Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of Round 33 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.
Pregame quotes hub: 'Everyone knows the importance of the game'
Статьи
8 Минутное чтение
Friday, April 4
Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul (20:00 CET)
Ioannis Sfairopoulos, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade head coach
"Everyone knows the importance of the game. Everyone in the team is ready to fight for the win. We are playing against a very talented team, with experienced players who have already won the EuroLeague. They have been playing very well lately, they have six consecutive wins. We have to disorganize their offense. On the other side of the court, we have to be patient, keep the ball moving and find the best shot option. I expect the fans to support us for 40 minutes, no matter how the game goes, to be with us. We are all fighting together for the victory we want so much."
Ognjen Dobric, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade forward
"After the unexpected and unplanned defeat in the ABA League, we had a day off to clear our heads for the most important game of the season, because it brings us a direct place in the play-in. We had time, tomorrow we are preparing for shooting practice, I think the team is ready. Everyone is acting positively, I hope we will go out on the court properly. All opponents are difficult, there are no easy games. We only had such a victory once, Virtus two rounds ago. Every game is difficult, there is no easy opponent. The standings mean nothing. Efes was struggling, now they are playing well, a talented team... That's it, we need that, we have to win."
Rokas Giedraitis, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade forward
"I expect us to fight. Everything is in our hands. We know what kind of atmosphere our fans can create. We have to fight, first of all, to win 50-50 balls, jumps, steal balls. We have to want to win more than them. We have to believe, to fight. As the coach always says, everything starts with defense."
Luca Banchi, Anadolu Efes Istanbul head coach
"The schedule is becoming more and more demanding as expected, only two games left before the end of the regular season. This game is one more time a very challenging contest. We face a great team with amazing talent who proved what type of potential they have, especially on their home court with such a crowd in their back. That's why I really wish the team will be prepared technically and mentally for such a difficult game. We need to control the peaks of the game. Technically, emotionally, because this game represents a very important step for the future for both teams. I really wish that we will offer our best basketball, playing collectively in terms of sharing the ball, but also in terms of desire, because we cannot have the proper performance without a great effort, especially in these kind of games."
Erkan Yilmaz, Anadolu Efes Istanbul forward
"We are going to play a tough road game in this final stretch of the season. With the wind behind us in the last games, we want to reflect our own basketball on court in accordance with our goals and get the victory. We know that it will be a difficult game but we aim to win so we get one step closer to our goal. We also want to get one more victory next week, with the support of our fans, and that way secure ourselves a place in the playoffs."
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."
Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos Piraeus head coach
"We miss a lot of players and that affects even our practices. We can’t prepare properly for the game. But despite that, we will give our best to get the win against ALBA, which is a good team. Even though they have no chances to qualify, they always fight for the win. Although we miss many tall players, we must control the rebounds. We are really motivated because we want to finish at the first place."
Alec Peters, Olympiacos Piraeus forward
"We must get back in shape and do what we did before, that brought us to the top of the standings. I think that the key will be the pace of the game. We must play hard from minute one, with energy and toughness."
Virtus Segafredo Bologna vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (20:30 CET)
Dusko Ivanovic, Virtus Segafredo Bologna head coach
"We have played against Milan so many times during this season, but every game is important, and tomorrow's must count as a final. We will have to take the court with the same aggressiveness shown in the last two games."
Nicola Akele, Virtus Segafredo Bologna forward
"Right now every game is important to get to the season finale with high morale, both in these last EuroLeague games and to better prepare for the LBA playoffs. We want to continue to grow as a team and regain that chemistry we've been having in recent games."
Ettore Messina, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan head coach
"The fact that we are missing several players must not affect our attitude. We will have to play a careful, physical game with the absolute will to try to win, in Bologna and the following game, to give ourselves a chance to keep the hope of reaching the play-in tournament alive. We spoke among ourselves and each of us will produce the best possible game against an excellent opponent."
Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs. LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (20:30 CET)
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Thursday, April 3
Zalgiris Kaunas vs. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (19:00 CET)
Andrea Trinchieri, Zalgiris Kaunas head coach
"It's our last home game this season. We want to honor this game in front of our fans, we want to play the best possible game. It's a special for me, also, because I meet Partizan, which is always a pleasure, always something that I like. It will be the same when, in the future, I meet Zalgiris. I know that we don't have postseason chances, but I'm not very interested about that. This is not something that is in my mind. It's the last game we play at home after a long journey and, as I said, we want to honor it at our best."
