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Unicaja head coach Sergio Scariolo
"Obviously, it's a source of pride to have been able to put Malaga on the small map of a few places whose teams have been able to beat NBA teams. We want our fans to be proud of that. We've had a few firsts in recent years with our team. This one is a little different, but I think it's a beautiful day to remember, and yes, something historic in its own way. The situation of the rebounds has been very interesting in that the team with less physical stature has been able to get 22 more rebounds. But we worked well on defense and on offense were able to get some second chances because of the effort we put into rebounding. It's a little surprising and also nice to see that we did it against bigger guys in most of the matchups and in many cases better jumpers. I want to make another assessment based on the fact that not only did we like winning, of course, but also seeing that the best players of Memphis tonight have been Gasol and Navarro. There's satisfaction in that for European basketball, and for the fact that Navarro's first NBA game he played in Malaga and he had a great game. That is very satisfying for all of us who know him as a player and a person. I hope what he did here tonight brings him luck for the rest of the NBA season."
Unicaja forward Marcus Haislip:
"I feel great. It was a big, big win for us. We've been working hard in training camp all summer for this and I am proud of this team. It was a tough game indeed, nobody gave up and were going back and forth until we finally got things going towards the end and got the win. This win is a good sign for the new Euroleague season. The Euroleague is getting better with time and we showed that tonight."
Unicaja center Boniface Ndong:
"A very important win. There are few teams that beat NBA squads in Europe and we are glad to be one. We showed NBA basketball and European basketball are close, and we fought and succeeded. We have very good players, players that choose not to go to the NBA and two years ago this didn't happen, which means that Euroleague level is very high now and the difference is very close, and we showed it tonight."
Unicaja center German Gabriel:
"I think we played a very good game. It is incredible. For sure there's always one time in your life that you want to play against an NBA team, and if you win it is even better. In this moment of the season, they made four practices before this game and we won but I think that when they are in playoff time they will be tougher because they are a more physically ready team. Unicaja's goal in the Euroleague this year is go game by game, we have a very good team but we don't want to think about titles, but just going step by step."
Unicaja guard Davor Kus:
"I feel great. It was fun to play against those guys. It was a little difficult with the different rules, that three-point line was very far away so we missed a couple of open shots we usually make, but I think we have to give our team credit. We fought all game long. We were down and came back every time. We deserved the win with this fantastic crowd. They always push you to give an extra over the 100%. They were really suppotrtive and it was fun. For me it is special of course. They were big favorites before game. Euroleague and NBA are coming closer and closer the gap gets smaller. They are still the best but in Europe we also practice hard everyday to improve our game."
Memphis Grizzlies forward Pau Gasol
"I think that Juan Carlos played really good game. I think he showed why he's a great player. He showed what he can do and what he can bring to the table. Hopefully, he'll have the chance to keep playing as aggressive and sharp as he was tonight. There are a lot of games in the year and of course he will be off for some of them, like all players are for some, but the he played tonight, so aggressive, helped a lot when we had our run. His 30 minutes in his first game with us says a lot. I think he'll be very important for us. The season is a little bit of a marathon.
"He's begun with confidence from the coaching staff and I hope he continues that way. I'm excited about that. Just as aggressive and assertive as he's been tonight, I hope he keeps going that way all season long. I have played various times in Martin Carpena and before that in Ciudad Jardin Arena, so I knew how the Malaga fans are, how they live and breath the game and how that helps their team win games. The way they get into it makes a difference. It's like a sixth man, both helping and cheering. It's always a pleasure to play in this kind of atmosphere. It makes you feel special playing in front of fans who get into the game so much."
Memphis Grizzlies gaurd Juan Carlos Navarro
"Maybe in the first half, I wasn't in my rhythm. Maybe I was a little nervous and didn't know where to go. In the second half, I hit a couple shots to get going, which is really my style and how I play, so I felt more confident. I am happy with my own game, but if you lose, it's not worth much. Pau is very much the reference point for our team. When things get tough, people know we have to go to him, get the ball inside. I hope that during the season, with his vision and his knowledge of the league and other teams, he will be able to help me like he did tonight, but I still wish we could have won. It's not the same coming here with the Grizzlies like it was coming here with Barcelona. In this arena, I have played some emotional games, have won some big ones, but I have always loved to play here. So I am happy to have started something new here in front of fans from Malaga. I felt loved and appreciated, and I hope they enjoyed themselves, too."
Memphis Grizzlies head coach Marc Iavaroni
"I think it was a very hard-fought game, not very pretty to watch, but we didn't come to play pretty: we came to win. I have to give credit to Unicaja. They played winning basketball at the end. They executed and we did not. It's a good win for them and a lesson for us. We've got to learn consistency. We came out strong but then let them go ahead by more than 10 points in part because we got no boost from our bench. then in the second half, that changed, and Lowry came in and gave us leadership on offense and defense. We went from losing by 15 points to going ahead by at least seven and we were in control of the game. Then, I don't think we did the little things you need to do to win. We let them get second shots, we didn't hit our free throws. A big swing came when Lowry went to the basket and got nothing, then they came back with a three-pointer and four-point play. Those were the momentum-changers. We still had a chance to win the game, but we didn't hit the big shots, we didn't hit free throws and we didn't finish inside. I don't mean to say Unicaja didn't win it, but we didn't take care of the little things that could have helped us win it."
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