June 19, 2013
Final Game 1 - April 10, 2007 CET: 19:30 Local time: 19:30 - RTL SPIROUDOME
Lietuvos Rytas 75 - 87 Real Madrid

Records

Ave.   Ave.
0-0 Final 0-0
0-0 Semi-Final 0-0
0-0 Quarter Final 0-0
0-0 Eighthfinals 0-0
0-0 Regular Season 0-0
10-6 Overall 12-4

Referees

Crew Chief
KOUKOULEKIDIS, STELIOS, Greece
Referee
FACCHINI, FABIO, Italy
Umpire
CHAMBON, DAVID, France

Team Stats

Ave.   Ave.
78.0 Points 80.6
35.4 Rebounds 36.3
11.1 O. Rebounds 12.1
24.3 D. Rebounds 24.1
14.8 Assists 13.6
10.6 Steals 11.0
2.7 Blocks 2.9
12.6 Turnovers 14.1
55.3 % 2PT 52.7 %
33.0 % 3PT 37.9 %
70.7 % FT 71.9 %
87.0 Index 93.4
Team Stats - Lietuvos Rytas
Team Stats - Real Madrid

Player Stats

Ave.   Ave.
9.3 / Batista Points 12.8 / BULLOCK, LOUIS
5.5 / Nielsen Rebounds 7.5 / Reyes
2.3 / PETRAVICIUS, MARIUS OR 3.7 / Reyes
4.2 / Nielsen DR 3.8 / Reyes
2.8 / STELMAHERS, R. Assists 3.0 / Tunceri
1.8 / Jomantas Steals 1.6 / Hervelle
1.0 / ZUKAUSKAS, EURELIJUS Blocks 1.0 / HERNANDEZ-SONSECA, EDU
1.2 / DELININKAITIS, T. Turnovers 1.9 / Lopez
65.7 % / SLEZAS, A. 2PT 72.2 % / Mumbru
100.0 % / Batista 3PT 57.9 % / Lopez
84.6 % / SLEZAS, A. FT 92.3 % / BULLOCK, LOUIS
12.6 / Jomantas Index 13.8 / Hervelle
Team Roster - Lietuvos Rytas
Team Roster - Real Madrid

THE TAKE

The crowning moment of the ULEB Cup season is here! Lietuvos Rytas and Real Madrid will face each other in the title game in the Spiroudome on Tuesday, in an exciting showdown that will decide which of them lifts the trophy and advances to the 2007-08 Euroleague. Both teams arrive to Charleroi, Belgium for their second title games. Madrid lost the 2004 ULEB Cup final against Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem while L.Rytas won the competition in 2005 and could become the first team to win a second ULEB Cup trophy. Madrid brings with it a pair of reigning world champions - Felipe Reyes and Alex Mumbru - not to mention Axel Hervelle, the first Belgian to play the title game. L.Rytas features four players who won the ULEB Cup in 2005 - Roberts Stelmahers, Tomas Delininkaitis, Andrius Slezas and Mindaugas Lukauskis - as well as former Euroleague champion Eurelijus Zukauskas. The ULEB Cup final will get global coverage, as the game will be broadcast to 71 countries and all five continents, appopriately for a game in which players from both teams represent nine different countries - Lithuania, Spain, Belgium, Latvia, Serbia, Brazil, Australia, Croatia, Turkey and the United States. Madrid's main concern will be stopping Stelmahers, L.Rytas's floor general, whose experience and leadership will be tested by Madrid vetern Kerem Tunceri. Physical, pass-first playmaker Janis Blums will back up Stelmahers against Raul Lopez, the talented big-game player for Madrid. Two of the best scorers in Europe, Kareem Rush of L.Rytas and Louis Bullock of Real Madrid, will be ready to test their accuracy against each other. Rush, a left-handed shooter who can also take the ball to the basket, has his perfect complement in Arturas Jomantas, a steals specialist and an all-around player who is ready to face the most important game in his short, promising career. Bullock can give any of them trouble with his quickness and step-back jumpers, but at the same time both Rush and Jomantas are taller than him and ready to take that advantage. Rush will probably have a strong test against Charles Smith, a prime scorer who can also shut down any opponent with his intensity and quickness. Meanwhile, L.Rytas head coach Aleksandar Trifunovic will certainly use electric combo guards Lukauskis and Delininkaitis against him and Marko Tomas. Jomantas will also have to worry about Mumbru, the only player on Madrid who took part in the 2004 final. His deep range, quickness and experience will be very important in this game. The battle in the paint will be crucial, especially now that Zukauskas is fully recovered and becomes L.Rytas's defensive anchor. Zukauskas is a great rebounder and shot blocker, and this is where Madrid may miss injured big men Ratko Varda and Venson Hamilton. Reyes will be the man to stop for L.Rytas, as not only he is one of the best rebounders in European basketball, but has improved on offense, adding an effective mid-range jumper. Reyes leads a frontcourt that also features shot blocking ace Edu Hernandez-Sonseca, big man Blagota Sekulic and a hypermotivated Hervelle, ready to provide his intensity and deep range. Reyes will test his strength against Joao Paolo Batista, while Hervelle will have a tough matchup against a similar player, Matt Nielsen, who can play from any spot on offense, but have an advantage inside. Power forward Marijus Petravicius and three-point threat Slezas are ready to come off the bench and change the game for L.Rytas. Slezas, who played his first game with L.Rytas in 1997, can carry on making history with his lifelong team. Both teams have similar game patterns, using strong defense to run the break as often as they can, otherwise opting to slow the game tempo to look for sharpshooters and inside threats. More than anything, these teams are deep in talent and ambition to lift a trophy and join the Euroleague. It's the ULEB Cup final, with two excellent teams fighting for a prestigious title, so sit back and enjoy a potential thriller!
Monday, April 09, 2007
ULEBCup.com

