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Round 9: Pregame quotes and injury reports

Round 9: Pregame quotes and injury reports

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29 novembre 20248 Minute de lecture

Round 9: Pregame quotes and injury reports

Check out what the protagonists are saying ahead of Round 9 of the BKT EuroCup, and who might be missing in action.

Friday, November 29

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica vs. Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius (19:00 CET)

Alessandro Magro, Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius head coach

"It will be a tough game. Podgorica is a talented team with many players who can score points and be game changers. One of them is Rasheed Sulaimon, the former Wolves Twinsbet player and a great scorer. We have the desire to keep winning and try to get another important win for our standings. Obviously, they also need a win, especially playing at home. So, it will be a very tough, difficult and important game for both teams."

Marek Blazevic, Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius center

"The Podgorica team plays physical basketball, as is typical of teams from the Balkan region. Their roster includes former Wolves Twinsbet player Rasheed Sulaimon, a highly talented offensive player. Yogi Ferrell, a player of a similar style, excels in one-on-one situations. It will be crucial to contain these backcourt players, dominate the boards, avoid unforced turnovers, and bring the right energy to the court from the start of the game."

Thursday, November 28

Bahcesehir College Istanbul vs. Joventut Badalona (17:00 CET)

U-BT Cluj-Napoca vs. Aris Midea Thessaloniki (18:00 CET)

Mihai Silvasan, U-BT Cluj-Napoca head coach

"We are back playing, after the international break. We only had three practices together, but this is not an excuse. The next few weeks are very important in the BKT EuroCup. I think the game against Aris will be really hard. I have known their coach for a long time, and I know they play an aggressive type of basketball, with good defense. We have to match their level of intensity in order to win. We are a physical team as well, we play at full speed. With the right mindset, we can definitely win."

D.J. Seeley, U-BT Cluj-Napoca guard

"It will be a tough game, like it usually is with this team. They play aggressive, but we just have to be tough and it will be ok. It was hard with this international break, but everybody has it, so it is no excuse. We need to play well and win this game! I feel like we have not been playing to our full potential and sky is the limit, so we will keep fighting."

Ioannis Kastritis, Aris Midea Thessaloniki head coach

"We are facing a very strong and athletic team. They have been getting very good results in the EuroCup recently, and we know that especially on their home court, you need to be very focused and mentally and physically stable to compete with them. Once again, we are dealing with many injuries. We have two new players with us in the last few days, and after the FIBA window break, we want to start building our chemistry, which will guide us to a good momentum for the rest of the season."

Georgios Gkiouzelis, Aris Midea Thessaloniki forward

"We are on our way to face a very good team like Cluj-Napoca. Our opponent is on a roll, having won four of their last five games. We need to be very focused and maintain high energy throughout the game in order to fight for a positive result in Romania. We have some serious absences, but also some new players, and we will give our best to achieve our third win in the BKT EuroCup."

7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys vs. Umana Reyer Venice (18:00 CET)

Neven Spahija, Umana Reyer Venice head coach

"We are ready to get back on the court. We’ve recovered some players, and we’re very happy about that. We’re facing a tough away game against a good team. It’s true they no longer have Stipanović, but they will certainly play with intensity and physicality. They have many talented young players on their roster, and it will definitely be a challenging match. After this break for the FIBA window, we are fresher, even though some players were busy with their National Teams. We’re getting Tyler Ennis back, and that means a lot to us."

Mfiondu Kabengele, Umana Reyer Venice center

"We’ve had a couple of practices together after the FIBA window, and I think we worked well. I found my teammates in great shape; they’ve been working hard in these past days while I was with Team Canada. In Panevezys, we’ll need to be ready because we’re up against a solid team with decent size. It will be important to stay focused on our game: if we do well on the boards, limit turnovers, and execute under pressure, we can have a great match."

Lietkabelis injury report: The club has parted ways with center Andrija Stipanovic.

Reyer injury report: Xavier Munford (knee surgery), and Juan Manuel Fernandez (thigh) are out. Davide Casarin (ankle) is a game-time decision.

