Budućnost coach Aleksandar Džikić was proud of his team despite the defeat from Darussafaka in the first game of the quarterfinals of Eurocup.
After the dramatic last minutes of the match, the "Blues" lost in Istanbul, but they showed that they belong in the company of the best teams in this competition.
"We lost, but we played well. One ball has decided the outcome. I think it's a great thing since we played an away match. We had a lot of problems, and because of qualification games of FIBA, we did not train fully for ten days. We won two quarters, and in the end, Vilbekin's three-pointer decided the game," Džikić said.
The players from Podgorica did not allow their spirit to be broken after a shocking defeat from Partizan, although they had a significant advantage at the half-time in Belgrade.
"We came here to compete. We did that on the basketball court. Clearly, Darussafaka is a favorite, but this was a match decided by one ball, and that is a fact. We lost, I feel sorry for the boys, but I'm proud of them because they have worked hard and that's very important, " the Serbian coach added.
The Darussafaka coach David Blatt expected a hard game like this one.
"It's always like this when it comes to the playoffs, especially for the host of the first match. A tough game, both teams played very hard. Nevertheless, we have found a way to triumph. That's the most important thing for us at this time, " Blatt said.
Budućnost and Darussafaka will play again on Friday at 7 pm in Podgorica.
If the "Blues" win the second match, the third match will decide which team goes through in Istanbul in seven days.
Text by CDM, read more at CDM