Quotes Head Coaches

TRIFUNOVIC, ALEKSANDAR
Lietuvos Rytas
"Hello everybody. After 16 games in both the regular season and the elimination rounds, we are in the final. It has been a tough road for us until we got here and we now face Real Madrid, one of the biggest teams in European basketball. We respect their names and their game, but on the other hand, we know our goal and we are not satisfied to be in the final. We must play the best game of the season tomorrow and give our fans a reason to celebrate, because Lietuvos Rytas deserves to be in the Euroleague and we want to make it there as soon as possible. We know Real Madrid is a strong team that has done well in both of its competitions. The names of its players say enough about them and about their game. I don't think it is necessary to analyze the game at this point. I followed Real Madrid during the season. The team already made it to the Spanish King's Cup; this is its second final and it has chances to make it to a third one. We also have chances to win three competitions, as we are still alive in both the Baltic League and the Lithuanian League."
PLAZA, JOAN
Real Madrid
"We are happy to be here. We pretend to play a good game tomorrow, not an exceptional game, but a regular one, just like we played throughout the whole season. I think we worked hard during the season, began losing some games but won 11 of our last 12, growing with the competition. We have also done as good as we can in our domestic competition, giving satisfaction to our fans and the club. We lost the ULEB Cup final three years ago, so we must remember that to be better players tomorrow against Lietuvos Rytas. We want to enjoy the game and give it to the fans, nothing more. It is an important game for our club, and I think it is the logical choice for a club like ours that did not win a European competition in 10 years. In the beginning of the season, back in August, our goal was being able to make it to the final and challenge for titles. This is our second final this season. We have a new president, new club directors and the ULEB Cup title will give us security. It will confirm the working line that Antonio Martin and Alberto Herreros started. Of course, there will be life after the game. We are in a good position in the Spanish League, but the challenge right now is being able to win tomorrow because we deserve to have the chance to win this competition. It will also allow us to play without thinking of making it to the Euroleague. It would be a prize for a way of working that had to pay off sooner or later. L.Rytas changed coaches three times and changed its two American players. It has a new structure and a new way of working, plays defense a little harder. So the game we played in pre-season happened long ago and is not a reference for this final. We have analyzed them, they have been playing well, with good defense, being able to rebounds, but this is what they have done in the entire season. We must care about ourselves, be able to see the best Real Madrid possible. They already won the ULEB Cup and this should be our chance to do it."

