“I would like to congratulate Fenerbahçe. They were tougher than us in the beginning. They were very accurate with their three-point field goals. We fought well, too, and the match was always close. Today’s match was just like the one we played in the Euroleague. We played well for three quarters. As a team, though, we failed to react decisively when we had to take the lead. They had the upper hand in the final quarter. We failed to take the lead despite fighting well, and they maintained their advantage. Still, six points is not too big of a lead. In the second match, we will fight better at home. In my opinion, the officials were not good for either team. I got a technical foul while displaying my reaction to my player. I don’t know what to say. Both teams play in the Euroleague. Maybe they need to be a little bit more careful.”

Anadolu Efes’s new signing Can Maxim Mutaf also stated his thoughts: “It was a close match. We made some minor mistakes in critical moments of the match. We failed to capitalize on free throws. Fenerbahçe claimed the advantage, and we couldn’t catch up to them. It was a nice game. A win would be good. Right now we will play two matches against Galatasaray—one at Turkish Airlines Euroleague and the other at Spor Toto Basketball Super League. We will prepare for these matches. I would like to congratulate Fenerbahçe.”