This is what the protagonists had to say after the Round 34 showdown between Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade and Anadolu Efes Istanbul.
Post-game quotes: Zvezda vs. Efes
Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade head coach Dejan Radonjic:
"Congrats to my players. It is a big win for us, definitely. We didn't play well in the beginning. Our defense was soft, with so many mistakes. We changed the approach in the second quarter. In the third, in the beginning it was really, really good. We had good momentum but made some mistakes offensively and defensively, and they came back to the game. They played excellent and did their things on the court. It was a tight game - they had a six-point advantage, I think, and after that, our defense and our desire on offense was really good. Like I said, a big win for us."
Anadolu Efes Istanbul head coach Ergin Ataman:
"It was a spectacular game. Before the game, when I talked on TV, I said it was difficult to play this kind of game, that one team is out of the playoffs and the other team is in the playoffs, and the result of the game is not important for the standings. But there was a great atmosphere and we fought very well until the last 2-3 minutes. Then we got tired and Zvezda found scores. We made some turnovers on offense, missed some free throws and Zvezda deserved to win the game. They made a great season, maybe they will not play in the playoffs, but they play really aggressive basketball and deserved to win. And also my team, without two very important players for our system, Micic and Beaubois, we showed that we will be ready for the playoffs, and our goal is the same as last year: we will win this title also this year, this EuroLeague."
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Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade forward Nikola Kalinic:
"We wanted to finish the season with a win. We didn't achieve our goal. We tried to be in the playoffs but it is always nicer to win the last game. We gave a lot of effort, a lot of energy. We played good in some moments - in other moments, not so good - and we wanted to be better than in our last game, especially at the end of the game, in which we didn't make a foul, especially me. Before the season, everybody said that we were going to be last or one before last, but we started to play good and were in the battle for playoffs. We managed to get some wins in a row and everyone's expectations were raised, but I think it was a good season. We had some injuries, a little bad luck and a lack of focus or concentration."
Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade forward Stefan Lazarevic:
"I think that we, as a team, can be proud of this game. We fought until the end and won. We got some confidence from this game because the most important part of the [Adriatic League] season is coming, so we must keep our focus. This is important for us, because we have some tough losses in previous periods, so this is really good for our team. In the second quarter, we brought our focus up on defense and like always, our offense and everything in our game is coming from defense. It is much easier to play. I think that was the crucial thing."