Bartzokas: «One game at a time, let's focus on the next one» (vid)

At the press conference following Olympiacos' second victory over Real Madrid at SEF, head coach Giorgos Bartzokas and one of the game's standouts, Sasha Vezenkov, discussed how the match unfolded against the Madrid side and what the team must do better in the upcoming game on Tuesday (April 29).

Coach Giorgos Bartzokas began by saying: "We are happy with the result. It was as tough as I expected it to be. If I had pictured how the game would go, this is exactly how I imagined it. Real started very aggressively, with Llull in the starting five and Hezonja at the four, and they took advantage of the pressure we had at the beginning. We were very hesitant, didn’t want to foul on mismatches, and of course, we shot poorly. In the end, we went into halftime tied, and I told the players that it's important, and the shots will fall in the second half. Our defense was solid throughout the game; it’s not easy to hold Real to under 70 points. I’m not counting the baskets at the end when the game was already over. Now we have to approach the next game the same way; one game at a time. We’re getting ready for Tuesday."

When asked about the crucial three-pointers by Alec Peters and Nigel Williams-Goss: "Alec’s three-pointer was extremely tough and critical. He had been on the bench for over 15 minutes, was cold, and came in right when Real switched to zone defense. At that moment, we had three shooters on the floor, and his shot was key. So was Goss’s, of course. I’d also like to highlight how exceptional Milutinov’s performance was."

On Evan Fournier: "You all know how important Evan is for our team. His leadership presence gives us so much. He made some tough baskets, but he really had a feel for the game, he's a big-time player and he really wants to go to the Final Four with our team."

Sasha Vezenkov initially said: "A very important win. We knew Real would come back strong after the first game, and even though we didn’t start the game the way we wanted to, and shot poorly from the three-point line and the free-throw line, the strength of our defense - our main weapon - helped us get this win and take a 2-0 lead in the series."

On what the team needs to do in the next game: "We have to stay focused, play better offensively, make smarter choices, and win on Tuesday. Don’t forget, Real came back from a 0-2 deficit before."

On the fans' response and support: "For our fans, Olympiacos is their life. The atmosphere was amazing, their presence was incredibly strong; it felt like some Game 5s we’ve played here in the past… and we hope we won’t see them again at the SEF in this Euroleague season." 

THE FULL PRESS CONFERENCE IN THE VIDEO THAT FOLLOWS...