Bartzokas: «Our game lacked patience»

In the post-game press conference following the defeat to Real Madrid, Olympiacos head coach Giorgos Bartzokas expressed his disappointment with how his team performed in the fourth quarter, as well as their overall approach in the closing minutes of the game.

In his opening remarks, he commented on the match against the Madrid side, stating: “First of all, I would like to congratulate Real Madrid. They had a very good second half, especially compared to ours, in which we only scored 24 points. Our shot selection was very poor, no patience, not executing our game plan, just trying to swing the ball from one side of the court to the other. That’s why we went 0/9 from three, because aside from two or three attempts, the rest were taken under poor conditions. At the same time, Real Madrid played with physicality, right at the edge of fouling. They played very tough offensively, so we didn’t deserve to win. Of course, at the end, our approach was very foolish. We just let the game go, and sometimes the point difference really matters in European basketball. So, we need to rethink how to finish games better, especially in games like this one.”

When asked about the team’s approach in the final quarter - such as Evan Fournier not contesting the final three-point shot - he responded: “It’s not just that he didn’t contest the last three-pointer. It’s also the shots we took in the possessions before that. We acted like the game was already over. But as I said, point differential matters in European basketball; it counts. So, we should have finished the game in a different way.”

On what the key is in games against ‘giants’ like Real Madrid: “We play 5-on-5, and last year we beat them five times out of six. It comes down to the work we do on the court, the quality of our players, and how we stay united. We’re not playing against ‘giants’; we’re playing against teams. We respect every team in European basketball. All teams are very strong. Of course, Real Madrid is a great team, with a great coach and very talented players.”