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Pregame quotes hub: 'Barcelona players feel very comfortable in what they do'

Pregame quotes hub: 'Barcelona players feel very comfortable in what they do'

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Pregame quotes hub: 'Barcelona players feel very comfortable in what they do'

Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of Round 33 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.

Wednesday, April 2

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. FC Barcelona (19:45 CET)

Sarunas Jasikevicius, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul head coach

"Barcelona is in great shape, averaging 95 points a game. Obviously, now they are a team with a lot of losses, but much more clear roles for the players, and the players feel very comfortable in what they do. Kevin Punter is playing at an incredibly high level together with Dario Brizuela. The big men in the middle are doing their job as well."

Tarik Biberovic, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul forward

"There are two games left in the EuroLeague regular season, and we aim to finish this phase in the best possible way while also increasing our form before the playoffs. Barcelona is a very strong team. Led by Kevin Punter, they are particularly effective on offense. We played one of our worst games of the season against them on the road and lost. Tomorrow, keeping that game in mind, we must deliver a much better performance. With the support of our fans, we want to fight for the victory."

Youssoupha Fall, FC Barcelona center

"We feel great. The last few games we have played better. It wasn't easy with Chemezie Metu's injury. It was tough for all of us. We stayed together, we tried to help each other. It was not easy, but that's life. I have to be ready for the team every time. Every time coach calls me off the bench, I will be ready to help the team like I can."

Thursday, April 3

Zalgiris Kaunas vs. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (19:00 CET)

Zeljko Obradovic, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade head coach

"The expectations are to play a good game in a very good environment for basketball. Regardless of the fact that they are not currently in the best position in the standings, they had a lot of good games, and lost in some close finishes. I have a lot of respect for my colleague Andrea Trinchieri, he is doing a good job at Zalgiris, and they were close to entering the fight for the playoffs. As far as we are concerned, we should play as we did for most of the match against Bayern."

Brandon Davies, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade center

"In this game we need to go in with a mindset ready to fight and keep our hopes alive by getting this win. There is a great atmosphere at Zalgiris, I played there for many years, and it's always fun for me to return. However, I will go there with only one goal: to get the win."

AS Monaco vs. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (19:00 CET)

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv vs. FC Bayern Munich (20:30 CET)

Real Madrid vs. Paris Basketball (21:00 CET)

Chus Mateo, Real Madrid head coach

"If I said TJ Shorts is just another member of the team, I'd be saying something that isn't true. He's an absolutely decisive player in the EuroLeague. However, if I only focused on TJ Shorts, I'd be making a rookie mistake, and I hope I don't. TJ Shorts is very important, but so are Nadic Hifi, Collin Malcolm, Tyson Ward, Kevarrius Hayes, Mikael Jantunen… They all are because they're proving themselves capable of playing as a team. Plus, there's something that Tiago Splitter has been able to convey: the enthusiasm of a rookie team, one that has nothing to lose and plays as a team, regardless of having very good players. That's something to appreciate about the opposing coach. I think Splitter has done a great job so far, and hopefully tomorrow we can beat a team that truly plays as a team."

Walter Tavares, Real Madrid center

"We have to keep fighting for the top spots, and we're playing against Paris Basketball, a team that has played very well all season. It will be a tough game, but we'll have our fans there, supporting us in the tough moments, and that will give us the strength to fight until the end. Paris is coming off a win at the OAKA, and that shows they played well, that they had a good game plan, that they were very successful, and that everything went well for them. I just hope we can put on a good defensive performance tomorrow to reduce their success. When the moment of truth arrives, everyone steps up; everyone wants to show they're useful in those moments, and that's what we're doing. We're playing well right now, but we can't get complacent, and we have to keep insisting on the basics to win the game."

Friday, April 4

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul (20:00 CET)

ALBA Berlin vs. Olympiacos Piraeus (20:00 CET)

Pedro Calles, ALBA Berlin head coach

"The roster of Olympiacos was built to win the EuroLeague. They consistently play at an incredibly high level and are one of the favorites to win the title. With the battle for first place in the standings still undecided, they will approach the remaining games with full strength and concentration. We've been practicing really hard, but we just haven't been able to put that performance on the floor yet. Playing against a team like Olympiacos on Friday is obviously a big challenge for us, but we'll give it our all."

Martin Hermannsson, ALBA Berlin guard

"We play our last EuroLeague home game of the season on Friday. We'll give it everything we've got - especially because we disappointed our fans so much in our last game against Virtus. Of course, that's still in our heads. That's why we're working as hard as we can every day in practice to get better and get our rhythm back. The fans can expect one hundred and ten percent commitment from us on Friday."