Pre-Game quotes: Barcelona vs. Zalgiris
Sarunas Jasikevicius, Barcelona head coach
"We all want to win this game and go to Lithuania with a 2-0, but we must go step by step and, most of all, make a great mental effort before this game. The mental part is the most important one. We are happy because we started the series well, but no matter if you win by 25 points or one, we are just 1-0. I expect a reaction from Zalgiris, with more physical contact, but it has to be us who impose their playing style."
Kazys Maksvytis, Zalgiris head coach
"We weren’t ourselves in Game 1. FC Barcelona is a high-quality team, but we just have to be more solid and better. We have to react, to make some changes and go on. We allowed them to score too much. We need to be better one-on-one defensively. It’s a new game on Friday, and we have to begin from the start like it’s a new day."
Alex Abrines, Barcelona player
"I do not think the difference between Barcelona and Zalgiris is over 20 points. We know they will come out even more aggressive and with more intensity, and we will have to match that. Everyone of us has to make the mental exercise of embracing the fact that winning by 20 is the same as winning by one. The series is 1-0, but the pressure is still on our side."
Ignas Brazdeikis, Zalgiris player
"Definitely it was a tough loss in Game 1. But it’s a long playoff series, we just need to stay locked in and focused on what we need to do. We need to learn from our mistakes in the first game. We had a long video review and we looked what we did wrong with our defense. We did some errors, but I think we will come back more ready and focused."