Players

NIELSEN, MATT
Lietuvos Rytas
"Hello to everyone. It has obviously been a long season for us, as we went through many up and downs. The fact that we are here means a lot and we are happy to be at this point, with one game to go and the opportunity to lift the trophy and take it back to Vilnius. I am enjoying the experience of playing in Europe. Coming to Lietuvos Rytas is an unbelievable experience for me. I enjoyed it last year, and I am enjoying it the same this season. Playing in a big club like this is great for me. Being an Australian, I know we respect European basketball over there. These kinds of things, like me being in the final, make people pay more attention at home. I hope more people in Australia enjoy it as well. I didn't know much about Real Madrid before coming to Europe, I probable knew more about their individual players by watching them on TV over the past few years. They have talented players and that's what matters in a game like this, not history."
HERVELLE, AXEL
Real Madrid
"Good morning everybody. I love to be here in Charleroi for this final. We will try to win the title and we know that a lot of fans will be there backing us. We know Lietuvos Rytas is a very tough opponent, a very professional team and that it will also have a good number of fans supporting them in the stands. It is very important for Real Madrid to make it back to the Euroleague. It will not be easy, but we hope to be back in Madrid with the trophy. I hope that the game will be an excellent one and help the image of our sport. We arrive here very focused, as we already lost the Spanish King's Cup final this season. We know how it feels to lose a final, we had hard times, decreased our basketball playing level and we know we don't want that to happen again. This game is very important for the club, its player and its fans and we all must know that. We will give everything we can tomorrow, we know Lietuvos Rytas is a team that also deserves to win and play the Euroleague next season, but we worked hard and did many things well. We must give our best tomorrow."
Louis Bullock - Real Madrid - UC Final 2007 Real Madrid added the ULEB Cup crown to its extensive collection on Tuesday night with a 75-87 win over Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius at the Spiroudome in Charleroi, Belgium. Felipe Reyes turned in another heroic outing to keep Madrid close in the first half and then Charles Smith erupted with a record-setting performance in the second half to lead Madrid to victory. Smith joined a select list of stars as the ULEB Cup Final MVP as he finished with 19 points by making six three-pointers – a record for most triples in the final. Smith tied another final game record with 3 blocked shots. Madrid set team records with 10 threes and 6 blocks. The result gives Madrid, the winningest team in European basketball history, its first European title in a decade after the club came up short in the ULEB Cup final here three years ago. Real now has 14 continental titles – including eight Euroleague championships. It will now have a chance to add to that total next season as with the victory, Real clinched a ticket to play in the 2007-08 edition of the Euroleague. Madrid also denied L. Rytas the chance to become the first team to win the ULEB Cup twice. L. Rytas hung in throughout the first half and led 41-40 at halftime, but several key fouls early in the second half limited the Lithuanian champs' defense and Smith and Louis Bullock took over with separate 2-10 and 1-11 runs. L. Rytas never recovered and Madrid celebrated its first ULEB Cup crown. Bullock and Reyes finished with 16 each and Axel Hervelle had 10 for Madrid. Reyes also grabbed 8 rebounds. Matt Nielsen had 11 points and 8 rebounds and Kareem Rush added 10 for L. Rytas in a losing effort.

Madrid won the opening tip and Alex Mumbru needed just 15 seconds to hit a turnaround jumper for the game's first points. Defensive matchups were as expected, with Arturas Jomantas guarding Bullock, Mumbru trying to stop Rush and Marijonas Petravicius on Reyes. L. Rytas went scoreless in the opening minute until Jomantas made a free throw. Reyes scored in the low post, but Petravicius copied him to make it 3-4. Reyes provided a highlight with an off-balance three-point play before Hervelle finished a four-chance Madrid offense with a put-back dunk for a 3-9 lead. Nielsen scored inside and Rush buried his first three-pointer to bring L. Rytas back. Jomantas capped a 7-0 run with a short jumper that gave his team its first lead, 10-9. Munbru and Petravicius traded layups before Reyes hit a floater shot to put Madrid back ahead, 12-13, after 6 minutes. Reyes added another basket, but a put-back layup by Jomantas got L. Rytas within 14-15. Hervelle and Roberts Stelmahers exchanged free throws. Kerem Tunceri came in to put more pressure on L. Rytas's backcourt. Madrid kept powering the boards and Mumbru grabbed another put-back layup, only to see Ivan Koljevic erase it with free throws. Tunceri stepped up with a three-pointer that gave Madrid an 18-22 lead at the end of an exciting first quarter.

