This is what the protagonists had to say after the Playoffs Game 1 showdown between AX Armani Exchange Milan and Anadolu Efes Istanbul.
Post-game quotes: Milan vs. Efes
Article
4 Mins read
Playoffs
Game 1
Playoffs
playoffs c
AX Armani Exchange MilanAXM
4864
Anadolu Efes IstanbulEFS
playoffs c
Overview
l
w
l
w
w
w
l
w
w
l
Ergin Ataman, Anadolu Efes Istanbul head coach:
“It was a strange game. We played the game in Milan’s style. We didn’t find our scorers well, but we played great defense. Also in the first half, we played great defense. We only gave up 3 three-pointers in the corner to Bentil and 2 or 3 offensive rebounds. But our defense was very good. In the second half, we continued our defense, but we improved the tempo in some parts of the third quarter and found solutions with Larkin and Micic in pick-and-roll isolation. That gave us the advantage and we protected the advantage. It’s just 1-0. Of course, it’s a good advantage for us to have home-court advantage. But every game is different. They are a great team. We’ll see about Thursday.”
Ettore Messina, AX Armani Exchange Milan head coach:
“Congratulations to Efes. They played with great personality and great efficiency on both ends. More importantly, I think they played an overwhelming defense and did not allow us to create any advantage. On top of that, we missed open shots when we had them. So it was obviously a very, very complicated night for us. On top of that, Nicolo Melli had an injury at the end that we will evaluate tomorrow morning. But it doesn’t look good. But we will play a game in 48 hours and we’ll try our best to improve our level.”
Related Videos
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/z1w4VJHQAhY/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Legends Speak: Vasilije Micic
![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
- 01:36
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/18/oRmwhndQqV988zEHbnvuslD9mgh0mdGM-1745012748603.jpg]()
Mario Hezonja: 'We can do great things'
![https://img.youtube.com/vi/M027YYk1y4Q/maxresdefault.jpg]()
Real Madrid-FC Bayern Munich | Play-In Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:12
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/05f5944b-758a-4e49-a602-838b0b2873a2.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A119%3A53]()
Campazzo’s creative magic! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:12
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/83152274-5365-4de4-9ebd-a716da09594b.jpg?crop=841%3A474%3Anowe%3A253%3A89]()
Real teamwork from Madrid! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:12
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/04363545-3e11-4a2e-9dea-ed7ad1bb79da.jpg?crop=1340%3A754%3Anowe%3A5%3A0]()
Kharchenkov’s flying slam! 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
- 01:38
![https://dve-images.imggaming.com/original/p/2025/04/10/D3C7yBWJzjx5r0A0RL1unAoXLgIRGfBc-1744320566502.jpg]()
Nikola Mirotic: 'We did this for ourselves, our fans'
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/3bd110f1-e5a3-4be3-91c0-960ae1097c4d.jpg]()
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan-Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz | RS Round 34 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:11
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/bc2c4a25-2f87-4db1-b705-7c764df153d0.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A54%3A90]()
Ousmane Diop with behind-the-back dish! Motorola Magic Moment
![https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/2b76ec62-cb28-42ad-ab57-5b4a957d312f.jpg]()
Virtus Segafredo Bologna-EA7 Emporio Armani Milan | RS Round 33 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 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
- 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
![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
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/8c02124b-c4ab-423e-925d-35055d9a946e.jpg]()
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan-FC Barcelona | RS Round 32 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:35
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/1bf0839a-844d-401a-9b41-ec261d06d22a.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A97%3A69]()
Tonut's catch-and-shoot buzzer-beater! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:16
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/a5cd636a-77b8-4e40-9dcd-a9221b568988.jpg?crop=1080%3A608%3Anowe%3A10%3A232]()
Mannion finds Caruso! 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
Shane Larkin, Anadolu Efes Istanbul guard:
“That’s a great team over there, but in the playoffs, we really wanted to focus on the defensive end. They’re a great defensive team, we’re a good defensive team, we’re a good offensive team, they’re a good offensive team. In these games you just gotta do all the small things: dive for loose balls, get rebounds and really focus on the strengths of the other team. We did a great job tonight on the defensive end. We gave up 48 points so we just gotta keep locking in on that side and I think we’ll be alright.”
Vasilije Micic, Anadolu Efes Istanbul guard:
“The second half today was very important for us because we really knew exactly what we were supposed to do on defense. They have a really solid offensive team - all of them are capable of doing good things. But at the same time, they also have some things that we should be aware of during the game. So we did really well in the second half. The first half we used to get adjusted to the game - especially for me because I didn’t play for a long time and tried to give my best to the team: first of all defensively. We know that we are a very talented team. Shane played really well today; he led us the whole game. But today, the main key was the defense. For us, it’s just 1-0. The whole playoffs series will be very difficult. I guess people will enjoy it because it will be very tough. But just one game at a time.”
