This is what Coach Ettore Messina said at the end of 3d-place win over CSKA Moscow: “We didn’t do anything special [for motivation]. We just talked among ourselves that it was a matter of pride and it was a matter of confirming to the rest of Europe that we were not here by accident and the good things we did during the regular season and the playoffs and the semifinal was not something that had no background. The guys were extremely focused – right from the first possession. I had a good feeling that they wanted to win the game. Even Chacho in my plans was going to play less but he wanted to play and wanted to win the game. It was more their sense of responsibility and accountability that made everything happen one more time.”
Michael Roll: “The key is coming out and giving effort in this type of a game. It does not count for anything, but it is pride. Once you step on the court, you are kind of taught as a kid to always play hard. And playing basketball is fun. I enjoyed it, we enjoyed it, and it was important for us to get a win. Coach spoke about our season. For us to do what we were able to do in his second year here, we helped turn around the situation. It is a very successful year, we were one shot away from the final, a couple millimeters. Punter’s three goes in with 8 seconds left, very high chances we win that game and play for the championship later tonight.”
Zach LeDay: “We just played hard. We played together. CSKA is a great team, so we knew they were going to come out and play at a high level. We played together and moved the ball; that is what we were able to do. It was a good season for us. We feel unsatisfied because of the way we finished, but it was good that we were able to show progress and build a culture here. It was great to be here at the Final Four and I am hungry for more. We have to put some work in, finish the season and keep on working this summer.”
Shavon Shields: “We didn’t get what we came here for, so we have a lot to improve on and look forward to next year. We brought energy in the fourth quarter today and that allowed us to extend the lead a little bit. I think it is tough to play a game like this. We were a bit slow in the first half, also in the third quarter, but we brought some energy in the fourth quarter to win the game.”
Sergio Rodriguez: “It is the most difficult game I ever played in my life. I played the third-place game three times. We competed even when it didn’t matter but at the end of the day, it is good for our rhythm. It is good for the right that we will have next week in Venice [Italian League semifinals] and hopefully, we can get back next year. I think it is better to wait a few days to grade our season when we will be relaxed. Obviously. it has been a great season for us. We were competing, had ups and downs but right now, in this weekend, when we didn’t reach the trophy, it is hard to make a positive balance. For sure, we will be more positive in the next few weeks. I won the EuroLeague twice with Real Madrid and CSKA, but I didn’t win in my first Final Four with either of them, so I will turn this frustration into motivation.”
Riccardo Moraschini: “I think our intensity allowed us to win the game tonight. We put a lot of energy out there. After the loss in the semifinal, we recharged mentally and put all we had to win the game. I got the chance to play today, so for me it was a big opportunity. I gave what I had and, emotionally, it was very hard. But I did my thing; I just played, enjoyed the game and the environment here. I am very happy today. It was an amazing season for the club. We have to be proud of what we have done all season long. We made it to the Final Four after 29 years. I felt a lot of positive energy coming from Milan on social media. We are just very proud of what we have done, all season long.”
