Fought, but didn’t make it…
Olympiacos lost to Panathinaikos Superfoods 72-59 in a game for the 15th day of the STOIXIMAN.GR Basket League, thus losing their first game for the competition in the season.
Our team made a rather good start in the game. Milutinov, Printezis and Papanikaolou did a great job on both ends of the floor with the Greek Champions dominating and leading 12-20.
However, in the beginning of the second half, Giannis Sfairopoulos, who did not have Hackett, Young and Lojeski available, witnessed Vasilis Spanoulis leaving the game due to injury. Printezis and Mantzaris were already playing coping with injury problems and Panathinaikos Superfoods was hence able to turn the situation around and lead 31-28 at half-time.
Birch, Printezis and Papanikolaou stepped up in the third quarter and gave Olympiacos the lead at 27’ (41-42), but from that point on, lack of strength and concentration cost the Piraeus team and the hosts closed the third quarter leading by 3 (48-45).
The last quarter did not start well for Giannis Sfairopoulos and his team. The hosts run a partial 7-0, led 55-45 and the difference was even +16 for the hosts (63-47) at 36’. Olympiacos reacted at that point, brought the margin below ten points, but did not avoid the 72-59 defeat.
THE POINTS
The quarters: 12-20, 31-28, 48-45, 72-59.
Panathinaikos Superfoods (Pasqual): Singleton 20, Rivers 26 (6), James 12, Fotsis, Pappas 2, Feldeine 4, Charalampopoulos 2, Gabriel 2, Gentile, Bourousis 2, Calathes 2.
Οlympiacos (Sfairopoulos): Green 9 (1), Birch 2 (8reb), Papapetrou 4, Spanoulis, Waters 4, Αgravanis, Milutinov 11, Printezis 14 (2reb, 6reb), Papanikolaou 13 (1), Mantzaris 2 (6as), Αthinaiou.
THE QUOTES
XAVI PASQUAL: “We are satisfied with our victory. I think we found it hard to engage in the game, we always have a tough time with the beginnings when we are coming from a game lost. We were nervous, were not playing well, not shooting well, however, we dominated the floor from the second quarter on. In the third quarter, our outlook was very dominant, but the score did not follow along. Nevertheless, in the fourth quarter we succeeded in imposing our rhythm and getting the victory”.
On the performance of Nikos Pappas: «I agree that he was very good. I think he’s in a very good point maturity wise. That’s what I ask of him. I need players that either on a good night or not, they are positive forces for the team. Tonight was not the first game that Nikos despite only scoring two points was among the best for our team».
On the three games against Olympiacos in January: «I think it’s possible that we play many times this season and every game will be totally new for the two teams. We played three times during January and tonight we are closing a very difficult calendar. We played very well overall in the last three games against Olympiacos, but we need to improve in regard to road games for the Euroleague. Both against Fenerbahce and Crvena Zvezda we played below our potential and we should be better in the home court of Galata, where the game is like a final to us. I don’t think that tonight’s game is going to define our future encounters with Olympiacos».
On the fans: «It slipped my mind in the beginning, I would like to thank the fans that came to the gym. We experienced a magnificent atmosphere and I think that should we not have had the fans by our side, it would have been very hard to enter the game. I think it was due to them that we did it so fast and came back into the game. I hope we pay them back with hard work and victories»
On the performance of KC Rivers in the last three games against Olympiacos: «As you can see, he’s in great shape. He’s been playing very well since I came, without this meaning that he wasn’t playing well before that. We are very happy with him and hopefully he continues this way. I think that Rivers and Singleton were the two players that pulled through for us in offense, however, we had many players that despite not scoring, played very well tonight».
On his decision not to give many minutes to either Calathes or Gentile: «Each game is a different world and each time I try to make the best decisions so as to win. Panathinaikos is paying me to win and not to win with certain players or for every player to have equal minutes. The season is very long, when I think that I have found a path to win, I need to follow it to the end, especially with games such that against Olympiacos. My experience tells me that when you play a ‘final’ you need to bring forward players that are in good shape and you move along with them. I also know that win or lose, the news are always about those who haven’t played».
On the game against Galatasaray: «I still don’t have this game on my mind, I need to work on it. I hope our defense is equally good, since we did very well tonight in that area. We have to be more effective when shooting for twos and we need to learn to look for the player that is in a good night and has momentum. I hope we maintain a fighting spirit and give it all. You always need to play good for the Euroleague, otherwise you can’t win».
MIKE JAMES: «It was a good game, I think we played well, I think every game against Olympiacos is very intense, there is a fight for every challenged ball. I think we fought well tonight and together with shooting on target, we won the game. Just like in Belgrade, I also think we played good tonight, we had 25 minutes of good defense, we feel more comfortable in our gym and won the game».
GIANNIS SFAIROPOULOS: “It was a game that we made a good start at, with a lot of focus. We played very well on both ends of the floor in the first quarter. We only received 12 at that time. We took the game where we wanted it to go and made only turnover. Of course this changed in the second quarter, it was obvious that Panathinaikos was going to react, they got a nine points difference in the second quarter, but we managed to close in. In the beginning of the third quarter, we fought hard, took the lead and I think it was a derby up to that point. The game was decided in the fourth quarter mainly due to our mistakes, when you make 14 turnovers on the road, against a team that profits from the opponents’ mistakes and scores 17 points taking advantage of that fact and another 16 points from offensive rebounding , it’s tough to pull through on the road. Congratulations to Panathinaikos, we are now focusing on our next game. Of course, when your offense is struggling, defense is impacted. The way the second quarter evolved, when we run a partial 6-0 if I’m not mistaken, would have been very positive for the game, we stayed in the game in the third quarter as well, but Panathinaikos stepped up in the fourth quarter and got the game”.
Asked about the shape the injured players are in, the Greek coach answered that «Vasilis has an abductor strain, I don’t know how he is, we’ll know tomorrow. We’ll know more tomorrow when his leg is rested, about the rest of the players, we’ll see day by day».
As on whether Olympiacos was aiming to guard the +25 margin of the first game, the Greek coach was clear. «I’d like to say a couple of things on that, we did not come here to try and keep the margin. We play our games will players available, we are not looking for excuses. Of course we want our players to be healthy, but even with players missing, we are doing the best we can. Olympiacos has a roster that can play on any court, not just in OAKA. I will never look for excuses in injuries and missing players».
MILAN TOMIC: «We controlled a game at a certain rhythm for 30 minutes. We are not looking for excuses. The important thing for us is for all our players to be healthy. We are waiting for the tests on Spanoulis. However, we are not looking for excuses. We did not last through the end. Rivers once again made some great shots. We’ll try to improve on that part»
NIKOLA MILUTINOV «We did not play well tonight. We were bad on both ends of the floor. We received cheap points due to our mistakes and lost defensive rebounds and that’s why we lost the game».
KOSTAS PAPANIKOLAOU: «We played a good first half defense wise, but weren’t as consistent with our offense. Vasilis offers a lot to the team and not just on the floor, but you have to find the strength to overcome things like that. The good thing is we maintained the margin in our favor, but we cannot rest assured. There are still 11 games to go. Congratulations to Panathinaikos on the victory. Rivers is in great shape and deserves congrats. We definitely can do a better”.