“Today, we had luck on our side. However, Crvena Zvezda was the better side today. There can be only one explanation to this in my opinion: we played under a lot of pressure today. We allowed our opponent the chances to play. We allowed 54 points in the first half. They dominated the match in the first 20 minutes and hit 72% of their two-pointers and 44% of their three-pointers. We were unable to react, especially in the first three quarters. We were trailing by as much as 15 points in the third quarter, and the margin was 11 in the beginning of the final quarter. I would like to congratulate my lads because we never gave up fighting for the match. Considering it’s the first match of Top 16, we secured a significant victory. Winning was important to us today. I would also like to congratulate Crvena Zvezda. They are a well-coached team with lots of young talents. I wish them the best of success both in the Euroleague and in the Adriatic League. We need to analyze why we couldn’t perform well in the first three quarters. Now, we will play against TED Kolej in the Turkish League this weekend. We have to prepare as good as we can for this game. Last but not least, happy new year to everyone. I wish a healthy and happy new year for all the people.”

Showcasing the best performance for Anadolu Efes with an index score of 23, Bryant Dunston also stated his thoughts: “It was a very challenging match, yet we managed to win in the end. In the Top 16, the bar is raised everything gets more difficult. We need to make it a habit to win at this level. And we need to win games on the road, too. We are happy to be on the winning side.”