Here are some insightful comments about the game from the protagonists themselves.
Pre-game quotes: Maccabi vs. CSKA
Maccabi head coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos:
"We play a game against a very good team. They have a lot of players that can hurt us. We need to face them as a unit, because even if they have some injured players or recently-returned players, they always have the quality and the depth in the roster. We want to play a good game and focus in defense to disorganize them. In offense, we must read the game, play smart and drive the game to where we feel comfortable with the help of our fans."
Maccabi player Derrick Williams:
"Our home record has been pretty good all season. We play CSKA now, one of the premier teams in the last years. Everybody is excited to play these games. We have to play with energy and passion. Things have not gone our way this last couple of weeks, but we are ready to play the game."
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Dimitris Itoudis, CSKA head coach:
"It's good to be back. I congratulate the coaching staff and the players for competitiveness in mind and the effort they have gave [in previous games]. I am not 100 per cent recovered but I miss the team, so I am here. Most important thing is the players to be healthy. We are shorthanded but we keep fighting, the team has played four overtimes in a short period of time. We have another battle in front of us. Maccabi plays stronger, tougher on its home court with the help of their fans. We know the difficulties, we will see the situations and we will solve them one at a time."
Marius Grigonis, CSKA guard:
"Every team in EuroLeague has a tough schedule, lot oа games, we have no exception. We had a day off and today was not so hard practice because we need to rest. We watched video to prepare for the game. Maccabi is a fast-paced team, it has a lot of talented players. Like in every game, who wants it more, wins it."