VANTERPOOL, DAVID
CSKA Moscow
“Everybody expected an easy game, but we knew it would be a tough game. Those smart people who said it was going to be easy for us just saw what is all about, and that the Final Four is like a fight. We came out ready to fight and managed to win the game. We were struggling from outside, but defense kept us in the game, and it was defense that allowed us to make it to the final. Finally, our shots started to fall in the fourth quarter and we won the game.”
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PAPALOUKAS, THEODOROS
CSKA Moscow
“Defense is our weapon, especially in a game like this. You could see how many turnovers both teams had in this game, and that is because the pressure is on in the Final Four. Everybody is nervous, but we showed our character and that we are a big team. It was a very bad scoring night for us, we didn't even play together at some points. We played extremely good defense and that kept us in the game. We scored some baskets in 2-3 minutes that were crucial and after that, Unicaja collapsed.”
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SMODIS, MATJAZ
CSKA Moscow
"Like in the entire season, it was defense that made the difference and allowed us to make it to the final. We had a bad start in the second half and thought that maybe the game was over, but we recovered and showed that we have character in this team. I really think that it was defense that got us to the final today. It is always defense, if we play it hard, we are a very good team. This is my fifth Euroleague final. When I started my career, I was just happy to play. This is beyond any of my dreams now. I maybe thought about making it to the Euroleague final once, twice, or to win a title sometime, but this is beyond anything I could expect."
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VAN DEN SPIEGEL, TOMAS
CSKA Moscow
"It was a hard game for us. We knew they would have the most chances if they played like they did today, because of their injuries and the matchups they had with us. They are all quick guys, faster than us, so we knew it would take 40 minutes to beat Unicaja. We didn't panic despite playing a terrible third quarter and we managed to do things like we wanted to in the fourth quarter. People may think it was easy for us to make it to the final after winning so many games this season, but you have to play hard every week in the Euroleague because a lot of teams can beat you if you don't step up."
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LANGDON, TRAJAN
CSKA Moscow
“We played well in the fourth quarter and that made the difference. it doesn't matter how well you play right now, you have to win games. We struggled for three-and-a-half quarters, but a win is a win right now. No matter who we face in the final, it will be a tough game. We have to relax, enjoy the win, but start to prepare for the final tomorrow. Whatever opponent that makes it, it will a tough one.”
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ANDERSEN, DAVID
CSKA Moscow
“We are a very defensive team and we really shut them down in the fourth quarter. This is what we wanted and we took it today, we only allowed Unicaja to score 6 points in the final period and got the win. Panathinaikos and Tau are very tough teams. The final will be a tough game no matter which team makes it. We have to be ready and play good basketball. Coming back to the Final Four and being a part of it this year is a special thing for me. I am just trying to make my team win.”
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