Bartzokas: «We played a selfless game» (vid)
Giorgos Bartzokas paid tribute to his players as well as to the fans, following the easy win over Virtus.
“I obviously don’t have a lot to say about this game. It was an amazing performance from our team. Whatever we had to say was said by the players on the floor. It was a compact performance on both ends of the floor, defensively and offensively. Just like always, we approached the game with no egos involved, we passed the ball enough. I was informed that we had a record number of assists. For me, the best part of basketball is playing selflessly, play as a team. It’s a big credit for the players. Virtus has had a bad night. It’s one of those nights when nothing goes well. And when that happens in the Euroleague, it’s really cruel. I still believe they have quality, they tried, but we scored a lot and from everywhere, we also made some buzzer beaters, buckets that practically took the effort out of them. After something like that, you don’t have the stamina to fight to the end. Congratulations to everyone and to our fans that created a very beautiful atmosphere. The schedule is very difficult. In a few hours we play against PAOK, then we have two back to back European games on Tuesday and Thursday and that’s why we need to rest and prepare for the games”.
On his part, the coach of Virtus Bologna, Sergio Scariolo, commented: “Congratulations to Olympiacos. They gave a hard lesson about what it means to have been a multiple times finalist of the Euroleague final four. When the team does not show up on the floor, then the coach has to completely take the responsibility for the performance upon himself. I don’t think there is a reason to get deep into technical matters, rebounds, turnovers and any other detail. Unfortunately, when things go bad, you don’t have the right talk about the injuries of Pajola and Ojeleye. Also, Shengelia practically played only his second game in the season and we hope we are going to be making a new start after tonight”.
About Sasha Vezenkov, he commented the following in response to a relevant question: “He is certainly the number one power forward in Europe right now. It’s a very competitive League, however, I can’t think of a better player in his position, not just in the Euroleague. The only thing I can say is that as an opponent, it’s very difficult to play against him, but as a fan of the sport, it’s a real treat to watch him play”.
WATCH THE FULL STATEMENTS FROM BOTH COACHES…