Gran-de Olympiacos!

Olympiacos bested Gran Canaria at the SEF with remarkable ease (98-77) and made a perfect finish in a tough two game Euroleague week!

Our team wasn't able to find rhythm in the first five minutes of the game, which the guests took advantage of and got to lead 9-8. This was the first and also the last time the Spanish team was in the lead. With a good defensive game and Giorgos Printezis leading the attack, Olympiacos closed the first quarter leading 20-14, while he saw to turn the game into an easy stroll in the park into the second one! Superb defense, offensive pluralism and with a lot of creation in the game (the 17 assists of the first half are testament to that), the 'reds' took the difference to +20 (42-27 at 18') and saw to maintain a steady distance (52-33, at 20').
The outlook of the game did not especially change in the second half… With captain Vassilis Spanoulis "striking" from the 6.75m., out team got to lead by +23 (68-45, at 27'), while despite the different line ups tried by coach David Blatt, maintained complete control (80-61, at 34'). In the minute that followed, our team received a 6-0 streak (80-67), however, after the time out called by the 'reds' coach, order was immediately restored… Olympiacos regained its good defensive game, passed the ball in the post and took the difference to +24 (98-74, at 39').

Amongst the noteworthy facts of the game were the 29 assists, a record number for our team in the Euroleague!

The quarters: 20-14, 52-33, 73-54, 98-77.

Οlympiacos (Blatt): Williams-Goss 11 (1 3pm., 6 as), Τoupane 1 (4 st.), Spanoulis 21 (4 3pm., 8 as.), Τimma, Μilutinov 11(6 reb., 5 as.), Strelnieks 11 (3), Vezenkov 4 (6 reb.), Printezis 16 (2), Papanikolaou 6, Μantzaris 3 (1), Bogris 2, LeDay 12.

Gran Canaria (Garcia): Oliver 10 (2), Ericsson 7 (1), Vene 15 (3), Balvin 12, Baez 8 (2), Pasecniks, Pauli 5, Rabaseda 6, Strawberry 4, Radisevic, Fischer 5, Tillie 5 (1)

«We should focus ahead»

David Blatt commented after the game: "The double week demands a few different things from the teams and there is always a different dynamic. The most important factor is the team mentality as well as that of the individuals. We had a right approach to the game, with a clear head and the proper attitude. The team played well and I credit my players for that, for their maturity and professionalism. This week is over, we now have to look ahead to the tough Sunday game and the one that follows in Istanbul. I liked the way we moved the ball and that we played as a team, especially in the offense. I also sincerely appreciate the fans that came and supported the team this way. My twin daughters are here and I never lose when they are with me!"

When asked to comment on how from scoring 69 points against Barcelona, Olympiacos got to score 98 against Gran Canaria, he replied: "What this is telling me, is that you need to approach every game understanding what you need to be doing to win and what kind of game you need to be playing. I'll give you an example. I don't think you can go to Moscow and beat CSKA 98-90 or 98-95… So when we went to Moscow, we played a certain type of game. We tried to control the tempo and go to fewer possessions. We did that, we simply did not succeed with some plays at the end of the game. Tonight's game was a different kind. I think that we had the chance to play a game closer to our style and hence take advantage of our strong features. I think that we should have scored 80 against Barcelona, not 69, but Barcelona's defense was tougher and we also missed 4-5 layups, and some open shots. Despite that, we played a different game tonight because that's what we needed to do".

On his part, the coach of the Spanish team, Victor Garcia, pointed out: "In the first half and especially in the second quarter, we stopped being competitive due to the injury of Radisevic, who is a very important player for us. We have three point guards; Hannah is out, Radisevic also… We weren't in a good physical condition; we have had problems with defensive rebounds. We played better in the second half; we were competitive and put in a good effort".

«We were the problem…»

Olympiacos’ coach, David Blatt, pointed out: “Before I begin, I would like to wish a happy holiday season to everyone. In regard to the game, we obviously suffered a little bit due to the tough week we have had with the double Euroleague games, but also of course due to the very good game Peristeri played in the first half. We should not overlook the fact that the opponent played very well in the first half. We did not play as good and that’s why we found ourselves in this position. When we decided we had to limit our turnovers and stop engaging with the refs, but rather play basketball, it obviously made all the difference. Sometimes, finding it hard is good for you. Sometimes you fall, however, you need to know how to get up. When my players understood that, we played a really good game for 25 minutes. If you see the European map, you will realize that Euroleague teams usually suffer in the domestic leagues following double weeks. You have to be both physically and mentally healthy to fight. It’s not easy to trail by 20 and to finally win by 25. We are talking about a 45 point victory margin”.

Questioned about Nikola Milutinov’s reaction, he replied: “I wouldn’t want to comment, because whatever it is that I had to say, I told him in person. And since you are good people and we have also women in the room, I would certainly not wish to convey what I told him. But what I’m going to say in general and what I tell my players as a rule of thumb is that you need to change the pressure, your anger or your negative feelings into something positive. If you are angry about something that happened in the game, compete harder with your opponent. If you feel pressured about a call you got or didn’t get from a ref, use it as motivation to do what you need to do on the floor better. Channel your energy to get out of that situation. It doesn’t matter if the same thing had happened in the game against Panathinaikos as well. We weren’t playing Panathinaikos today and Niko got upset. He can’t be doing that. Not in this manner. It’s not acceptable and he knows it”.

When asked to comment on the officiating, he said: “I’m happy and grateful our fans came in masses to watch to game. The timing was very good because we really needed them. In the first half, the refs weren’t the problem, we were the problem. For sure, some calls could have been different, but I’m here to tell you that we were the problem, contrary to some other of our games this season. Today the problem was with us, not the refs”.

Talking about Janis Strelnieks’ injury, he clarified: “He received a very hard blow and had five stiches in the head. He could have returned to play despite the stitches, but the problem was that he had hurt his head and fortunately he has nothing more than a headache. It’s not something serious. We’ll have to see of course, but we weren’t going to risk anyway. One needs to be very careful when head injuries are involved. It’s dangerous”.

On whether he’s going to be ‘utilizing’ today’s game in view of the one against Darusafaka, he commented: “I hope we are not going to find ourselves in the same situation. But we certainly demonstrated our ability to return to the game if needed. I would rather we don’t reach that point. This is a very hard and important game for Olympiacos”.