Veolia Hamburg Towers head coach Raoul Korner:
“The game in Paris was difficult in several ways. The series of defeats was taking its toll on us mentally and we were missing three important players. But maybe that's what woke us up. It has to go in a similar direction on Wednesday. Nothing really changed in the initial situation. Hapoel has a lot of firepower on the perimeter, athleticism and plays very physically. That also goes with their big men; Onuaku is a tough matchup. In terms of individual talent, Paris and London may rank slightly higher, also because Tel Aviv is currently only using an eight-man rotation. But that doesn't mean that they won't demand everything from us. We have to get involved, leave everything on the court – so that our fans have our backs.”
Veolia Hamburg Towers center Yoeli Childs:
“The intensity of our practice sessions recently was really high. Everyone, coaches and players, know that we don't have an easy time and are working hard and in detail to change that. Against such good teams as Hapoel, every possession, every little thing will count – literally, it is about the dirty work. We can't allow ourselves any breaks. I think the last game in Paris was a step in the right direction. We have to build on that. And we must not be distracted by the atmosphere. I'm sure our fans will do their best. But we also have to get the right energy out of ourselves.”
