the good momentum. We are in good shape; we work hard, and we are in a good spirit. We got some big wins, and I believe that if we stay serious and we follow the game plan, we will make it against Baskonia. It is not going to be an easy game, but if we play with energy, we will extend our streak."
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan vs. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (20:30 CET)
Ettore Messina, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan head coach
"Maccabi, even when they lost some games, competed hard to the end. It is a team that will never give up, with athletic players and a lot of quickness. We have our share of problems, too, some players out, so we are aware that the game will be a difficult one. Lately, we have been making strides and we won three of the last four EuroLeague games. In Belgrade last week, we had the defensive impact we want to have. Now, if we can reproduce the kind of defensive attention against Maccabi, we will have the chance to win the game."
Nico Mannion, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan guard
"We have to be ready to fight a battle, in sports terms. In the EuroLeague there's so much talent that every game is hard. For us everything starts with the defense, transition defense, and rebounds, because we know we have the offensive talent, especially when me move the ball. So, defense will be crucial."
Oded Kattash, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv head coach
"There are no easy games in the EuroLeague, especially not against Milan, which has many offensive weapons. They had some injuries, but it is a good and dangerous team. They have two bigs that can shoot from three-point range and can play with different lineups where all five players can shoot. We are certainly not favorites, but we will try to do it."
Rokas Jokubaitis, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv guard
"Every away game is important. When we play in their gym it’s much more difficult, but I think for us this season it’s not so different to play in Belgrade or to play an away game. It’s only on us how we play these away games. It’s very important to go with a good feeling before the FIBA window because we will get some rest. This schedule, as we know, is very difficult. We go without Tamir [Blatt] and Papi [Jasiel Rivero]. The whole season we have had problems with injuries, but we will try to win and have some rest in the FIBA window."
David DeJulius, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv guard
"We understand that at this level, everyone is good. Anyone can beat anyone. We've just got to go out there, play together, stick to the game plan. I love it here, first and foremost. My teammates have been great, coaches have been very welcoming, people around the city. Just got to strive to keep moving forward in the right direction. I feel like we've done some good things. Maybe results haven't been there yet, but we've just got to keep sticking to the script."
Real Madrid vs. ALBA Berlin (20:45 CET)
Chus Mateo, Real Madrid head coach
"ALBA Berlin is a brave team that often does not hesitate to take shots at the start of possessions. Right now they are missing important players, but those who are there play with a lot of determination, with their chests out. ALBA Berlin always plays the same way regardless of the result, and that shows that they have a very recognizable style of their own. Although they are not usually at the top of the standings, they always try to compete, which has a lot of merit, and they are also very well coached by Israel Gonzalez."
Eli Ndiaye, Real Madrid forward
"We are ready to play and compete against a team like ALBA Berlin, which already showed what it is capable of by beating EA7 Emporio Armani Milan. It's good for us to play at home in front of our fans because it gives us more confidence in our chances to win and keep on winning. ALBA is a tough team and we have to go out on the court with a lot of determination to beat them. We have to apply ourselves in defense, share the ball in attack and not be overconfident at any time. This EuroLeague is very evenly matched, the level has risen, all the clubs have been reinforced very well, any team can win as a road team, and that's why tomorrow we have to do things right."
Israel Gonzalez, ALBA Berlin head coach
"Real Madrid hasn't had an easy start to the season and is also coming off a EuroLeague week with a loss against Efes. So we have to be prepared for an opponent that is highly motivated to get a win in front of their fans. Madrid is also still a very good team. We have to give our best and hope that our injury problems don't get any worse."
Gabriele Procida (ALBA Forward):
"With our current injury situation, we have to stand together even more as a team and always give 100 percent to minimize mistakes. Against Real Madrid, it will again be important for us to rebound consistently and give our best on the court – defensively and offensively."
Wednesday, November 20
Virtus Segafredo Bologna vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (20:30 CET)
Luca Banchi, Virtus Segafredo Bologna head coach
"The game against Fenerbahce, the current EuroLeague leaders, will be another test capable of stressing our resilience against a team that will want to impose its physicality, experience and athleticism. We will approach this game with the awareness of having to file errors that could prove crucial, against a team that is going through a great moment of form, as evidenced by a streak of five consecutive wins, well organized and able to propose extremely versatile quintets."
Daniel Hackett, Virtus Segafredo Bologna guard
"Another battle awaits us. We are coming from a series of tough games and we will have to be good at finding the energy to defend our home court against a very physical team, well-equipped under the basket and with strong outside players. Fenerbahce is definitely one of the contenders for the title and we will have to put our basketball on the court, play with aggressiveness and team spirit as we try to win."
Sarunas Jasikevicius, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul head coach
"Bologna is a very strong team at home. It will be very important to handle the pressure of the guards. Defensively, they still continue being one of the elite teams. A very dangerous situation can be with [Marco] Belinelli because he can come in and change the game and then we have to really be prepared for many post-up situations, especially with [Toko] Shengelia and [Will] Clyburn. Shengelia has been having a great season.
Skylar Mays, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul guard
"It’s very new for me, so I'm excited to be in Italy for the first time and looking forward to hopefully getting a road win. We’ve been playing really well. We’re just looking to build on all the habits that we built. Just having a good day at work today. We’ve been watching film and scouting, so we’re looking to implement our game plan and play hard."