Unicaja Malaga coach Jasmin Repesa believes that his side face a much improved Asseco Prokom side tonight in their Euroleague Group B clash in Gdynia.
Both teams are still searching for their first win of the new season and the Spanish club are at 100 percent for tonight’s game but Repesa has a lot of respect for his Polish opponents.
The Poles added American scoring guard Alex Acker to the roster earlier in the week.
“[Asseco] Prokom is a good team and they are undergoing some changes these days like the arrival of Alex Acker. Playing at home, they will probably try to win the game but we must be ready both mentally and physically,” he said.
“Thankfully it looks like we will be healthy for the game so we have to give our best effort to reach our goal.”
Despite the continuous involvement of both teams in the Euroleague, both teams have only faced each other twice with both picking up road wins in the Top 16 of the 2009/10 season. On paper, Unicaja have the deeper squad and will start as favourites but Malaga forward Luka Zoric says that the team have to be well prepared.
The first road game is really important,” Zoric said. “I am sure it will be a tough game so we must be well-prepared to face Prokom as our rival, and we will have to try to maintain our style.
Zoric added: “After the first loss at home, this game is very important for us so we have to go to Poland only thinking about the win. The goal is making the Top 16, but we have to go game by game, improving little by little and playing good basketball.”
Asseco Prokom’s Lukasz Koszarek, who led his side with 14 points in their 81-74 defeat at Elan Chalon admits that the team are happy being at home and the team are excited about tonight’s game.
“For us it is the first game on our home court, we are excited, focused and ready to do what we can: fight and show good basketball,” Koszarek said.
The Euroleague’s full schedule is on Thursday and Friday night.
Thursday
Lietuvos Rytas vs Barcelona, Brose Baskets vs Besiktas, Alba Berlin vs Elan Chalon, Partizan vs CSKA Moscow, Panathinaikos vs Cantu, Maccabi Electra vs Montepaschi Siena
Friday
BC Khimki vs Real Madrid, Cedevita Zagreb vs EA7 Milano, Anadolu Efes vs Olympiacos, Caja Laboral, Zalgiris, Union Olimpija vs Fenerbahce.
