Navarro breaks down Zvezda's thrilling win, explains Dobrić's derby absence: We had to take it day by day

"Congratulations to the team on the win. It was not easy given the mental state we were in heading into this game. These things can happen in the first half because it's tough, but on top of that, Igokea played great basketball in the first 20 minutes. I told their coach (Nenad Stefanović) and their players that they play much better than their results show. At halftime, we found players with energy and put together the right unit. The comeback was fantastic. I think at 54-53 we had three consecutive turnovers, otherwise we would have turned things around earlier. But Igokea have talented players; they played with determination and aggression, hitting some very tough shots. In the end, small details decided it—one rebound, one shot, and a free throw. Luckily, it went our way, but I think Igokea also deserved to win this game." – Ibon Navarro

"It's not easy. We have to find players ready for every game, but we don't have two squads. We only have one team with many players competing across two competitions. We manage the lineup when we can and monitor player load, which is why Nick Weiler-Babb and Jordan Nwora stayed home dealing with some issues. We must also appreciate the effort from Kramer and Moneke, as they dealt with setbacks before tip-off too—Chima with his ankle and Kramer feeling sick, but they pushed through to play. Win or lose, the character the players showed was tremendous." – Ibon Navarro

"He had an issue with his heel. We had to take it day by day. He couldn't finish the game against Krka, but today he felt good. Tomorrow, we don't know... He is extremely important to us; he's the captain. He knows how to play these types of games. When he has these issues, it's not easy to put him on the roster, as he might feel it during the game and be unable to play. I'm happy for him, he helped us a lot." – Ibon Navarro

"Honestly, I've watched many of Igokea's games, and we have fans all across the country and abroad. It feels great for us to experience this, but I also have to commend the Igokea fans who supported us and gave us a warm welcome." – Ibon Navarro