Ergin Ataman, Efes head coach
"I think until the last quarter, we played perfect. Especially in the third quarter, we scored 35 points, our defense was extremely good. But sometimes it's very difficult to understand basketball. Because OK, some players get tired, we change, we get them rest in the last quarter, two minutes, three minutes, but after we missed everything. We missed everything in the last quarter, and they made everything, and we risked the game that we had and played perfect until then. But anyway, it's an important victory for us. Now, of course, Thursday is one more game, and we will focus for the Partizan game. [Shane Larkin] is one of the best players in Europe. We like to see him always like this. OK, he missed the beginning of the season. Until the middle of December, he didn't play. Then, he came back. And now, he's playing his game. For me, it's not a surprise. The star players can play this kind of game. He played good tonight and I hope he will continue to play the same way, because he deserves to. Larkin is an excellent player so it's not such a surprise for me. We need these guys to play. [Vasilije] Micic had some problem. In the first half, he also played great. So if Micic will play his game, we will be again a very good team.
"It was a strange game, because in the second and third quarter, we played perfect. We played like champions. We played excellent defense, running the game on offense, moving the ball and always finding a good shot selection. But after that, in the fourth quarter, we stopped and took a rest for some minutes, 2-3 minutes. We rotated the perimeter players, four perimeter players, but I think it is not enough, and in the last quarter, we missed everything. We missed all the shots, all the baskets that we made in the third quarter, and then we gave them the opportunity to come back into the game. We risked the game, but with Larkin taking responsibility, we took an important victory for us."
Chus Mateo, Real Madrid head coach
"We started the game well, in the right way, and in the last 5 minutes of the second quarter, they started to come back. But we knew that the game was going to be tough. In the third quarter, they were able to score a lot of threes and too many points in this quarter, something we cannot afford. Anyway, we fought until the end. We were able to score more twos, they scored more threes and this is the game. We did the same things that they did to win, but they scored one more point, and this is what counts.
"We started the game well, in the right way, and in the last five minutes of the second quarter, they started to come back. But we knew that the game was going to be tough. In the third quarter, they were able to score a lot of threes and too many points in this quarter, something we cannot afford. Anyway, we fought until the end. We were able to score more twos, they scored more threes, and this is the game. We did the same things that they did to win, but they scored 1 more point and this is what counts."
Elijah Bryant, Efes player
"I think my teammates were just able to find me. I caught some rhythm, hit some shots, and most importantly, we were able to get a big win. Just getting downhill, trusting my shot, believing in the work I put in, having faith. I always give credit to god. It's about staying ready. There's a lot of talent throughout the roster, but having the opportunity to show your skills... you might not have it one day, but you have to stay ready, stay locked in and be consistent over time."
Shane Larkin, Efes player
"It was a huge game for us. Obviously, we didn't do a good job last time we played on our home court. We didn't show fight, we didn't show our character. But today, with our backs against the wall, we showed who we are. That's a team that's battling for first place right now, so we showed that we have the capabilities. We've just got to come out every single night and give that kind of effort, and if we do, anything is possible. In the second quarter, we really got it going. Elijah [Bryant] hit some step-back threes. We started to attack in an area where we knew that they were weaker. We just had it going. We got some stops, got some rebounds, got out in transition. We were playing that basketball we've played the last couple of years that made us one of the better teams. We've just got to stick to that, get back to that, just lock in on defense and run. And I think if we do that, I think we'll be a tough team until the end of the season."
Sergio Rodriguez, Real Madrid player
"It was a tough game for us. We played against the champion, so we knew it was going to be a difficult game. They took a big lead at some point during the game, hitting a lot of three-point shots. They took a very big lead but we fought back in the fourth quarter. We couldn't get the win, and now we have to think about the game against Milan on Thursday, get back home and try to win. We have to keep that positive side, the fact that we returned to the game. We showed we could have won, and have to keep the same mentality, work hard and get more wins."
