Bartzokas: «Friday's game is going to be even more difficult» (vid)
Olympiacos made the first step, but the 'red & whites' coach, Giorgos Bartzokas, pointed out that the next game is going to be even more difficult.
"I believe that a fantastic game was played, with lots of intensity. Naturally, both teams were nervous, but it was a typical first playoff game. The team with the advantage plays under tremendous pressure, because you have been working the whole season exactly for that advantage and you can throw it away in just forty minutes. Also, it was hard, due to Fenerbahce's quality, that has good and experienced players and a good coach. It's difficult for us to play against them. This was the first step. It was a very important victory, but I think the game on Friday is going to be even more difficult. That's why everyone needs to be patient. It's going to go possession by possession and we need to have more players engaged with scoring. We need them all present and focused, especially at this moment. Everyone can help the team, even with one possession. I told my players that what we have done up to now does not matter, the only thing that matters now is winning. I sincerely thank the team fans. The atmosphere was fantastic".
On his part, the coach of Fenerbahce, Dimitris Itoudis, made the following statement: "Congratulations to Olympiacos for winning the first game. We obviously came well prepared and focused. We tried to create as many problems as possible for our opponent, on both ends of the floor. We succeeded in that. We were playing against the best team of the League and certainly the one that played the most consistent basketball throughout the season. Olympiacos was and is a team that doesn't need to dribble a lot to score. We tried to force them into different choices, and we succeeded in doing that in the first half. Then, in the 3rd quarter, we lost our concentration and the connection between the facilitators and the spot-shooters. At that point, Canaan and Vezenkov scored threes. We tried to return to the game, but it wasn't enough".
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