Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of Round 23 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.
Pregame quotes hub: 'It takes one win to get the ball rolling'
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Thursday, January 23
Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan
Luca Banchi, Anadolu Efes Istanbul head coach
"It's another opportunity in the EuroLeague schedule to show our desire to win a game and we can change the inertia of our actual moment. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan is a playoff team which will come to Istanbul with a strong motivation. I know them as a very proud team and they know how important this game is for both teams. So from our side, I really hope that we use experience from the last games and we approach this game with proper focus, determination and play basketball that can make us compete. Because this is a league where every single possession matters. And we really want to show a different attitude and a different level of performance."
Ercan Osmani, Anadolu Efes Istanbul forward
"Unfortunately, we haven't been able to get the results we wanted recently. We want to start a new winning streak and climb up in the standings. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan is a team that has been on the rise recently. We need to show our team play, concentrate very well in 40 minutes and never give up the fight."
Ettore Messina, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan head coach
"[Thursday] morning we'll make a decision about Bolmaro and LeDay, who came out hurt from the last [Italian League] game. However, we intend to play with cohesion and keep improving at every possible turn. Efes has the talent level of a Final Four team, so we know how hard this game is going to be."
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv vs. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade
Oded Kattash, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv head coach
"For us it is our defensive intensity, to keep our focus and finish the job controlling the board. That is something when you play Crvena Zvezda. Also, to attack the right way. They really put a lot of pressure, we need to reduce turnovers. These are the two main keys."
Levi Randolph, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv forward
"We understand what’s ahead of us, we have a difficult schedule, but there are no excuses. I really feel that it just takes one win to get the ball rolling, get some momentum, gain some confidence we show in spurts. We got to continue to get better."
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens vs. Zalgiris Kaunas
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Virtus Segafredo Bologna vs. AS Monaco
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Real Madrid vs. Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz
Chus Mateo, Real Madrid head coach
"Baskonia is in very good rhythm and is clearly on the rise. That is why I hope that we pay all our attention and do not think that just because we won in Vitoria on January 6, we are going to win [this] game without putting in all our effort. Baskonia has players who are clearly improving: Moneke, Luwawu-Cabarrot, Samanic. The two point guards are playing together on many occasions at a good level and, of course, there is Howard, apart from the rest. I am not going to discover anything by saying that Baskonia is capable of scoring a lot and that has many weapons, especially offensive, which makes it dangerous. I think it can beat anyone and that requires all of our attention."
Usman Garuba, Real Madrid center
"Every game is important. We have to continue fighting for our objective, which is to continue moving forward in a competition like the Euroleague in which everything is very even. We have played against Baskonia several times this season, we know them well and we know what they are capable of, so we have to be ready and prepared to face a tough and difficult match. Now we are running well and doing damage on the fast break. We have to continue down that path and play with great intensity. We are happy to play at home and we will try to become stronger at the Movistar Arena."
Friday, January 24
LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. FC Barcelona
ALBA Berlin vs. FC Bayern Munich
Gordon Herbert, FC Bayern Munich head coach
"I'm looking less at the big win we had against them here in the EuroLeague (115:88) and more at the last game we lost there (81:88 in the BBL). ALBA is coming, they're healthy again and have new players. They're a good basketball team, you can't let the standings fool you. But this is an answer game for us. Okay, we're playing against ALBA, this duel has become a great tradition. But what's more important to me is that we play good basketball again, more stable. Even if we have a bad offensive game, like against Virtus, we should be able to win. We can't win every time and score 90 points. We also have to toil sometimes and still be successful."
Nick Weiler-Babb, FC Bayern Munich guard
"We played great, nothing went wrong in the first half. But then the game slowly slipped away from us [in the German League game against ALBA two weeks ago]. We need to take this seriously and not mess it up. If we are ahead, we have to hold on to that lead, and if we are behind, we need to fight. Despite their many problems, they always had good moments during the season and even won unexpectedly at times. It's always tricky against them because they always play better against us. We cannot take this game lightly. This is different from a [German League] game, it's a very important game. Because we want to remain in a position to make the Play-Ins or Playoffs in the EuroLeague."
Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul
Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos Piraeus head coach
"We will not approach the game thinking that it is a game for the first place. That’s against our philosophy. It’s just the upcoming game for us, nothing more. Of course, we want the first place and the home-court advantage; there is no doubt about it. But, it’s too soon to talk about it. As we all know, every game in the Euroleague matters, and the game against Fenerbahçe is not the one that will decide the first place. We are coming from a winning streak in the Euroleague. Generally, we played well the last two months, but this game is going to be different and tough. They defend well on the ball; they have a set game on defense and offense because of their coach philosophy. For us, it is important to control the pace, run a lot, and move the ball well. Since our game in the first [part of the regular season], many things have changed on both teams. There are many differences on the rosters as well. Both teams have improved their game, and the proof for that is where they are in the standings."
Moustapha Fall, Olympiacos Piraeus center
"We expect a tough game, as every game in the Euroleague. They will play tough, but we will do the same because we want to keep the first position in the standings. All we have to do in order to get one more win is to stay focused and follow our game plan."
Sarunas Jasikevicius, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul head coach
"We are playing against a team that is the best in Europe and the team that always finds a way to win in a very difficult arena. We must worry first of all about their team concepts, and a team game specially, the ball movement, and then have to deal with some great players who are in very good shape like Vezenkov and Fournier."
Errick McCollum, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul guard
"We are preparing for Olympiacos. We know that they are a strong team. They have been in first place. Majority of the year they’ve had a lot of success, a lot of continuity, a lot of the same guys, same coach so our hands will be full. So, we have to prepare for them, the coach will put the game plan in and we have to follow. We must play strong, tough and smart especially on an away game atmosphere like Olympiacos."
Wednesday, January 22
Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade vs. Paris Basketball
Zeljko Obradovic, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade head coach
"Paris is one of the teams we lost to in a close finish, even though we had many positive moments in that game. Paris is a unique team that frequently rotates players, and it’s unusual to see players getting up from the bench on their own, knowing substitutions are coming. They play at a very high tempo, take an enormous number of three-point shots, and shoot with impressive accuracy while always crashing the offensive glass. After conceding a basket, they immediately transition into pick-and-roll action. If the first pick doesn’t work, they keep repeating it. We’ve prepared for that, and I expect us to deliver an even better performance than we did in Paris and to continue playing defense the way we did in our last game."
Arijan Lakic, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade guard
"After two away games in a double round, we’re now looking forward to playing at home, and I believe we’re ready. Paris plays at a fast pace, and we know we need to slow them down. Even when they concede points, they quickly inbound the ball and transition into offense. We have to be prepared for that and stay focused on every possession."