Marko Guduric, Fenerbahce: 'We are improving every day'
Dimitris Itoudis, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul head coach
“We were very sloppy on the defensive end at the start; we conceded 30 points in the first quarter and did not use properly either the fouls or the physicality we’re supposed to have. We had to get into the game with a different mindset, but I want to congratulate the players for realizing quickly that the game has to be played differently on the defensive end. We changed several defenses and wisely attacked the spots on the offensive end that we needed to attack in order to create an advantage. It was an amazing crowd, they were with the team when we were down 17. We were 5 out of 14 from two point-range initially, and that was 5 layups. When you can’t score, you need to have some consistency on the defensive end, which we didn’t have in the first quarter. But the players realized that they were playing wrong, and eventually they capitalized offensively [by using] good defense. We beat a great team which has shown great consistency and has an unchanged core, is well coached, so we’ve learned from this game and we’re growing.
“Congratulations to the team. The way we opened the game was very bad, it was the opposite of what we had prepared. But credit to the players, they changed their mindset after that. The whole approach was different, so congratulations to the players. Every game matters, and we managed to win against a very good opponent, which has a culture of going to Final Fours. The fans were amazing, especially when we were down by 17. We made some shots at that stage, it was still a big deficit, but minus 17 is not the same as minus 12. We are growing as a team, and this is a morale-boosting victory after the loss to Maccabi.”
Saras Jasikevicius, FC Barcelona head coach
“I’ll never blame my guys for missing open shots. I am sure they tried and we missed five or six down the stretch. The thing that hurt was the 50-50 ball that we didn’t get before [Scottie] Wilbekin’s three-point shot. At key moments, you need to make those [to go your way] and some little details decided it. We should have stepped up physically when they did.
“Congratulations to Coach Itoudis and to Fener. I think physicality is what turned the game around. We started well, but in the second quarter we weren’t so good with the 5 turnovers and a lot of missed shots. We struggled offensively, but that’s part of the game, although we missed a lot of open shots. Unfortunately for us, some balls didn’t fall our way and this game was decided by little things.”
Jonathan Motley, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul center
“It was a team effort. We wanted this game, we needed this game to get back in rhythm, and I think we did a good job in the second half. In the second quarter, we did a really good job. First quarter, I was trash, so I had to come back in the second half and help my team win.
(On replacing Vesely): “I am motivated every game, but he has a special bond here and I have a big pair of shoes to fill. I respect what he did, he played with some of my guys and they won the EuroLeague championship [in 2017]. Hopefully I am doing OK and I’ll just try to keep building.”
Marko Guduric, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul guard
“Like I said at halftime, we needed to play better defense, and we did. Our defense was amazing; in the second quarter we allowed 10 points, then 16 and then 17. That was the key. It was a tough game, everything was pretty even, but in the end our defense won us the game. Those two three-pointers that Scottie [Wilbekin] made in the first quarter, when they [Barcelona] were playing well, were huge. They kept us in the game and then everybody contributed. I keep repeating myself: we are a new team and this team needs time. I just hope we stay together, and you can see that some guys are improving every day. We are improving as a team every day and we have a lot of potential. We need to stay humble, stay on the ground and work. Good things will come.”