Last 16 Player Analysis: Pamesa Valencia vs. Zadar
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Pamesa Valencia vs. Zadar
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Dejan Milojevic, Pamesa Valencia
 A former Euroleague superstar is now trying to win the ULEB Cup title, as Dejan Milojevic of Pamesa Valencia is in his best shape this season. Pamesa has the chance to become the first tean to win a second ULEB Cup title and Milojevic is fully aware of that. Even when he didn't play in the firsst leg against Panionios, Milojevic returned with 12 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals in the decisive second leg in Valencia. He has averaged 12.6 points on 63% two-pointers and 5.6 rebounds in 10 ULEB Cup games this season. Milojevic has played a good number of times against Zadar, having won back-to-back Adriatic League MVP awards with Buducnost and Partizan, so he knows what to do against a great basketball atmosphere at Dvorana Jazine. "The ULEB Cup season has been great for us so far. We won a very tough regular season group and managed to overcome Panionios to reach the Last 16. Our next goal is to make it to the Final Eight and I hope that we will accomplish it. We had to fight hard to beat Panionios, because we didn't play well in the first leg in Greece. We lost by 11 points there but managed to win the series in the second leg in Valencia. I think it was logical, because we are a better team than Panionios." 
"I know Zadar very well because I played many times against them in the Adriatic League when I was with Buducnost and later on with Partizan. They didn't change their roster very much, so I know them quite well. They have good players, a good coach and they are having a good season in the Adriatic League, where they are second behind Partizan, and in the ULEB Cup. I know I will have to play against a tough opponent like Todor Gecevski. I respect him a lot and he is a good player, but individual players don't win games and I know Zadar is full of other good players. One player cannot decide the game, not me nor him."
"For me, it doesn't matter to play the secnd leg at home. I know that Zadar plays better at home so if we get a good result in there, everything will be easier for us. We really showed we can overcome a tough situation because this is what we did against Panionios. I already know what kind of diehard fans Zadar has at home, but fans are fans and they don't play the games. I really like to play with fans like that in the stands and it doesn't bother me."
"I know we have a very good team and I believe we are one of the favourites to win the ULEB Cup, so I hope to go as far as we can, always step by step. First we have to beat Zadar to make it to the Final Eight and then try to win the competition, of course. Nobody will go to the Final Eight with the ambition to lose a game, of course. We respect Zadar very much, it is a good team but I believe in my team and I hope that we can go all the way." |
Andrej Stimac, Zadar
 Always-ambitious KK Zadar has stepped into the Last 16 round with an entire city behind it as it awaits the upcoming series against Pamesa Valencia. In his first ULEB Cup season, veteran power forward Andrej Stimac has played a key role as sixth man in the team's strong season. Stimac has offered his versatility, deep shooting range and experience to help his team overcome a tough regular season group and then down Azovmash in the Last 32 round. Stimac has averaged 8.6 points on 66% two-point shooting and 5.3 rebounds in less than 25 minutes per night. Stimac knows that the key to the series may well be the first leg in Zadar, where his team can be unstoppable, backed by thousands of devoted fans who live and die basketball. "We have had a pretty good ULEB Cup season so far. We expected to play well after some games because we didn't know how the team would do in the beginning of the season. We managed to stay unbeaten at home and we played some remarkable road games this season, losing several by five points or less. This team knows to play on the road. We have experienced players and I think we can give any team trouble, which gives us courage to play against Pamesa."  "The two-way elimination rounds system fits us perfectly because it is very tough to beat us in front of our fans in Zadar. They give us extra energy to play at high rhythm all 40 minutes. We play the first leg against Pamesa at home and will try to play without calculating anything. We will try to win, doing our best, and knowing that Pamesa has a certain advantage because of its bigger budget and better individual players. Team concept and persistency are our strengths. I am sure we can be a tough opponent and have our options to reach the Final Eight."
"Zadar has been doing a good job for several years. People here live and die for basketball and you can feel the atmosphere living in this city. Making it to the Final Eight would be the biggest reward for the club and its people. It would be a great success. We had a wild card to reach the ULEB Cup and so far we showed we deserved it. It would also be good for Croatian basketball to step into the Final Eight against giants with great players and big tradition. We would be David ready to face some Goliaths in the ULEB Cup. We have the right to hope, as the players and everyone around the club are waiting for the games against Pamesa. We played great games in Zadar. Even when you have to respect Pamesa and they are favorites, if they give us the slightest chance to beat them, we will do it." |
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Thursday, February 28, 2008
ULEBCup.com
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