Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of Game 2 of the 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs
Playoffs pregame quotes, Game 2: 'Nothing is decided yet, we have to keep fighting'
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Friday, April 25, 2025
AS Monaco vs. FC Barcelona (19:00 CEST)
Vassilis Spanoulis, AS Monaco head coach
"We played a very good Game 1, especially defensively in the second half. That's the kind of defense I want to see against a team like Barcelona, which is very talented and among the best in Europe. We gave away some offensive rebounds, but we also managed to create shots in difficult situations. The series is still long; it's only 1-0. It's important to keep on playing good basketball."
Elie Okobo, AS Monaco guard
"It's the first time we've won a Game 1 after several playoff campaigns! We managed to protect our home-court advantage. Barcelona is a very good team, and we've prepared well for this series. They're going to make some adjustments, so we'll have to be ready for Game 2 and apply the same intensity. We had the right energy, on the court and on the bench, and we didn't get frustrated even when Barcelona was making runs. What about my game? I try to be very aggressive, create for myself and for others, read the game and make the right choices."
Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Real Madrid (20:30 CEST)
Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos Piraeus head coach
"Real Madrid is able to show up in the second game way better. They are a very talented team. They can play with bigger egos and intensity. My team’s biggest enemy is complacency. And that’s something that you usually pay for after the second game. It has happened in the past. As far as the game is concerned, I do not have much to say. Our approach will be more or less the same. We want to play well on defense, which, despite the fact that we faced some problems on offense, gave us a lead of 18 points. We have the same motivation we had in the first game, and if possible, more."
Shaq McKissic, Olympiacos Piraeus guard
"We have to stay as focused as we were in Game 1. That will be in our favor, I believe. It’s been a long time since we were all together and there were no injured players, and that gives us extra confidence. The fact that we all, the starters and the guys that come from the bench, are able to make the difference for the team is the key factor that gives us confidence."
Chus Mateo, Real Madrid head coach
"We're very clear that we have to always trust this team, and we have a lot of faith in what can still happen in these playoffs. We have a second game left at Olympiacos with a chance to regain home-court advantage, and we can't lose faith. On Wednesday, we didn't have the best possible performance. We didn't start the game well and didn't play the way we wanted. There are certainly many things to fix, and we're going to try to correct them. We have to make some moves, and we're going to do so."
Gabriel Deck, Real Madrid forward
"I think we have to improve the intensity with which we entered the Game 1. They gave it their all from the first minute, and after that, we had no chance of getting back into the game. By passing the ball better, always looking for the best attacking options, and defending with everything we have, we'll be able to compete better and fight for the win. We have to rest well and prepare for Friday's game based on the mistakes we made in Game 1, so we don't repeat them. We have to be a team for the full 40 minutes because that way we'll have a chance of leveling the series. Nothing is decided yet, we have to keep fighting."
Thursday, April 24, 2025
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. Paris Basketball (19:45 CEST)
Sarunas Jasikevicius, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul head coach
"We're very happy to win in Game 1. We have to understand that Paris will come out with even more energy and with more desperation. We need to understand the things that we did well, the things that we didn't do so well. The keys to everything will be the same; try to match their energy on the rebounding and on the fast break, to hopefully continue improving as the series are going."
Tarık Biberovic, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul forward
"Second game of the playoff series. We know that our opponent is a very strong team, and they proved that yesterday. We know it’s going to be a tough series. We’ve only won one game; we want to reach our goal step by step. We’ll try to keep doing the things we did well yesterday and correct our mistakes."
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul (20:30 CEST)
Luca Banchi, Anadolu Efes Istanbul head coach
"We will approach to the second game with great determination. We are conscious to have a team with an incredible potential in front of us. But on the other hand, we already proved to have the ability to compete. Our job is to take care of details we can control, we can improve, and to use all the opportunities the court will offer to have a high level performance and try to get a win that would tie the series."
Vincent Poirier, Anadolu Efes Istanbul center
"In the second game of the series we have to be involved in the game as we did in the previous one. We have to make sure that we keep their transition game low and close up the offensive rebounds. It will be another game of 40 minutes. We showed we are able to compete against them. It’s on us to close the game when we have the possibility to do it.