EuroLeague Regular Season, March 2 games preview
Zalgiris-Fenerbahce, Galatasaray-Real madrid, Red Star-Bamberg, Maccabi Tel Aviv-Olympiacos, Baskonia-Olimpia Milano
ZALGIRIS KAUNAS - FENERBAHCE
Referees 10-13 vs 15-8
Arbitri Sasa Pukl, Emilio Pizarro Perez, Petri Mantyla
Zalgiris -
Fenerbahce out Sloukas, Vesely
Sarunas Jasikevicius: «With every game in the EuroLeague the importance grows. All the teams realize that despite their place in the standings. It gets harder and harder, but we are optimistic. We know that every game is a new story, a new preparation and we are working on that this week when the EuroLeague runner-up is coming to Kaunas. Last week they once again showed what they are capable of when they trailed Olympiacos in the start of fourth quarter, but then dominated the game. We have to be very focused on Thursday at Zalgirio arena».
Zeljko Obradovic: «We play against a team that play very aggressive basketball. They have big support from their fans every game. They are a nice mix of experience and youth, and they play very good basketball. As always, if we want to win this game we have to be focused because, once again, they play really aggressive basketball».
GALATASARAY - REAL MADRID
Record 7-16 vs 18-5
Referees Luigi Lamonica, Petros Papapetrou, Marko Juras
Galatasaray suspended Schilb, Preldzic
Real Madrid out Nocioni, questionable Thompkins
Ergin Ataman: «Real Madrid is the most successful team in the EuroLeague so far. They are the biggest favorite of the championship. Although we are at the bottom of the standings and lost our chances for the playoffs, we won seven hard games and lost some games in the final moments. One of them was the road game against Real Madrid. We completed all our preparations. We will play to win with the support of our fans».
Pablo Laso: «We had a few days to recover and have good practices, but this is a EuroLeague game. Galatasaray hasm any talented players and gave us a hard time at home. Playing there is always complicated, a hot atmosphere, so we have to start the game focused. In order to win, we cannot let them get bigger as the game progresses. Once we get to the playoffs our goal is to get the home court advantage, so this game is very important for that. We must go game by game and even if we lost a few games, we are being solid».
RED STAR - BAMBERG
Record 13-10 vs 8-15
Referees Christos Christodoulou, Carlos Peruga, Semen Ovinov
Red Star Out Dangubic, questionable Jovic and Guduric
Bamberg out Strelnieks, Harris, questionable Causeur and Veremeenko
Dejan Radonjic: «Bamberg has been the German leader the last coule of years with an excellent coach, great players with lots of experience. They lost a few EuroLeague games by small margins but they played excellent basketball. Our current situation with injuries is better, but we expect a tough game and the whole team must play well for 40 minutes, and we will try to win one more in front of our fans».
Andrea Trinchieri: They are a good team. They have a great season. They have played together for many years and now they reap the results. They are very tough on defense, so we need to play extremely efficient on offense. We have to play in maybe the toughest home court in Europe. It will be a very good situation, a good opportunity to learn and to face some things that can only make you better».
MACCABI TEL AVIV - OLYMPIACOS
Record 8-15 vs 16-7
Referees Daniel Hierrezuelo, Matej Boltauzer, Clemens Fritz
Maccabi out Smith, Goudelock, Miller, Simpson
Olympiacos out Spanoulis, Hackett
Ioannis Sfairopoulos: «Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv is a very good team, especially when they play in front of their fans. We must be focused and ready for a difficult game. They won their last two EuroLeague games, so we must be focused, control the rhythm of the game and do our best».
BASKONIA - OLIMPIA MILANO
Record 12-11 vs 7-16
Referees Borys Ryzhyk, Spiros Gkontas, Sergio Silv
Baskonia -
Olimpia out Simon, Dragic
Sito Alonso: «Winning is always important and allows you to face the week with a different attitude, but our goal right now is being stable on a regular basis, especially in the EuroLeague, where you can be punished for not being consistent in terms of defense and rhythm. This is what we are trying to bring back, trying to be a more reliable team during more minutes in every game. Milan struggled a lot in the first half of the regular season, with a long losing streak, but has been able to believe in what they were doing and also has had less pressure because they are a bit far from the playoffs spots. They are playing much better now and offensively is one of the best teams in the competition. They have a lot of versatility in the 'three' and 'four' positions, even at the 'five', with Milan Macvan taking three-point shots, makes things more difficult for opponents, which is proved by the fact of their scoring numbers in every game».
Jasmin Repesa: «We face a team that right now is not playing like it did before in the EuroLeague, but at home they are very brilliant. They know how to run, they press and are very good at finishing in transition. We need to stay focused because against this kind of basketball even the best teams have struggled. It's important to execute well and go back against their transition offense led by Shane Larkin».
