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Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Randy Wittman:
"I hope than fans enjoyed themselves from the standpoint that it was our first game as a team together. This is a new team with a new coach, but I thought it was an exciting game. We have a lot of things that we have to work on and like I said to the guys after the game, Turkey was not built in one day. We did a lot of great things, but there are also a lot of things we have to work on. We have moving on now to play the Celtics in a couple of days. Right now I am more concerned about my young guys. We have a lot of young guys and this is a teaching situation now."
Efes Pilsen head coach David Blatt:
"First of all, I want to say thank you for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Coach Wittman for coming to play against us and being such a class group of people and a class organization. It is a wonderful game that we played and when you do it against guys like this, or teams and organizations like this, it makes it all so much worthwhile. I think that we were lucky to be honored by such a kind group of people, so thanks again. Second of all, I think that Minnesota deserved to win. Their defense was great and they controlled the second half. We did a lot of things that we had to do to take advantage on the fact that Minnesota had only less than a week of preparation. I think we were successful in some of those things to stay in the game. I apologize to Coach Wittman for using so many tactical things that he had no chance to be ready for at this early stage of the season, but I wanted our fans to see us competitive. I wanted our guys practice the things that we will do in our local league, playing the game as if it was a local game or a Euroleague game. I think that our guys played hard and that both teams come out of this experience a lot richer and a lot more fulfilled about the game."
"We play in two different competitions, the Turkish League, which is much stronger this season and of course in the Euroleague, where there are no foreign restrictions. Back in Turkey, we can play with no more than three players from different nationalities on the court and two players with a Turkish passport at all times. We have to play two games a week from now on with these different situations. For a big part of the game, we played with two and even three Turkish players on the court. I don't like the rule from the standpoint that having to think about a guy's nationality because that goes against my principles in basketball. I just want to see good players and good people on the court. We have a great group of Turkish players or better, we have a great group of basketball players, and some of them happen to be Turkish."
"There are two main difference between European basketball and the NBA. The best athlete and the top, top players in the world are playing in the NBA. I think that the gap has decreased and I think that the top European teams are closer and closer to the NBA level. There is so much back and forth of players going from Europe to the NBA, and also from the NBA to Europe. But there is a still a difference quality-wise and the physical, athletic and talented standpoint is still higher. The second difference is the rules. One of the most difficult things for Minnesota tonight is the fact that we could react quickly to the pick-and-roll. We could take the most out of isolation stands and you don't get that in tha NBA, because you don't get there quick enough. The rules make it a lot easier for us to play against an NBA team and to play in that environment. Those two things together are the significant differences. After that, it is all basketball, and we all try to play and coach the best that we can to make people enjoy."
Efes Pilsen guard Ender Arslan:
"It was a very balanced game and I think it was a great basketball night. The fans have enjoyed a very good game. As I said before the game, this was a great opportunity to play against NBA players and an NBA team. We did our best on the court and we stayed in the game until the final buzzer. We have a very good team and we expect to have a very good season, too. We have good Turkish players and also great international, foreign players. Our main target has to be the Euroleague Final Four, even when there is a long way to go. We have to be successful in the regular season, then do well in the Top 16 to get in a good position for the playoffs, but I think we have the right team to reach the Final Four. Fans are enjoying the fast-paced basketball we are playing. There will be tough moments during the season but I am sure that our fans will help us out."
Efes Pîlsen guard Drew Nicholas:
"First of all, it was a great opportunity to play against an NBA team. We just wanted to come out and compete, not worrying too much about the result. We wanted to be able to come out, play hard and I think this is exactly what we did. Last year, we were much more focused on the defensive side. Coach Blatt changed the system and we now try to play fast: It is a different basketball system. Last year, we tried to control the game, play inside-out and all those kind of things. I think this year it is more exciting to play for Efes and I definitely know because I talked to most of the guys. It is a system that the players like to play. Hopefully, it will translate into a lot of wins and success for the future."
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