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana vs. Veolia Towers Hamburg (18:30 CET)

Zvezdan Mitrovic, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana head coach

"Hamburg is a team that can be described as inconsistent this season, with both brilliant and poor performances. Our opponents have also made some roster changes and added reinforcements for the rest of the season. They have energy, athletic players, and a lot of foreign players. If you recklessly run with them, you can face big problems. That’s how they beat Turk Telekom and defeated Aris by a large margin. On the other hand, they also have significant dips in their game. After over a week without games, it will be interesting for us to see our condition on the court. We must approach the game seriously, with strong defense, as we cannot afford to play a run-and-gun style. This game is very important for our fight for a playoff spot. We must win every home game and try to surprise on the road. I am most concerned with getting the team back into a good rhythm. We had that rhythm during the preseason and early in the EuroCup, so we’re focusing on improving our defensive energy."

Aleksej Nikolic, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana guard

"During the break, we rested well, especially considering the exhausting schedule we had in the two weeks before the national team break. We also used the time to heal minor injuries, reintegrate into training, wait for our national team players to return, and prepare for this game. We’re looking forward to playing again. We anticipate an aggressive game on both sides of the court. We’ll need to respond to our opponents' rhythm and impose our own. This is an important game that we must win. I invite all fans to join us - htey surely missed the games as much as we did. Their support will definitely help us on Thursday."

Benka Barloschky, Veolia Towers Hamburg head coach

"We had a few days off and used the break mainly to regenerate. Our medical staff in particular had their hands full during that time. In the first few sessions, we worked on lots of little things that hadn't worked so well before. Even now, after the break, the schedule remains merciless. With the away game on Thursday and the next match on Saturday, it's the worst possible situation for us. But we're fully focused on the first task. Cedevita is a very experienced team, and I'd like to specifically highlight Jaka Blazic at this point. The players have experienced almost everything in basketball, played at the highest level. And we have to compete with a somewhat younger and inexperienced team."

Hamburg injury report: Hamburg parted ways with Patrick Heckmann.

Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse vs. Valencia Basket (19:30 CET)

Frederic Fauthoux, Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse head coach

"Valencia is undefeated. They are a team that is focused on offense, and is very offensive, but I think we have the weapons to play against them, so it will be a very good game."

Xavier Castaneda, Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse guard

"I am excited to get back out there with my team after the break. We play a very good team in Valencia, with a lot of threats. We expect a very tough game and can't wait to compete."

Pedro Martinez, Valencia Basket head coach

"Bourg and Hapoel are the two best teams in our group. I say this with all due respect to everyone, but I think they are two very good teams, and we play against one of the two next. They are a team that had a great season last year and played in the EuroCup final. They are a team that defends very aggressively, very well, passes the ball very well, they have very good discipline in their game, an excellent team with very good players. It is a tremendously difficult match for us, and we will have to give our best version to be competitive. I think we have been unlucky with the three players who have come back injured from playing with their national team. I don’t blame it on anything, it’s just unlucky. What I don’t do is complain too much. They have been injured, let’s hope they return soon and compete with the other players we have."

Valencia injury report: Valencia Basket announced on Sunday that big man Nate Reuvers has suffered a broken finger on his left hand. Also, Xabi Lopez-Arostegui, Stefan Jovic and Ethan Happ are all out for Round 9 with injuries.

Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv vs. ratiopharm Ulm (19:30 CET)

Dimitris Itoudis, Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv head coach

"We are playing against a team from the top of the German league that has established itself over the last few years. They have a very good coach and players with size, youth and explosiveness. We are in the process of building a better team. Over the last few days, we were missing some players who were with their national teams. We are both fortunate and unfortunate to have so many players representing their national teams. We tried to work in the best possible way. Thanks also to our youth program and second team for providing players for practices.We will try to play a good game and win against a very good opponent."

Guy Palatin, Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv guard

"We are approaching the game against Ulm with a lot of motivation and a strong desire to win. This is a very important game that will conclude the first round of the EuroCup, and we understand how critical this battle is for our journey ahead. We will do everything we can to give our best and finish the round on a positive note."

Turk Telekom Ankara vs. Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem (19:30 CET)

Dolomiti Energia Trento vs. Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul (20:00 CET)

Eigirdas Zukauskas, Dolomiti Energia Trento forward

"It will definitely be a complicated game because they are a very physical team, with a lot of experience and many players who have been playing together for years. They are among the best three-point shooting teams in the entire competition and we will have to put great energy and determination to bring home the win."

Trento injury report: Trento center Selom Mawugbe is expected to be sidelined for three weeks after suffering an injury to his rectus femoris, one of the quadriceps muscles.