Luke Sikma, ALBA: 'These are the nights you play basketball for'
ALBA Berlin head coach Israel Gonzales:
"I am very proud of my players and very happy for them. I think the key today was that we were mentally strong. Efes scored with every shot early on but we stayed focused and gained a big advantage, we kept our focus even after we had lost it. This is very important ahead of the next difficult games we are going to have. Efes are the champions, they have good players and a lot of quality, we knew they had one or two gears more. They pushed very hard in defense after we took a 19-point lead but we stayed in the game and fought until the end.
"Congratulations to the players. Very well done, we played a great team and the key was that we were mentally very strong tonight. They were making all their shots early on although I was happy with the defense, but after that, we were able to grab the game and open up a big lead. Then Efes moved up a gear or two and started playing strong defense, generating a comeback. We stayed strong though and we were the luckier team at the end of the game. I am also very happy because we are improving our defense every game and this is the key to becoming a better team by the end of the season."
Anadolu Efes Istanbul head coach Ergin Ataman:
"That’s our season, it’s the summary of the whole season. We will not be in the playoffs, good luck to the other teams.
"ALBA scored 12 three-point shots but we had the chance to change the game after we had trailed by 19 points. We took control of the game, but in the last few minutes of the game, much like throughout the season, the opponents made all their three-point shots while we missed everything. This is the summary of our season and now 99 percent we will be out of the playoffs."
Game Videos
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/e39a98e3-6bae-4949-9542-cc8d9c35c842.jpg]()
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens-Anadolu Efes Istanbul | Playoffs Game 5 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:16
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/c6b88b1a-de58-4d09-bbdf-1b2c0907e272.jpg?crop=1108%3A624%3Anowe%3A107%3A130]()
Monster dunk from Poirier! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:10
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/6d52eb27-5a14-427d-b615-a32ef50c4363.jpg?crop=1279%3A719%3Anowe%3A42%3A30]()
Thompson with a steal and a dunk! Motorola Magic Moment
- 02:05
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/05/02/SQLvmi4JZGPXeij7jHXHG6cxw2ABtFIG-1746219996467.jpg]()
Shane Larkin: 'Big game from everybody'
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/ad002ce6-0411-4c9d-96cc-17ec3361db92.jpg]()
Anadolu Efes Istanbul-Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens | Playoffs Game 4 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:17
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/850106ee-7c58-4660-bc1b-fecf4901d712.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A138%3A46]()
Elijah Bryant with a big three! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:28
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/30/XKFxY9eQCKfwCkz5jeUe7Zy32S80IMXh-1746045205289.jpg]()
A monster dunk from Oturu! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/0c3a8223-b4f9-4317-8bba-6948f6dc3597.jpg]()
Anadolu Efes Istanbul-Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens | Playoffs Game 3 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:28
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/500741f1-8af1-4bac-9c05-45a6355ef421.jpg?crop=707%3A398%3Anowe%3A135%3A146]()
A fine dunk from Oturu! Motorola Magic Moment
- 02:40
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/b64df6b9-be98-4ad9-a84e-35b0cda31ed5.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A129%3A5]()
Masterpiece on the Mediterranean
- 01:34
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/24/AsiaypPBbOgg7sMsp3KAb1T9reRsG3yQ-1745527699985.jpg]()
Shane Larkin: 'We just had to stay poised'
- 01:01
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/24/64wD0jgGc7NPAmWG3JMdAg3NR9sEmpMn-1745527727057.jpg]()
Vincent Poirier: 'We finished until the end'
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/e17354f8-b7ce-452d-9a15-d80d4de50cf7.jpg]()
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens-Anadolu Efes Istanbul | PO Game 2 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:32
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/24/89uMelBfYzsomRVjNdLrTJBY4gVLTi72-1745528400912.jpg]()
Larkin taking the lead for good! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
- 00:09
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/c8e42709-1c33-48de-8b0d-e520b79f6d2b.jpg?crop=826%3A465%3Anowe%3A118%3A59]()
Oturu with a mighty dunk! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:21
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/117e75dd-713a-475a-a750-11816a23f986.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A128%3A76]()
Oturu with the alley-oop! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:12
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/7073f6c2-ad4c-4a7d-863b-51aeffb839fc.jpg?crop=1275%3A717%3Anowe%3A0%3A33]()
Poirier with the put-back slam! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:08
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/cec6a741-9037-48e2-906f-315b14c7caf0.jpg?crop=1258%3A708%3Anowe%3A46%3A46]()
Poirier with a fierce small-dunk! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/d9020bd2-42d4-4eaf-89e5-aaea0842cf2e.jpg]()
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens-Anadolu Efes Istanbul | PO Game-1 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:16
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/bbf9f2a0-f2f9-4ed7-942c-5e4713479b38.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A134%3A34]()
Larkin and Dozier conjure some magic! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:10
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/b34c15d6-1cd9-4a42-8f8b-d58c18a37979.jpg?crop=1238%3A697%3Anowe%3A56%3A57]()
Oturu with a strong dunk! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:13
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/45829618-26f0-4e3f-9d81-44256e7d5a23.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A106%3A92]()
Poirier rips the rim! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:24
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/11/MXcx4LkFEnOKhPmsO0LXp0aXi26avpvx-1744410398344.jpg]()
Poirier with a big dunk! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
- 02:30
