Bartzokas: «Proud to be part of Olympiacos on its 100th anniversary»
In his post-game press conference following the win over Partizan, Olympiacos head coach, Giorgos Bartzokas, focused on the atmosphere created by the fans in the stadium.
In his opening statement, he said: "The main topic we need to talk about today is the atmosphere we had at the SEF (i.e. Greek abbreviation for the Peace and Friendship Stadium). I think it was amazing, without any insults. It was so supportive and so festive for the club's anniversary. We managed to win the game, and I think we were solid, we played excellently. We had a lead of 12-20 points. At the end, we relaxed a little. We were a bit happy about the result. Anyway, it's a win I value a lot, especially against Partizan. We had 25 assists. We created a lot of open shots with great shooters like Vezenkov and Fournier, which were missed. We could easily have had over 30 assists. But the important thing is to win. We still have 6 games left. We are still in first place. The goal is to win both at home and away."
Asked whether the team was affected by the festive atmosphere, he emphasized: "It's a very important period for the club. We feel proud to be part of Olympiacos during this time when the club is celebrating its 100th anniversary. We will try to do our best to live up to the expectations."
On the debut of Shaquielle McKissic and the fact that he didn’t take any offensive attempts: "Whoever comes to Olympiacos is brainwashed into understanding that they need to pass the ball. Shaquielle McKissic will find his offensive rhythm, I don’t have expectations with just a few practices. He's a good player, but what always matters at Olympiacos is for everyone to play together, to play for each other, and to win."
Regarding the team's injury report, he said: "I feel like I'm Dr. Kremastinos (i.e. Olympiacos' head physician) every time I'm asked about this. For Evans, you all know his progress, he’s training with high intensity, and this week he will also start practicing defense. Walkup is much better, his back has loosened up. Wright is also doing much better, and some blood tests will show if he can do even more. I don’t want to be inaccurate; you know, it's purely a medical issue and depends on each player's response."