Referees 10-13 vs 15-8
Arbitri Sasa Pukl, Emilio Pizarro Perez, Petri Mantyla
Zalgiris -
Fenerbahce out Sloukas, Vesely
Sarunas Jasikevicius: «With every game in the EuroLeague the importance grows. All the teams realize that despite their place in the standings. It gets harder and harder, but we are optimistic. We know that every game is a new story, a new preparation and we are working on that this week when the EuroLeague runner-up is coming to Kaunas. Last week they once again showed what they are capable of when they trailed Olympiacos in the start of fourth quarter, but then dominated the game. We have to be very focused on Thursday at Zalgirio arena».
Zeljko Obradovic: «We play against a team that play very aggressive basketball. They have big support from their fans every game. They are a nice mix of experience and youth, and they play very good basketball. As always, if we want to win this game we have to be focused because, once again, they play really aggressive basketball».
GALATASARAY - REAL MADRID
Record 7-16 vs 18-5
Referees Luigi Lamonica, Petros Papapetrou, Marko Juras
Galatasaray suspended Schilb, Preldzic
Real Madrid out Nocioni, questionable Thompkins
Ergin Ataman: «Real Madrid is the most successful team in the EuroLeague so far. They are the biggest favorite of the championship. Although we are at the bottom of the standings and lost our chances for the playoffs, we won seven hard games and lost some games in the final moments. One of them was the road game against Real Madrid. We completed all our preparations. We will play to win with the support of our fans».
Pablo Laso: «We had a few days to recover and have good practices, but this is a EuroLeague game. Galatasaray hasm any talented players and gave us a hard time at home. Playing there is always complicated, a hot atmosphere, so we have to start the game focused. In order to win, we cannot let them get bigger as the game progresses. Once we get to the playoffs our goal is to get the home court advantage, so this game is very important for that. We must go game by game and even if we lost a few games, we are being solid».
RED STAR - BAMBERG
Record 13-10 vs 8-15
Referees Christos Christodoulou, Carlos Peruga, Semen Ovinov
Red Star Out Dangubic, questionable Jovic and Guduric
Bamberg out Strelnieks, Harris, questionable Causeur and Veremeenko
Dejan Radonjic: «Bamberg has been the German leader the last coule of years with an excellent coach, great players with lots of experience. They lost a few EuroLeague games by small margins but they played excellent basketball. Our current situation with injuries is better, but we expect a tough game and the whole team must play well for 40 minutes, and we will try to win one more in front of our fans».
Andrea Trinchieri: They are a good team. They have a great season. They have played together for many years and now they reap the results. They are very tough on defense, so we need to play extremely efficient on offense. We have to play in maybe the toughest home court in Europe. It will be a very good situation, a good opportunity to learn and to face some things that can only make you better».
MACCABI TEL AVIV - OLYMPIACOS
Record 8-15 vs 16-7
Referees Daniel Hierrezuelo, Matej Boltauzer, Clemens Fritz
Maccabi out Smith, Goudelock, Miller, Simpson
Olympiacos out Spanoulis, Hackett
Ioannis Sfairopoulos: «Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv is a very good team, especially when they play in front of their fans. We must be focused and ready for a difficult game. They won their last two EuroLeague games, so we must be focused, control the rhythm of the game and do our best».
BASKONIA - OLIMPIA MILANO
Record 12-11 vs 7-16
Referees Borys Ryzhyk, Spiros Gkontas, Sergio Silv
Baskonia -
Olimpia out Simon, Dragic
Sito Alonso: «Winning is always important and allows you to face the week with a different attitude, but our goal right now is being stable on a regular basis, especially in the EuroLeague, where you can be punished for not being consistent in terms of defense and rhythm. This is what we are trying to bring back, trying to be a more reliable team during more minutes in every game. Milan struggled a lot in the first half of the regular season, with a long losing streak, but has been able to believe in what they were doing and also has had less pressure because they are a bit far from the playoffs spots. They are playing much better now and offensively is one of the best teams in the competition. They have a lot of versatility in the 'three' and 'four' positions, even at the 'five', with Milan Macvan taking three-point shots, makes things more difficult for opponents, which is proved by the fact of their scoring numbers in every game».
Jasmin Repesa: «We face a team that right now is not playing like it did before in the EuroLeague, but at home they are very brilliant. They know how to run, they press and are very good at finishing in transition. We need to stay focused because against this kind of basketball even the best teams have struggled. It's important to execute well and go back against their transition offense led by Shane Larkin».
A. Maggi
@AlessandroMagg4
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