Check out what the protagonists are saying ahead of Round 14 of the BKT EuroCup, and who might be missing in action.
Round 14: Pregame quotes and injury reports
Članak
8 Min čitanja
Tuesday, January 7
ratiopharm Ulm vs. Dreamland Gran Canaria (19:00 CET)
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Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv vs. Dolomiti Energia Trento (19:00 CET)
Saliou Niang, Dolomiti Energia Trento forward
"It will be a very complicated game against one of the strongest teams in the competition that has a great roster. We are in a difficult moment between injuries, fatigue and from the last defeats where we could do better. Playing against players of their level is very challenging, we want to get back up so we will go into the game determined and with the will to win."
Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse vs. 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys (19:30 CET)
Frederic Fauthoux, Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse head coach
"Lietkabelis is a team that plays very good basketball, and perhaps even the one that plays the best collectively in the group. It is also a dangerous team which managed to beat big teams like Valencia and Jerusalem. It’s also up to us to impose our game."
Maksim Salash, Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse forward
"It’s a very important game for us, we need to win tomorrow in order to keep fighting for a playoff spot in our group."
Valencia Basket vs. Turk Telekom Ankara (20:30 CET)
Brancou Badio, Valencia Basket guard
"[Turk Telekom] is a team that is very good right now and I think we will have to prepare ourselves and get to play a tough, difficult game, which will be evenly matched. We will have to play our game, focus also on ourselves and play hard, compete. We will have to defend a lot because Anthony Brown is a very good player and he is one of the best scorers in the EuroCup, he is scoring a lot. I think it will be an important game for him because we beat them there and they will come wanting to play and show what they are worth. So we will have to defend and defend as a team to be able to win the game. We are playing at home and it is always better to play at home with our fans. Hopefully they will be there supporting us. That will give us more energy every time on the court. It gives us a lot of energy to go out and give it our all on the court."
Wednesday, January 8
Bahcesehir College Istanbul vs. Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (17:00 CET)
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U-BT Cluj-Napoca vs. Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem (18:00 CET)
Mihai Silvasan, U-BT Cluj-Napoca head coach
"It is an extremely important game for us. There are not so many chances left if we want a good place before the playoffs. We are fighting against them for a better place in the standings. They are a talented team, with brilliant guards. For example, Harper, the best scorer in the competition, plays there. Carrington and Zoosman are also really good players. We need to match their whole team, not just a few players. We have trained well and we have the right mindset. We will play at home and we hope to have a full gym!"
Gediminas Orelik, U-BT Cluj-Napoca forward
"We are going to play against a tough opponent, they have the best scorer, Harper. They have good individuals, so much talent. It is going to be a hard game. As we said, everything is in our own hands. We need to have desire and show we are playing at home. Everything is good, I think I have adapted pretty fast. The atmosphere is very good, the practices are at a high level. My family is happy here and everything is getting better and better. I think us, as basketball players, we live for big games. I am talking about the atmosphere and the emotions. That is when you show your heart and face!"
Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius vs. Trefl Sopot (18:00 CET)
Alessandro Magro, Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius head caoch
"I expect a very tactical game. I know Coach Tabak very well. He's a very, very good coach. Also, they have talent and physicality. No doubt, their players have pride. They will come here to make the game. They will prepare to try to win here. So, we must consider the game, probably, with more focus, to pay more attention to details because we know the importance of the game for the standings."
Regimantas Miniotas, Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius forward
"A tough game awaits. It is very important for us in the fight for a better position in the tournament standings and for a spot in the playoffs. Winning is crucial, so we must be fully focused and execute our game plan. If we secure a win, it will help us continue moving towards our goals in the BKT EuroCup."
Bartosz Jankowski, Trefl Sopot forward
"A tough game ahead of us, for sure. Wolves have a great pick and roll game, both outside and with their big guys. We need to stop this pick and roll, which I think is going to be the key."
Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana vs. Aris Midea Thessaloniki (18:45 CET)
Zvezdan Mitrovic, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana head coach
"Aris has changed their roster compared to our first encounter. The team now has a completely different concept than in October. I watched their recent game against Olympiacos, where they played well for 30 minutes, and their EuroCup game against Hapoel, where they fought until the end. The team is faster, more athletic, and more robust, allowing them to play much more aggressive defense. We’ll need to prepare well, give it our all, and stay focused from start to finish to win the game."
Andrija Stipanovic, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana center
"This is a very important game, and we’ve prepared well for it. The atmosphere in the arena during the game against Krka was excellent, and I hope just as many, if not more, fans will come and cheer even louder. We know we’ve entered a period where every game is a battle for the playoffs. We’ll take it game by game and do our best to secure key wins."
Joventut Badalona vs. Besiktas Fibabanka Istanbul (19:30 CET)
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Veolia Towers Hamburg vs. Umana Reyer Venice (19:30 CET)
Neven Spahija, Umana Reyer Venice head coach
"For us, who need to make up ground, every game is important. We're heading to Hamburg to play against a team with three wins, but they are very, very competitive, tough, and never give up. We’ve improved our offensive game, while defensively we’ve been consistent since the start of the season. We were missing scoring options, but we’ve made progress recently. We’re going to Germany with great respect for Hamburg and aiming to win another game."
Tyler Ennis, Umana Reyer Venice guard
"Every game is very important because the standings are very tight, with many teams having similar or close records. Moreover, we’re playing away, and it’s never easy. We want to continue on our path by imposing our defense and continuing to play with toughness and intensity. We’re facing excellent players, and we need to stay focused on what we need to do. We’re in a good moment, and we want to capitalize on it."
Reyer injury report: Xavier Munford (knee) and Rodney McGruder (adductor) are out.
