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Dynamo Moscow
Head Coach
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PESIC, SVETISLAV
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"First, I would like to congratulate Girona for the victory, for their excellent game. You know that one qualification game is not easy to play. We were a little, or maybe a lot more nervous, than Akasvayu. We didn't make very good decisions in the first 20 minutes on offense, but we compensated with very good defense. We controlled the result with defense, but we had a catastrophe in defensive rebounds, where we let Akasvayu have many double offenses, in the first 20 minutes, especially. The offensive rebounds that the Akasvayu players got gave them more confidence by the minute. That's why offensive rebounds are very important. In the second half, we didn't play. We started to argue with the referees, started looking for excuses. A team like Akasvayu that is very good in transition used this to make many points in a row. Like everybody saw, we started to play our game a little bit too late. We had, I think, a very good chance in the last minutes. With some energy and some fighting, we were in a good situation to win the game. Instead, we had one turnover and not a very good shot on offense. The games is over and I think that Akasvayu tonight played better than my team and I wish them good luck tomorrow in the game against Joventut."
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Dynamo Moscow
Guard
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VUJANIC, MILOS
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"It is not so easy to come back from 19 points down, especially in a game like a ULEB Cup semifinal. We got back in the game and gave it to them back again. We didn't play very well but managed to get back in the game and had chances to force overtime. Akasvayu deserved to win tonight and now we have to get ready for the third place game tomorrow."
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Dynamo Moscow
Guard
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DOMERCANT, HENRY
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"We fought back and put ourselves in the position of winning the game. I take responsabilities because I had a crucial turnover and I just apologized to our fans and to my team. I congratulate Akasvayu Girona. They played well and did the right things to win the game. We are all taking this loss pretty hard but we have to find a way to come together and try to get a win tomorrow. It is difficult but this what we have to do."
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Dynamo Moscow
Guard
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HANSEN, TRAVIS
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"This happened to us a couple of time this season. We played soft in the third quarter, didn't concentrate and allowed them to get a big lead. You don't have any energy. We finally woke up and came close. We have to learn from this, obviously our team didn't come in the best situation to the ULEB Cup Final Eight, not playing very well. We didn't show our best basketball but hopefully we will do better in the Russian League playoffs and finish the season strong. The third place game is a very important one for us tomorrow. We need to play it and win the game."
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Dynamo Moscow
Center
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JAVTOKAS, ROBERTAS
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"We started the game too late. Things were not as we had prepared. We needed to rebound more than we did in the first half. When we started to play well it was a little bit too late and did not manage to complete our comeback. The third place game is very important for us. We have to come out and play the way we can. It is hard to lose a game like this and motivate for the third place game, but it is a must-win game for us because we are fifth in the Russian League. We need to win here to get back in the ULEB Cup next season."
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Akasvayu Girona
Head Coach
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MARTINEZ, PEDRO
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"It was a game that in the first half was very even. I think we started and played with good rhythm. We were quite accurate with our outside shooting. In fact, within the evenness on the scoreboard, I think we were the slightly better team. We missed some easy shots at the end of the second quarter, and for that reason, the score was closer maybe than the difference on the floor. In the third quarter, we played really great, attacking well and working well at both ends of the floor. In the last quarter, whether due to tiredness or Marc Gasol's foul problems or us thinking the game was under control, we lost our concentration and started committing fouls when we should have been playing better defense. In the end, the game was a tossup, and I have to highlight that Arriel McDonald had the serenity and the heart of a champion to give us the free throws it took to win the game. Now, we have to recuperate our strength some, as we've had many players making a big effort these last two days, and we'll try to do our best at that. Joventut is a great team. They beat us in the final of the Catalan League, they won the Spanish King's Cup and they are near the top of the Spanish League. They are having what is really like a perfect season. Hopefully, we won't see them so perfect tomorrow. We will be like surfers who look for the perfect wave. We'll look for the perfect game tomorrow."
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Akasvayu Girona
Forward
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RADENOVIC, IVAN
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"Definitely, we played 40 minutes as a team. This is probably one of our best games of the season. Marc didn't work in the first half, but he helped turn it around in the second half and Arriel knocked down the big foul shots at the end, showed great leadership and brought us home. I enjoy playing big games. I did that in college and I'm trying to do so in Europe. I was real excited to play against a big team in such a big game and I think I did a pretty good job. The final will be a very tough game. Every time we played against Joventut, it was a tough game. They have great individuals in Ricky Rubio and Rudy Fernandez and really all their 12 players are very good. But we have our own good players, too, so I think it'll be a great game for both teams."
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Akasvayu Girona
Forward
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SAN EMETERIO, FERNANDO
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"I think we played an impressive third quarter. We defended well, they didn't see spaces and on top of that we managed to run. I think it was great for the fans. It was logical that in the last quarter they would put more pressure on us and that made it more difficult for us to attack. Those steals by Victor and Arriel's free throws put us in the final. I think that playing a final you don't even realize how tired you are after two games in two days. I think it was to be today's game if that was to be a problem. When so many things are at stake, the will to win takes over tiredness. It would be great to win and the reception we would get in Girona, but first we have to think about Joventut and their good moment. The Euroleague is the big prize for us. The goal was to be in the Final Eight and once here we are."
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Akasvayu Girona
Forward
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DANIELS, ERIK
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"We just went to play hard for all the 40 minutes, all the team together. And that's why we won. We knew we were gonna win this game. Despite the last moments we stayed cool, that's why we practise every day, for situations like this. We weren't worried about it. I expect the win tomorrow against Joventut. That's what we came here to do."
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Akasvayu Girona
Center
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GASOL, MARC
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"This is great. But we are not satisfied, we want to make it all the way. We know how hard it was to get here. We know how to suffer and this is very important to play a final. Despite having to play three games in a row, when you are in the final you forget about everything and the only thing you want to do is play right away and win, of course. The most important thing we have to do now is rest and get ready for tomorrow. We know Joventut, we know how to play against them."
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Akasvayu Girona
Forward
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MIDDLETON, DARRYL
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"It was a very, very good surprise for us. Tough game. The last five minutes seemed like 30 minutes but we kept up, and it was a big one for us, man, big one. This is one of the biggest wins in my career. It is the best thing we ever did as a club. Last year we won the FIBA, now this is better than the FIBA, the ULEB, and if we can come away playing with intensity against Joventut who, by the way, is favorite, like Dynamo was, we'll have a chance."
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Akasvayu Girona
Guard
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SADA, VICTOR
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"We are really happy. I think we didn't expect this win and going to the final because Dynamo has a lot of experience and a great team but these people who were here with us deserve it all. Now we are happy as if we had won something but we still have the game tomorrow. Anyway, we are doing a great job in this Final Eight and we are really happy. We gave them the big surprise. We set the pace throughout the 40 minutes, but we got a little nervous and at the same time they showed their level coming back. But the decisive games are just like this. Vujanic's three didn't go in, Domercant couldn't almost even shoot and we were there with Arriel and his cold head for the free throws. Tomorrow it will be the most difficult game. We know each other really well but it will be a dangerous game, like against Dynamo. We are not the favorites as it is clear that Penya is in a great moment. They won the King's Cup in Spain and lost to us in the Spanish League but we played great and they were rather bad that day... we'll see what happens."
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