Matt Nielsen - Lietuvos Rytas - UC Final 2007Nielsen opened the second quarter with a bomb from downtown, as Madrid now had trouble finding Reyes against Eurelijus Zukauskas. Smith came through from downtown to keep Madrid ahead, 21-25. Rush took over with a six-meter jumper, but Madrid then brought Bullock back to provide instant offense with a driving layup. Stelmahers returned too as L. Rytas had started to lose control on offense. Reyes finally beat Zukauskas with his second three-point play to give Madrid a 7-point lead. Tomas Delininkaitis rescued L. Rytas with a triple and Zuakuskas added a jump hook, as Madrid had trouble finding its way to the basket and took too many long shots. Delininkaitis capped a 7-0 run with a reverse layup that tied the game at 30-30. Reyes remained a rock for Madrid with free throws. Raul Lopez fed Mumbru for a fast break layup, which Zukauskas bettered with a layup-plus-foul. Reyes scored in a one-on-one situation, but Stelmahers answered with a driving layup to keep L. Rytas within 1. Bullock buried one from downtown, causing L. Rytas to call timeout at 35-39. The Lithuanian champs came back with 6 straight points from Joao Paulo Batista to regain the lead. A free throw by Mumbru fixed the halftime score at 41-40. L. Rytas's balanced offense paid off, as eight players had scored at least 4 points in the first half. Reyes and Mumbru combined for 23 first-half points for Madrid.

Smith fired in his second three-pointer right at the start of the second half, but Petravicius answered with a put-back layup to tie the score at 43-43. Madrid improved its aggressiveness on defense, but L. Rytas kept its initial matchups, with Jomantas shutting down Bullock. He picked up his third and fourth foul in the same minute, however, and returned to the bench. Bullock immediately delivered with a penetration and Hervelle added a left-handed layup to put Madrid ahead 43-47. Smith made a free throw and an offensive rebound by Reyes allowed Hervelle to cap a 2-10 run with more foul shots. Petravicius and Blagota Sekulic traded free throws, as L. Rytas opted for a more dynamic lineup with Delininkaitis and Mindaugas Lukauskis at both wings. Nielsen shined with a driving layup, but Smith answered from downtown for a 47-55 Madrid lead. Bullock buried a huge three-pointer that gave Madrid its first double-digit lead, 48-58, as L. Rytas called a much-needed timeout. Bullock continued to pace Madrid with a fast break layup and by the time Smith buried an outstanding fade-away three-pointer, his team had broken the game open through a 1-11 run. Koljevic hit free throws and banked in a triple to give L. Rytas some hope at 53-63. Bullock added more free throws and Tunceri shined with a driving layup, but three-pointers by Delininkaitis and a red-hot Koljevic got L. Rytas within 58-67. A driving layup by Lopez gave Madrid a 58-69 lead after three quarters.

Felipe Reyes - Real Madrid - UC Final 2007Rush took over with a three-pointer and then matched Sekulic's layup with a driving basket to get L. Rytas within 63-71 early in the final period. Smith buried his fifth triple – the most ever for a player in a ULEB Cup final – to keep Madrid comfortably ahead, 63-74, with 8 minutes to go. Time was running out for L. Rytas, which now tried short possessions without much success. An offensive rebound by Reyes allowed Smith to nail yet another triple, making L. Rytas call timeout down 14. Madrid now had full control of the game, as L. Rytas found no answers on offense. Batista tried to ignite L. Rytas with a free throw and Jomantas added a power layup in yet another quick transition, but Madrid kept following its game plan, powering the offensive boards and keeping its shooters involved. Sekulic stepped up with a three-point play, but L. Rytas was not done. Nielsen and Batista scored around the basket, and by the time Nielsen scored again, L. Rytas was within 72-80 with less than 3 minutes to go. Bullock put the victory on ice with a sweet fade-away jumper and Nielsen missed free throws with 1:10 to go. A big triple by Raul Lopez allowed Madrid to seal the win in style and start celebrating that, after 10 years, the team lifted a continental trophy and won its first-ever ULEB Cup title!!!
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Javier Gancedo, Charleroi
Referees: KOUKOULEKIDIS, STELIOS (GRE), FACCHINI, FABIO (ITA), CHAMBON, DAVID (FRA)
Attendance: 6300
By Quarter1234
Lietuvos Rytas18231717
Real Madrid22182918
End of Quarter1234
Lietuvos Rytas18415875
Real Madrid22406987
Head coach: TRIFUNOVIC, ALEKSANDAR
Lietuvos Rytas
# Player Min Pts 2FG
M-A
 3FG
M-A
 FT
M-A
 Rebounds As St To Bl Fouls PIR
O D T Fv Ag Cm Rv
4 RUSH, KAREEM LAMAR 30:45 10 2/7 2/7     2 2 1       2 4 1 -2
5 SLEZAS, ANDRIUS 6:45 3   1/1                   1 1 3
7 STELMAHERS, ROBERTS 26:00 4 1/4 0/3 2/2 1 1 2 2 2 2   1 1 3 3
8 LUKAUSKIS, MINDAUGAS 15:15     0/3     1 1 1         1   -2
9 DELININKAITIS, TOMAS 13:45 9 1/2 2/3 1/2 1 1 2 1   1   1 3 2 6
10 KOLJEVIC, IVAN 18:15 9 1/2 1/1 4/6 1   1   1 2       4 10
11 ZUKAUSKAS, EURELIJUS 11:00 5 2/2   1/1   1 1       1   2 1 6
13 BATISTA, JOAO PAULO 15:00 9 4/5   1/4 2 4 6   1 1     1 3 13
15 PETRAVICIUS, MARIUS 12:30 8 3/5   2/3 2   2     1 1 1 2 4 8
21 JOMANTAS, ARTURAS 15:30 7 3/4 0/1 1/2   2 2 2 1       4 2 7
44 NIELSEN, MATT 34:45 11 4/8 1/3 0/2 3 5 8 4       1 2 2 14
45 BLUMS, JANIS 0:30                              
Team                     1         -1
Totals 200:00 75 21/39 7/22 12/22 10 17 27 11 5 8 2 6 21 23 65
53.8% 31.8% 54.5%
Min: Minutes played; Pts: Points; 2FG M-A: 2-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); 3FG M-A: 3-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); FT M-A: Free Throws (Made-Attempted); Rebounds: O (Offensive), D (Defensive), T (Total); As: Assists; St: Steals; To: Turnovers; Bl: Blocks (Fv: In Favor / Ag: Against); Fouls: Cm (Commited), Rv (Received); PIR: Performance Index Rating
Head coach: PLAZA, JOAN
Real Madrid
# Player Min Pts 2FG
M-A
 3FG
M-A
 FT
M-A
 Rebounds As St To Bl Fouls PIR
O D T Fv Ag Cm Rv
5 NGUEMA, RICHARD DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
7 SMITH, CHARLES 22:30 19 0/2 6/8 1/2   3 3 1   1 3   1 2 21
8 SEKULIC, BLAGOTA 25:45 7 2/4   3/3 1 1 2   1   1   4 3 8
9 REYES, FELIPE 20:15 16 6/8   4/4 3 5 8 1   1 1   4 3 22
15 MUMBRU, ALEX 22:00 9 4/7 0/2 1/2 4 3 7 1   1     3 2 9
16 HERNANDEZ-SONSECA, EDU DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
17 HERVELLE, AXEL 32:45 10 3/4 0/4 4/5 2 3 5 4 3 1 1   3 4 17
19 TUNCERI, KEREM 14:30 5 1/3 1/3         2       1 3   -1
21 SINANOVIC, NEDZAD DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
22 BULLOCK, LOUIS 31:00 16 4/7 2/4 2/2   2 2 1   1   1 2 5 15
24 LOPEZ, RAUL 27:00 5 1/2 1/2     5 5 3 1 3     2 2 9
33 TOMAS, MARKO 4:15                   1     1   -2
Team             1 1               1
Totals 200:00 87 21/37 10/23 15/18 10 23 33 13 5 9 6 2 23 21 99
56.8% 43.5% 83.3%
This game is not yet played

Head Coaches

TRIFUNOVIC, ALEKSANDAR
Lietuvos Rytas
"They made 2-of-11 three-pointers in the first half and went 8-for-12 in the second half, so these open shots - about four of them were open - just made this difference. Louis Bullock and Charles Smith are probably two of the best five offensive players in the ULEB Cup. They stepped up and won the game. We got back, we tried to fight them again, but we were out of concentration and our free throw percentage did not allow us to perform a bigger rally in the end. We hit 86% free throws in the first half and that showed the difference in this game. We did not manage to get on the boards, as they got 23 defensive boards. We had a bad start, but managed to come back in the beginning. We are a team in this moment that, after the injuries we had and all the change of coaches, is proud to come here to play the final. We are happy to have made it to the final and I must say that we deserve to play in the Euroleague. We hope to be a bit lucky in the end."
PLAZA, JOAN
Real Madrid
"First of all, I don't have any voice left, but I will dedicate this victory twice. First, to Antonio Martin and Alberto Herreros, who hired me when no one knew me for such an important position as the coach of Real Madrid. All my life, I will never forget what they did when they chose a no-name guy like me. Second, I don't want to forget the fans who have supported us all season, some nights 14,000 of them. I want to tell them that we will continue to work as hard as we can. To win this tournament is very nice, to win the ticket to the Euroleague is great, but as I said before today, I want to repeat that the most important thing is that we are on the right way as a club. Tonight it was a close game that we broke open in the second half when we started defending harder and making shots we were missing in the first half. I am sure that Lietuvos Rytas will play in another final very soon and maybe even in the Euroleague. I congratulate them on making it here and playing so well. I am very happy, as you can understand. I have explained before that I have put 30 years into coaching and thought at times that a moment like this was far away. It made up for a lot of that already to have been asked to coach such a club as Real Madrid, and this is like the cherry on top. I won't say I could die happy tomorrow, but yes it makes up for all the effort. I think of all the coaches who helped me along the way - Manel Comas, Aito Reneses, Boza Maljkovic - and what I learned from them. The truth is this more than makes up for the wait, and it shows that taking the route of hard work was the right way. There are many coaches like me out there who are doing the same hard work and someday their time will come, too."