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)
Vassilis Spanoulis, AS Monaco head coach
"We need to maintain our high standards and fighting spirit. Panathinaikos is one of the best teams in Europe, with a lot of talent, so we'll have to be very focused on our basketball to go out and win. Top three, top four, top six... there's no point talking about all that too much. The most important thing is to get to the playoffs and show up in top form. [Kendrick Nunn is a] very talented player, a great scorer, a great leader who needs a lot of attention. We've got some great players on our side, too."
Matthew Strazel, AS Monaco guard
"The aim is to secure the top four, no matter what. It's an important objective. The coach insisted as soon as he arrived that the important thing is to be strong in April... I hope we're getting closer to our highest potential and that we'll continue like this. One of the keys is to always defend solidly, even when the teams in front are making runs. Pana will want to respond to our win at home, in every respect. We're expecting a final and it's going to be a big game."
Ergin Ataman, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens head coach
"The situation is very serious. The reality is, we have two games and we need to win one. But we are just focused to try to win this first game in Monaco. For sure, Monaco is a very good team, it is a same-level team like us. We have great players, we are one of the candidates for the Final Four and for the title, but Monaco is the same. If we are a good team, we have to go and win the game. It is a game in which you need to put hustle, energy and play good basketball. Only in that case, we have a chance to win this game.
"Unfortunately, in the last three or four weeks, with additional injuries some players started playing more minutes, in the EuroLeague and in the Greek League. After that, we lost the intensity in the practices, some players started to be tired. We lost mentality to be ready in the beginning of the games. This week we worked well. Now it is not time to think about injuries, it's time to win. We are going to Monaco to play good basketball and to win. But it is not just enough to play good basketball. I am trying to get the team that mentality back. Even if you score 99 points, but allow 100 points, you lose the game. People are expecting us to go to the playoffs, go to the Final Four and to win the title. For this, it is not enough to be a star player, or a good offensive player. It is important to be a complete player, to fight for every ball, and to manage to win in difficult situations."
Kendrick Nunn, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens guard
"We are ready. We had a good week of practice. We just have to finish strong these last two games. We got the one on the road at Monaco, it will be a tough game. They are a great team, and then they got a great addition with Daniel Theis, which gives them a different dynamic. Since we played them last, obviously Mathias [Lessort] is not playing this game; everyone else just has to pick it up a little bit and give a little bit extra. It will be a team effort. I think we are in a good spot. This is the last stretch, so being tired is not a factor. I'm extremely excited [to have renewed at Panathinaikos] and I'm happy and I'm honored to be in this position. I'm just happy to be back here in Greece for the next three years."
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv vs. FC Bayern Munich (20:30 CET)
Oded Kattash, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv head coach
"We wish we would still be fighting at this stage like we did the previous two seasons. It's been a crazy season. Despite the past losses, we manage to do beautiful things in the EuroLeague. We will try to do the same against Bayern, a good team that plays high tempo."
Jake Cohen, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv forward
"It's tough, Bayern is playing really good and have a lot of talented players. Last week we made a couple steps forward despite the losses. I feel we did a good job as a team considering we were short-handed, so I feel confidence we can get the win."
Gordon Herbert, FC Bayern Munich head coach
"It’s just the next game. We just try to win the next game and then see what happens. We need to create our own atmosphere and generate even more energy from within the team. They have recently won four games in a row and are now playing at their highest level. That deserves the utmost respect because they have nothing left to play for, yet they never gave up."
Andreas Obst, FC Bayern Munich guard
"Of course, we keep an eye on the standings, but we’re not doing any big calculations - we’re just focusing on the next step. Maccabi is a very talented team, extremely dangerous with their energy and passion. Their situation with the venue isn’t ideal, but it seems to have brought them even closer together. They’ve won several games recently and looked really strong. This will be a serious game because they want to win, and so do we. The unusual circumstances are secondary - we’re focusing on the game itself."
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 Nadir 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."
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."