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/11/3D1fS9AhhfucshuEtg1t2CcfNC6p4lyR-1744402127807.jpg]()
Shane Larkin: 'We've had to win every single game to get here'
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/ba942191-98e0-4bac-a768-97dba111b91c.jpg]()
Anadolu Efes Istanbul-Zalgiris Kaunas | RS Round 34 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:16
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/be488eb7-2d92-4c1f-b820-64c286bde8d5.jpg?crop=1272%3A716%3Anowe%3A39%3A38]()
Nwora with a massive dunk! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/f3fc9523-1cbc-4fb4-a640-875cc2154dfb.jpg]()
Paris Basketball-ALBA Berlin | RS Round 34 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:19
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/8e12922b-04b8-4952-bc9f-489169663d03.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A132%3A133]()
What a block by Olinde! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:52
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/05/i0HFkioIF819oZ650F0w0quDBsDi2rno-1743811398064.jpg]()
Vincent Poirier: 'Really proud of the team and what we've accomplished so far'
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/6183de28-f75a-4657-9218-b3ef7593c469.jpg]()
Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade-Anadolu Efes Istanbul | RS Round 33 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/be6165dc-c29e-4868-b8a1-699d05fd43f5.jpg]()
ALBA Berlin-Olympiacos Piraeus | RS Round 33 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:12
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/74e28ff0-dfaa-456c-9394-2979296d10f4.jpg?crop=1156%3A650%3Anowe%3A84%3A38]()
A sublime alley oop from Poirier! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:09
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/c45030af-08dc-4106-8d02-ce3f5a34ee69.jpg?crop=1172%3A659%3Anowe%3A103%3A62]()
A ferocious dunk from Thompson! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:18
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/518d44ac-1ea6-4bea-9840-d262cc369410.jpg?crop=1188%3A668%3Anowe%3A107%3A35]()
McCormack’s two-handed dunk! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/79cd65c3-a22d-4d82-b3ae-f220ac3c7b00.jpg]()
ALBA Berlin-Virtus Segafredo Bologna | RS Round 32 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/d609197f-c83a-4032-ac31-e10863a4c457.jpg]()
Anadolu Efes Istanbul-Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv | RS Round 32 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:12
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/9b1372f7-1126-4a53-9824-2219ca5d179b.jpg?crop=1294%3A728%3Anowe%3A0%3A74]()
Thompson to Poirier alley-oop! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:32
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/03/26/CKyFT0RrQ08EH0pL46rz5URc75xCt0N3-1743025105690.jpg]()
Shane Larkin breaking ankles! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
- 01:31
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/03/26/ncgaNO3XPDpfrCWGdJpVzKoaktciWAQr-1743019011423.jpg]()
Shane Larkin: 'To catch our rhythm at the right time is perfect'
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/1b30c0c0-b546-4c20-a562-c140663c88f9.jpg]()
Anadolu Efes Istanbul-Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz | RS Round 31 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:15
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/1849ca30-8e30-4f6b-bf57-a39d5d49d680.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A61%3A81]()
Jordan Nwora denies his opponent! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:12
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/57539679-5394-420e-b104-0b7a93f5b449.jpg?crop=1282%3A722%3Anowe%3A44%3A73]()
Bryant sets up Poirier for an alley-oop! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/fc094d7c-287c-442a-97e9-52ec4317f26c.jpg]()
Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade-ALBA Berlin | RS Round 31 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:19
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/6805e7bd-ac23-4c24-9d01-49ab321a6c02.jpg?crop=1179%3A663%3Anowe%3A119%3A75]()
McCormack on the alley oop! Motorola Magic Moment
- 01:12
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/03/21/BEHrPoM5NhA5860LguXEnWNzHU2mpEjY-1742597326494.jpg]()
Elijah Bryant: 'Maybe I'll have some ice cream to celebrate'
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/1e29304b-abd7-4650-85b0-12746ef3a04f.jpg]()
Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade-Anadolu Efes Istanbul | RS Round 30 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/e3b816b9-d399-410f-aac3-89d5687d83d2.jpg]()
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens-ALBA Berlin | RS Round 30 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:18
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/60743b98-167c-46e3-b352-6819d6292c7c.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A161%3A77]()
Oturu with a incredible play! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:21
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/03e19974-6335-4aa1-bf13-7ef3426e5877.jpg?crop=1080%3A607%3Anowe%3A157%3A80]()
Procida soars to kill PAO's defense! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:13
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/429ab682-00cc-42d2-83c4-2e501fce551f.jpg?crop=786%3A442%3Anowe%3A465%3A82]()
Baker dunks off the inbounds pass! Motorola Magic Moment
ALBA Berlin guard Jaleen Smith:
"We were up big and we started the third quarter well, then they just decided to play hard and we were in trouble. I am just glad we fought back and won the game in the fourth. I think Efes is a really good team and at halftime Israel [Gonzalez] knew they had another gear. They were up by 7 and I think they lost their gas a little bit in the end, we ended up recovering and got the win in the end."
ALBA Berlin guard Maodo Lo:
"That’s what Luke does. He is active on the offensive rebounds so that’s a play I expected from him. He was there and we are just happy we were able to win against this very talented team. The momentum was on their side after they cut the deficit but we got some wind after making some tough shots to come out on top today."
ALBA Berlin forward Luke Sikma:
"It feels great to win this game. These are the nights you play basketball for. The atmosphere was fantastic and we had a very good opponent. Even though the game went back and forth, we were able to come out on top. The team has been through some ups and downs, but we always keep working and believe that we will reach our goal in the end.: