May 23, 2013
Semi-Final Game 1 - April 12, 2008 CET: 18:30 Local time: 18:30 - PALAVELA
DKV Joventut 90 - 83 Galatasaray Cafe Crown
SEMI-FINAL, GAME 1
GROUP Semi-Final A
GROUP Semi-Final B

Records

Ave.   Ave.
0-0 Final 0-0
0-0 Semi-Final 0-0
1-0 Quarter Final 1-0
2-0 Last 16 1-1
2-0 Last 32 1-1
9-1 Regular Season 7-3
14-1 Overall 10-5

Referees

Crew Chief
FACCHINI, FABIO, Italy
Referee
PUKL,SASA, Slovenia
Umpire
ROCHA, FERNANDO, Portugal

Team Stats

Ave.   Ave.
88.1 Points 79.3
36.9 Rebounds 31.7
10.6 O. Rebounds 9.5
26.3 D. Rebounds 22.2
17.8 Assists 13.5
11.7 Steals 9.0
4.9 Blocks 2.5
15.9 Turnovers 13.1
58.3 % 2PT 56.6 %
41.6 % 3PT 35.0 %
76.0 % FT 67.7 %
110.4 Index 81.4
Team Stats - DKV Joventut

Player Stats

Ave.   Ave.
13.0 / Mallet Points 15.1 / HITE, ROBERT
6.4 / JAGLA, JAN-HENDRICK Rebounds 7.5 / GAINES, CHARLES
2.0 / MOISO, JEROME OR 2.7 / GAINES, CHARLES
4.5 / JAGLA, JAN-HENDRICK DR 4.7 / GAINES, CHARLES
4.8 / RUBIO, RICARD Assists 3.9 / BROWN, DANIEL
2.4 / RUBIO, RICARD Steals 2.0 / HITE, ROBERT
1.5 / HERNANDEZ-SONSECA, EDU Blocks 0.7 / OWENS, CHRIS
2.6 / RUBIO, RICARD Turnovers 2.0 / BROWN, DANIEL
79.5 % / BARTON, LUBOS 2PT 68.4 % / Akyol
56.3 % / Ribas 3PT 50.0 % / BESOK, HUSEYIN
100.0 % / Popovic FT 92.9 % / ERDEN, CUNEYT
18.8 / Fernandez Index 15.5 / GAINES, CHARLES
Team Roster - DKV Joventut

THE TAKE

A direct fight for a ULEB Cup final spot is set to take place in Turin, Italy, when DKV Joventut faces Galatasaray Cafe Crown in the first semifinal on Saturday. Joventut downed Pamesa Valencia 77-67 in a highly-anticipated quarterfinals showdown. Demond Mallet led Joventut with 16 points off the bench, Edu Hernandez-Sonseca added 14 while teen sensation Ricky Rubio had 12 points and a game-high 7 rebounds. Meanwhile, Galatasaray held off a wild rally to edge Besiktas Cola Turka 60-61 on a game-winning three-pointer by Cuneyt Erden. Above all, two of the best defensive teams in the competition are set to face each other. Galatasaray runs its defense through a very athletic frontcourt featuring Chris Owens and Charles Gaines, who played for Joventut last season. Gaines knows its opponents really well and is ready to do what he does best - rebound at both ends and provide endless intensity. Owens, who also played in Spain against Joventut before, is also a intense player who never gives up. Both players will have a tough matchup against two of the best shotblockers in the Final Eight, Jerome Moiso and Hernandez-Sonseca. Meanwhile, Jan Jagla will try to become a mismatch due to his deep range, as he will try to open the court against players like Owens, Fatih Solak or Huseyin Besok, who will be ready to help his team despite not being 100%. Speaking on mismatches, Galatasaray can opt to play small with Britton Johnsen at power forward or try to use his speed and size at small forward. Joventut has the perfect matchup for him in Lubos Barton, a very similar player who rarely has a bad night in important games like this. Above all, the most anticipated matchup will be between Joventut star guard Rudy Fernandez and Galatasaray scorer Robert Hite, who had 22 points against Besiktas. Joventut has its own defensive stoppers in Ferran Laviña, Pau Ribas and above all, Rubio, who will be set to face Dee Brown. Galatasaray is used to play with twin point guards, using Erden and Brown on court. Brown provides determination and athleticism while Erden not only is a reliable clutch player, but also offers creativity and unlimited range. Mallet and Rubio lead Joventut's take-no-prisioners defense, in which steals can come all over the place. Joventut made Pamesa go scoreless for 8 minutes on Thursday and knows that defense will be the key to the game. Meanwhile, Galatasaray needs to stop Fernandez and get its frontcourt involved, as well as getting as many second-chance opportunities with Owens and Gaines. Above all, European club basketball rarely gets better than this, as two intense teams hope to keep fighting for ULEB Cup glory.
Friday, April 11, 2008
ULEBCup.com

Quotes Head Coaches

GARCIA RENESES, AITO
DKV Joventut
"I am going to see their videos now, but I already saw the second half of their game against Besiktas Cola Turka yesterday. My first impression is that their game rhythm is slowe than us, so it will be a bit tough for us to dominate the game tempo, whicd is very interesting for us. On the other hand, I obvioysly know Charles Gaines, who will be very motivated to play against us, as it always happens with former players. We will try to play the way we did in the first half yesterday and see if we can make it to the final. We had a very balanced game and Jerome Moiso was an important player for us. We hit some three-pointers to decide the game. Even when Rudy Fernandez had foul problems since the opening minutes, the team did very well and managed to seal the outcome in the first half."
OZYER, MURAT
Galatasaray Cafe Crown
"First of all, I have to say that our hunger for success is the main advantage for our side. Now, we have forgotten about the quarterfinal and are just focusing on the game against Joventut Badalona. It's a good thing to qualify to the semifinal but this is not enough for us. We never put long-term targets: we always take the games one by one until that moment. Joventut Badalona is a team that had only lost once in the whole competition this season, against Turk Telekom. They are a very tough, strong and talented team. I told my players that we will need 150 percent of their performance against Joventut Badalona. We have to keep the same concentration that we had against Besiktas Cola Turka a day ago. It's going to be a very hard game for sure. But we will try our best until the last moment. Our aim is to end the competition with a medal. We will see the color of the medal at the end of the tournament. Our performance will determine it, but we will try with all our might to make it gold."

Players

JAGLA, JAN-HENDRICK
DKV Joventut
"We have already seen that Galatasaray Cafe Crown beat Besiktas Cola Turka, that is leading the Turkish League right now. It is not going to be an easy game for us today. We have to play really hard and of course, defense will be the most important thing. I played in the Tukish League last season and I know what to expect. If we play defense, I think we will be OK. The Turkish League does not play the same defense as the Spanish League, so I think we can surprise them with that a little bit. It is important to be in the final, because we are here to win the competition. Winning tonight would be taking another step to our goal."
FERNANDEZ, RUDY
DKV Joventut
"We don't know Galatasaray Cafe Crown, to be honest, even when we have seen videos. It is a strong team that was able to eliminate Kalise Gran Canaria and Besiktas Cola Turka, the Turkish League leader, which is something to take into account. It will be a tough game, just like any semifinal of a do-or-die competition. Of course, Charles (Gaines) was with us last season and knows our plays, too. That could be a reference for them. You cannot depend to the opponents' teams play to win the game. Galatasaray will do its game rather than trying to consider out strategy. I don't think that the game against Besiktas showed how Galatasaray plays. We had similar quarterfinal games, playing well in the first half and holding off a rally in the second half. Galatasaray has a good team and it will not be easy. Our frontcourt will be the key to fight for the win."
BARTON, LUBOS
DKV Joventut
"I don't know Galatasaray very well, just a few players. We have to worry about ourselves, not about Galatasaray. That's what we did in previous years and there is no reason to change our philosophy. We have to talk a bit about our fourth quarter last night and change a few things. We have been playing well lately. It is difficult to play when you have a 25-point lead. Pamesa scored some three-pointers and we didn't react, especially in defense but also in offense. This can happen and we have to talk about it not to make mistakes against Galatasaray. I would like to play the Euroleague next season and if it is with Joventut, better. Everyone in Europe knows that Joventut can play good basketball. The problem is if we can play 25-30 minutes of excellent basketball, we win, but if we play 15-20 at that level, we have more problems."
HERNANDEZ-SONSECA, EDU
DKV Joventut
"All we have as a reference is the 3-4 minutes we saw before our game, and what you could see is that they play with a slow tempo, just opposite to us. If we keep doing what we have been doing all season, which is make our opponents follow our game tempo, we have a lot of advanced to make it to the final. Galatasaray, like I said, looks like a slow-paced team so if we dominate the game rhythm, we will be fine. If they dominate the game tempo, we may lose. We have experience to take them to our territory. Not all games have the same references. We managed to beat Pamesa's frontcourt yesterday and even when Shammond Williams and Ruben Douglas hit 3-4 three-pointers at some point, our backcourt players did better than them in general terms. At some point, they were lost. We have the dream to win another game. I don't want people to think about the final. We have to go game by game, try to win tomorrow's game and if we make it to the final, the ULEB Cup title goes first and the Euroleague berth comes later on. The most important thing is winning the title, as we have other ways to make it to the Euroleague."
MALLET, DEMOND
DKV Joventut
"Galatasaray is a good team, we can't take them for granted. We have to do the things we normally do and that's playing defense and everything else will come in the floor."
RIBAS, PAU
DKV Joventut
"The game between Besiktas and Galatasaray was decided in the last play and that shows how strong teams both were. However if we play like we did in the first half in quarters we should be fine. But if we play like in the second, we will be travelling home soon."
GAINES, CHARLES
Galatasaray Cafe Crown
"It is fine to play DKV Joventut (his former team) in the ULEB Cup semifinals but it isn't a big deal. It is nice to get to see all of the guys in the end. But this is war time and I don't care who we play. We all have no friends when we hit the court. It is going to be a tough game. We have to stay focused, stick to the plan and play our game. That way, I think we will win. It would mean a lot for me to play the final, this is what we are here for. We didn't come here to play the quarterfinals or the semifinals, but to make it to the final and win it. I hope that tonight we will be one step closer to the title."
JOHNSEN, BRITTON
Galatasaray Cafe Crown
"I am glad to be here. I just joined the team two months ago and it has been fun to me. It hasn't been a stressful situation. I kind of became the final piece in the puzzle and came to help out. I am excited to be here and happy for everyone in the team. We all hope we can win tonight. I have a tough matchup against Lubos Barton, he is a good player in the Spanish League. I will be a tough matchup for him, too. It will be a good game. I expect a physical game and we will be ready to go. We have to play really good defense and communicate, because DKV Joventut is a very aggressive team that moves the ball well. We have to communicate. We had problems in the second half the other day and stopped playing fast, slowed down too much, I think. We have to attack them all game long."
AKYOL, CENK
Galatasaray Cafe Crown
"Nobody expected that Galatasaray Cafe Crown would be in the ULEB Cup semifinals. We beat Asvel Basket and everyone thought it was a surprise, and then we beat Kalise Gran Canaria when everyone thought they would be here. We have played very well in the ULEB Cup this season. It is a surprise for everyone. We showed everyone that we can beat everybody. We will do our best against Joventut, a team with Euroleague level, with great players and great talent. It is going to be a tough matchup today but we already two Spanish teams this season, Akasvayu Girona and Gran Canaria. DKV Joventut has only lost one game in the ULEB Cup this season and we already know that Spanish teams play really fast. What we have to go is play defense, hustle and want it more than they want. That is what we will try tonight."
ERDEN, CUNEYT
Galatasaray Cafe Crown
"The game against Joventut Badalona will be extremely different than the Besiktas Cola Turka match. I think we will play much more comfortable than against Besiktas because there will be no stress of a derby game anymore. Joventut is a much better team than Besiktas Cola Turka and it's easy to understand why they are in the second position in the ACB (Spanish League), the best national league of European basketball. We have to play carefully, cleverly and with a very good shooting percentage to have a chance to beat them. I think we have the opportunity to create another surprise. My teammates and I are focused and hope we can do it. This is what we will fight for all during 40 minutes of the game."
Rudy Fernandez - DKV Joventut - Final Eight Turin 2008 DKV Joventut is in the ULEB Cup final! Joventut made it to the ULEB Cup title game for the first time in club history by downing Galatasaray Cafe Crown 90-83 in the first semifinal at Palavela in Turin, Italy on Saturday night. DKV not only has the chance to lift a prestigious title, but will also qualify to the 2008-09 Euroleague with another win in the final tomorrow. Meanwhile, Galatasaray has the chance to return to the ULEB Cup next season if it wins the third place game also tomorrow. Rudy Fernandez led the winners with 27 points. Jan Jagla added 13, Demond Mallet had 11 while Jerome Moiso contributed 9 and 9 rebounds for Joventut, that broke a ULEB Cup record with 37 three-pointers attempted. Robert Hite led Galatasaray with 26 points on 7-for-8 two-pointers. Britton Johnsen added 13, Dee Brown had 10 while Chris Owens pulled down 12 boards. Galatarasay opened the game with a 0-6 run but Mallet and Fernandez stepped up to make Joventut get a double-digit lead, 27-17, after 10 minutes. A three-pointer by Pau Ribas gave Joventut a 15-point margin, 34-19. Galatasaray erased its deficit to 47-37 at halftime while Hite, Huseyin Besok and Owens brought their team back in the game, 52-50. Jagla and an unstoppable Fernandez boosted Joventut's lead to 74-62 already in the fourth quarter and even when a triple by Owens got Galatasaray within 76-71, the Ricky and Rudy connection was enough for Joventut to reach the ULEB Cup title game.

Joventut coach Aito Garcia Reneses opted for a small lineup with Lubos Barton at power forward, while Galatasaray did the opposite with Britton Johnsen at small forward. Chris Owens was first to score on a reverse layup before Hite dunked off a steal for a 0-4 Galatasaray lead. Johnsen scored in transition to cap a 0-6 opening run for Galatasaray. Fernandez got Joventut going with a driving basket and soon added a corner triple to make it 5-6. Edu Hernandez-Sonseca stepped up with a layup for Joventut's first lead, but Charles Gaines provided a highlight with a huge alley-oop dunk, good for a 7-9 Galatasaray lead. Demond Mallet struck from downtown and Fernandez sank another corner triple to give Joventut a 13-9 edge. Mallet sank another three-pointer in an 11-0 Joventut run that Barton capped with a put-back layup. Gaines tried to change the momentum with a power layup that Hite followed with a dunk to get Galatasaray within 18-13. Jerome Moiso shined with a put-back dunk that Ferran Laviña followed with a layup for Joventut. Hite kept pacing Galatasaray with a baseline jumper, but Pau Ribas answered from downtown for a 25-15 Joventut lead. Moiso scored in penetration but free throws by Cenk Akyol fixed the score at 27-17 after 10 minutes.

Chris Owens - Galatasaray Cafe Crown - Final Eight Turin 2008Jagla sank a five-meter jumper for Joventut right at the start of the second quarter that Hite matched with free throws. Jagla stepped up again with a reverse layup that made Galatasaray call timeout at 31-19. Ricky Rubio fed Ribas for his second three-pointer off another Joventut steal, providing the high lead of the first half, 34-19. Huseyin Besok stepped up with a put-back layup while Akyol nailed a running triple to get Galatasaray within 34-24. Hite provided a highlight with an high-flying layup, as Joventut struggled to score until Jagla buried another long jumper. Besok dunked, but Laviña's free throws answered and soon Hernandez-Sonseca shined with a jump hook to restore a 12-point Joventut lead, 40-28. Johnsen struck from downtown for Galatasaray while Brown added a fastbreak layup to get his team within 40-33. After a Galatasaray call timeout, Barton drove for a tough layup, one of Joventut's only inside baskets until then, but Owens matched it with a running jumper off a steal. A left-handed layup by Hernandez-Sonseca was matched by Besok scoring inside again before Fernandez beat the buzzer with a triple for a double-digit Joventut margin, 47-37, at halftime.

Hite downed a three-pointer immediately after the break while Johnsen also struck from downtown to bring Galatasaray back in the game, 47-43. Cuneyt Erden fed Johnsen for a two-handed dunk but a long jumper by Mallet kept Joventut ahead, 50-45. Hite buried another triple while Moiso took over with a shocking put-back dunk for a 52-48 Joventut lead. Besok sank foul shots while Barton finished an incredible six-chance Joventut offense with a tip-in. Mallet fired in one from downtown to make it a seven-point game, 57-50, at the halfway mark of the third quarter. Galatasaray did not improve its shot selection, however, while Fernandez took over with a layup-plus-foul to make Joventut restore a double-digit lead, 50-40. Joventut was all over the place in defense now while Moiso scored inside to cap a 10-0 run. Hite tried to change things with an alleyoop layup but Laviña matched it with a put-back layup. Brown followed free throws with a driving layup while foul shots by Akyol gave Galatasaray some hope, 66-58. Gaines took over with a tip-in over two defenders but a tip-in by Jagla allowed Joventut to get a 68-60 lead after three quarters.

Jerome Moiso - DKV Joventut - Final Eight Turin 2008Jagla kept shining with a three-pointer from the top of the key, as Galatasaray struggled to find open shots early in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, Fernandez also struck from downtown to make it a 14-point game, 74-62, with 8 minutes to go. Brown scored in penetration while Owens added free throws, as Galatasaray tried to get back to the game. Fernandez made free throws than Johnsen erased with a fast break layup, while Erden shined with an acrobatic layup to give his team some hope, 76-68. Owens sank a key triple to get Galatasaray even closer, 76-71, with less than 6 minutes remaining. Rubio fed Fernandez for his trademark alleyoop dunk and soon scored around the basket to give Joventut some fresh air, 80-71. Galatasaray called timeout but missed consecutive offenses right when it mattered. Fernandez - who else? - fired in his fifth bomb from downtown to seal the outcome, 83-71. Jagla made free throws on Johnsen's fifth foul and even when Hite kept trying with a three-point play and a bomb from downtown, it was already too late for Galatasaray. All Joventut fans were already celebrating a big win that kept Joventut in search for the ULEB Cup title tomorrow!

Saturday, April 12, 2008
Javier Gancedo, Turin, Italy
Referees: FACCHINI, FABIO (ITA), PUKL,SASA (SLO), ROCHA, FERNANDO (POR)
Attendance: 5060
By Quarter1234
DKV Joventut27202122
Galatasaray Cafe Crown17202323
End of Quarter1234
DKV Joventut27476890
Galatasaray Cafe Crown17376083
Head coach: GARCIA RENESES, AITO
DKV Joventut
# 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
00 MALLET, DEMOND 24:01 11 1/6 3/9   2   2 3           2 7
4 RIBAS, PAU 9:24 6   2/2     1 1 1   1       1 8
5 FERNANDEZ, RUDY 32:38 27 4/8 5/11 4/4   2 2 1 3 5       7 25
9 RUBIO, RICKY 21:03 6 1/3 0/1 4/4 2 1 3 5 2 4     4 5 10
11 BARTON, LUBOS 23:21 6 3/4 0/6   5 2 7 1 1       2 1 7
12 FRANCH, JOSEP DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
14 JAGLA, JAN-HENDRICK 26:19 13 4/4 1/7 2/2   4 4 1 2 5     3 1 7
15 POPOVIC, PETAR DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
16 HERNANDEZ-SONSECA, EDU 18:10 6 3/3   0/2 1 3 4   2       2 3 11
18 LAVIÑA, FERRAN 23:14 6 2/2 0/1 2/5 1   1 2 2 1     4 2 4
19 TOMAS, PERE DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
22 MOISO, JEROME 21:50 9 4/6   1/2 5 4 9   1     1 1 2 16
Team                     1         -1
Totals 200:00 90 22/36 11/37 13/19 16 17 33 14 13 17 0 1 16 24 94
61.1% 29.7% 68.4%
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: OZYER, MURAT
Galatasaray Cafe Crown
# 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 TURETKEN, ERDEM DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
5 HITE, ROBERT 33:07 28 8/9 3/5 3/3   1 1 2 1 5     2 2 24
8 GAINES, CHARLES 20:15 6 3/5   0/3 3 1 4   1 2     2 2 4
9 OWENS, CHRIS 36:09 9 2/7 1/2 2/2 2 10 12 4 2 3     4 3 17
10 KAYA, MURAT 6:26   0/1 0/1           1       3   -4
11 SOLAK, FATIH 0:59           1 1     1          
12 BESOK, HUSEYIN 19:45 8 3/4 0/1 2/2 3 2 5 1 1 2     1 1 11
15 NALGA, CEMAL DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
17 BROWN, DEE 27:20 10 4/5 0/3 2/2   2 2 4   4     4 2 6
18 AKYOL, CENK 11:18 7 0/1 1/1 4/4   1 1 1         1 2 9
20 ERDEN, CUNEYT 20:30 4 2/2 0/4     2 2 3 3 1     2   5
35 JOHNSEN, BRITTON 24:11 11 2/4 2/3 1/2   3 3 1 2 4 1   5 4 9
Team                   1           1
Totals 200:00 83 24/38 7/20 14/18 8 23 31 16 12 22 1 0 24 16 82
63.2% 35% 77.8%
This game is not yet played

Head Coaches

GARCIA RENESES, AITO
DKV Joventut
"I think that the game was very good on our part. We played with intensity and intelligence, and we faced a strong team in Galatasaray. In their quarterfinal, Galatasaray looked a little softer perhaps, even though they won. Today, they played a very good game. They were capable of very strong defense, the rebounded, and with that they were able to fastbreak and make some good baskets. They were really good on rebounds. For us, it created a tactical problem with Johnsen playing small forward. And also when they played with Besok, a real center, or other times used Owens or Gaines at center, it cost us a bit to adjust. But with effort, we were able to overcome those tactical efforts and play a good game in general. For the Final, first we need to rest, because today's effort has been a big one. Second, we have to prepare ourselves for what is a little bit of a new situation. Going into the Spanish King's Cup, no one expected us to win. But here they do. Thanks to the good development in our play, the fact that we are in the Final of the ULEB Cup, we are more or less second in the Spanish League and have won the King's Cup and the Catalan League, people think that we can win this, too. That makes this situation a little knew. We'll see how we react. I think today we noticed a little bit of this, as we were missing shots we normally make. We can't think about it so much. I only mention it because someone asks. We have to concentrate on what we need to do to win: defense, offense, whatever we see as necessary. If we win, fabulous: if not, it's also good to play the final."
OZYER, MURAT
Galatasaray Cafe Crown
"It was our club's first ULEB Cup season, and I want to thank my players, because they never quit. They showed that on floor until the end of this game. This is a very good sign and I'm very pleased and thankful that I have those types of players on my roster. Congratulations to Joventut. They have a good team, good players and great coach. I wish good luck to them on the road to the final. They did a very good job today. In summary about the game, we tried to use the fastbreak selectively. We didn't want to run with them every time and get a lot of turnovers. We had to cut the big difference that they got in the first half, and we cannot say we played well in that half. Then we tried to catch them, using our rebounding mostly. But if you give a chance to lead to a team like Joventut during a game, it's not easy to catch them after. I think those were the important points of the game. Now, it will be very hard for us to play the third-place game tomorrow. We will try to break down why we lost the semifinal and even though it's hard to play the third and fourth spot, we will try to get the win and the ticket for the ULEB Cup next season. Both Girona and Moscow are good teams, but we want to play here next year, so we'll focus and try to do our best to finish the tournament well."

Players

FERNANDEZ, RUDY
DKV Joventut
"I think it was a strong game, very physical. The first half we played good defense, the fastbreak was there for us. But in the second half, when Galatasaray ran a lot of fastbreaks, it was difficult for us. The big problem for Galatasaray was our press. When we put the pressure on, steal the ball and run, it put them in a bad situation. Now, we have to rest. In 20 hours, we play the final. We were able to do it for the King's Cup in Spain. We know that we have to rest so that we can go 100 percent in the final tomorrow in what should be a physical game."
BARTON, LUBOS
DKV Joventut
"It's great to be in the final. We suffered a little today, I think we caught them in a good moment. They played fine, with confidence as underdogs so they didn't have much to lose. They played us tough for sure. Our game is like that. We rely on our outside shot. We didn't shoot very well today, me especially. We also have someplays for penetrations and trying to get easy shots underneath but it is true that today Galatasaray played well and took away many of our strengths."
HERNANDEZ-SONSECA, EDU
DKV Joventut
"The game was a bit weird. We had good dynamics but after that we kinda got distracted. Either we lowered our level or they raised theirs, but we got kind of scared and after that they have been living on our errors basically. It's easier to shoot a lot to try to score when you are behind on the scoreboard, but those are mistakes we have to learn from if we want to win tomorrow."
JAGLA, JAN-HENDRICK
DKV Joventut
"I think we have been committing the same mistake (relaxing with a big lead) during the last couple of games and also in Spain. I don't know, maybe it's a bit stupid on our part. We have to fix that even though I doubt that in the final either team will be able to pull away far, it's probably going to be close until the end but we have to improve on that. I don't know who we will play in the final but for now I am happy that we made it and we just have to have clear that it won't be an easy game."
MALLET, DEMOND
DKV Joventut
"Well, all those rivals come out aggressive when we get a good lead. It's something we have to learn, that when we have good lead we have to continue to play basketball the way we know how to play. Galatasaray guys never let themselves down, they kept fighting but hey, we prevailed. We insisted a little from the three-point line because it has been working for us all year! I just think we are trying to make theball get in the basket, we have some great long-distance shooters on this team but we had to realize that our inside game was working better than our outside game. But anyway, it happens. It's a learning experience and it's got to get better."
ERDEN, CUNEYT
Galatasaray Cafe Crown
"We did not feel comfortable against their defense and committed many turnovers. We made too many mistakes and lost the game allowing 90 points, which is a lot for us. We played very good defense in the quarterfinal against Besiktas Cola Turks, but we couldn't do that tonight. We are now looking forward for the third place game and forget about this loss as soon as possible. Being in the ULEB Cup next season is very important for us next year. We have to ttry to win the game and that way, make sure we are back in the competition."
BROWN, DEE
Galatasaray Cafe Crown
Joventut played better than us tonight and managed to win the game with better basketball. They made their shots, played very well as a team and managed to stay focused when we got back in the game. The winner of the third place game gets to the ULEB Cup next season and that's important. Even with that, we want to win every game, because all games are important for us."
JOHNSEN, BRITTON
Galatasaray Cafe Crown
"DKV Joventut is a very strong team and I think they will win it all. They knocked down their shots and played really well as a team. it is a very smart team. Congratulations to them. I hope that we can do better in the third place game tomorrow. We are not done, we have to regroup and try to win the game. If we win, we will be back in the ULEB Cup next season and gives us something to think about after this loss."
OWENS, CHRIS
Galatasaray Cafe Crown
"We just came out and tried to play hard, with good defense. We got a couple of tough calls but in the end, DKV Joventut is a very strong team but even with that, it was a tough loss. I had a good game in defense but I think I could have done a lot better. I wanted to win and play the ULEB Cup final but we couldn't do it in the end. That is all about it. We have to come out and play hard tomorrow. It is a big game for us, we want to come out and play as hard as we can. We have to regroup and focus on winning tomorrow."
GAINES, CHARLES
Galatasaray Cafe Crown
"We played against a very good team tonight, one of the best in the Spanish League. We thought that we could win tonight but they outplayed us. DKV Joventut is a good team with a good coach and made their plays every time they needed it. I want to wish them the best of luck in the final. I hope they win the ULEB Cup. I played for Joventut and of course, I want them to win the competition. I think they will, but we will see tomorrow. We will try to win tomorrow so that we can go to the ULEB Cup this season but the main goal was to win the championship. We have to get ready for the third place game, we have to regroup and try to stay focused tomorrow. The goal was to win the ULEB Cup and we didn't do it. We have to win tomorrow to get back home with something in our hands."
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