Dusko Ivanovic, A. J. Slaughter and Esteban Batista talked at the press conference ahead of tomorrow’s (30/12, 21:00 CET) home game against Maccabi Tel Aviv for Round 1 of the Turkish Airlines Euroleague TOP 16.
Dusko Ivanovic: “We Know What We Have to Do”
“I think both groups are very competitive. We are talking about the sixteen best teams in Europe, so every match is going to be difficult.
“This period I started focusing on Maccabi. I had not watched any games of them before the TOP 16, but I knew about their results. At the start of the season they seemed not to be playing that well, but now their game is improved and they are playing like last year. They are fast, they are good at the one-on-one and they are the defending Euroleague champions. They are also the best in Europe at transition and exceptionally good at the offensive rebounds. So, we know what we have to do.”
Slaughter: “Strong Start”
“It is a difficult group and every game is going to be tough. Tomorrow we want to make a strong start and win Maccabi. Transition and offensive rebounds are their key game characteristics.
“Pargo is a very good player and excellent at the one-on-one, but we are ready to contain him.
It is important for every team to be unbeatable at home and that is what we want to do.”
Batista: “Fully Concentrated”
“We have to be fully concentrated from the beginning, play with the same intensity throughout the game and control the pace –– this is going to be very difficult.”
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