“A very tough contest is awaiting us at the first match of Top 16. We will be facing Crvena Zvezda, a very tough and powerful team. Crvena Zvezda is the most positively surprising team in the Euroleague this season. They have a talented roster coached well on the court, constantly improving themselves. For instance, Maik Zirbes is one of the best players in the Euroleague this season. They have very talented young prospects such as Marko Guduric, who was a key player against Real Madrid. It has been a very hard week for us. We have faced very tough teams in the Turkish League, and managed to defeat Uşak on the road. It will be a very difficult match on Wednesday...”

Anadolu Efes’s captain Doğuş Balbay also stated his thoughts: “We have achieved our first goal in the Euroleague by making it to Top 16. Now, we have a challenging road ahead of us. We will play to advance to the playoffs, which is our second goal. Every match is very valuable in Top 16. We will be hosting Crvena Zvezda for our first match in Top 16. With full concentration for 40 minutes before our own fans, we want to make a winning start into Top 16...”