Players

BATISTA, JOAO PAULO
Lietuvos Rytas
"We started the game pretty good, going back and forth on the scoreboard. But basketball is a game in which every single possession is important, and in the beginning of the second half they made the most of their possessions. Then when we tried to come back a bit, Charles Smith stopped us with back-to-back three-pointers. We were unable to score for a while and by the time we started to do so again, it was too late. We lost, but we have to keep our heads up. Every night in basketball, there's a winner and a loser. I'm proud that we made it this far and I got to see all this in my first year as a pro. We just came up a little short tonight."
ZUKAUSKAS, EURELIJUS
Lietuvos Rytas
"I don't feel good with this loss, as you can imagine. I want to congratulate Real Madrid for this title. Now we all want Madrid to do well in the Spanish League so that we can make it to the Euroleague. I am feeling better than before the start of the season, as my shoulder is not a problem anymore."
BLUMS, JANIS
Lietuvos Rytas
"It is difficult to know what to say, Real Madrid was better in the second half. They had a good start and Smith and Bullock made the difference. We still have a chance to make it to the Euroleague and I hope we can make it."
KOLJEVIC, IVAN
Lietuvos Rytas
"We were in the game throughout the first half and in the opening three minutes of the second half. Bullock and Smith got their rhythm then, not because we played bad defense, as we didn't, just because they are outstanding players. They made the most out of their one-on-one situations, hit some three-pointers. It was hard to stop them. I must congratulate Real Madrid for the win, we had a great season despite our many changes. With all that, I think we gave our maximum. I think Madrid has a great roster and has a nice calendar in front of them that might allow them to reach high in the Spanish League. I believe we will play the Euroleague next season, I wish them all the best."
PETRAVICIUS, MARIUS
Lietuvos Rytas
"Real Madrid rebounded really well tonight and made some critical shots down the stretch. Those key plays allowed them to dominate the game in the final minutes. Now we hope that Real Madrid does well in the Spanish League so that we can play in the Euroleague next season. We came here to win, though, so we are now disappointed."
RUSH, KAREEM LAMAR
Lietuvos Rytas
"We were in the game for 25 minutes, but Madrid delivered a great second half and came out with the victory. They played really hard and deserved to win. The ULEB Cup has been a great competition, with a lot of great players, and it was a great experience for me to take part on this final."
REYES, FELIPE
Real Madrid
"I want to dedicate this win to every Real Madrid supporter. They deserve this ULEB Cup title more than anyone else for all the bad times they experience in the past. We hope to give them more reasons to celebrate in the near future. Like every final, it was a tough game. This takes a lot of pressure off us, since we already made it to the Euroleague next season."
SMITH, CHARLES
Real Madrid
"It was a team effort to get this victory. We didn't play our defense in the first half, and allowed them to score 40 points, something we don't do very often. But then we came out in the second half and played hard defense together, and that was the difference. I was the MVP, but we did this together and it belongs to the whole team. Our coaching staff prepared us well, with a lot of film, and that really helped us. We just had to come out and play. Personally, I think I had some first-half jitters I had to get out of the way. I was very anxious. I didn't sleep before the game, and I usually sleep without problems, but I just wanted to play this one. I hadn't been shooting well lately, but Alberto Herreros came to me and told me, 'Shoot. I'm a shooter, too, so I know what you are going through.' The coaching staff kept its faith in me and when I went out in the second half, everything started going in. The basket looked really big to me."
MUMBRU, ALEX
Real Madrid
"The last time I was here with Real Madrid we lost the final to Hapoel, so I really needed to come back here and take the trophy. It was really important for us as it was one of the biggest goals we set ourselves for the season."
TOMAS, MARKO
Real Madrid
"We are the champions and I am so happy about this! I am really proud to be now part of Real Madrid's successful history. I can promise it won't be so long until we win another trophy. We are a great team all together and now it's time to celebrate. We deserve it."
BULLOCK, LOUIS
Real Madrid
"I am so happy for this ULEB Cup title. I am also really happy for all my teammates, as this is the first European title we lift for Real Madrid together. This was our goal at the beginning of the season. I think we maintained the same game rhythm for the entire game to see if they can stay with us for 40 minutes. Charles made crucial three-pointers for us, they made some big shots to almost get back in the game but they didn't make it. Winning my first European title feels great, it is one things to accomplish, because we now belong to the history of this club. It is something I can tell my family for a lot of years."
HERVELLE, AXEL
Real Madrid
"I had only won a Supercup here in Belgium, but winning this ULEB Cup is too much. I can't begin to explain how happy I am to have won this in front of my family and friends. It is also the first ULEB Cup for Real Madrid and it is a big accomplishment for all of us. This rewards the great efforts of the basketball section of Real Madrid. Now we are going for the Spanish League. We played outstanding defense in the second half, especially in the third quarter, and that made the difference for us."
TUNCERI, KEREM
Real Madrid
"This is a great feeling, we played very good basketball this season, we were tough when it mattered. We played harder in the second half and it paid off in the end. It is my first European title and I can't describe my happiness with words. I think we really deserved to win the title and it showed tonight."
SEKULIC, BLAGOTA
Real Madrid
"This is unbelievable, our dream came true in the end. I really don't know what to say, I am just so happy about this. This title means a lot to me, as I joined the team late, but worked hard to help my team to win this title. Now we must go back to Madrid and thank our fans."
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