Heads up
Olympiacos lost 80-64 to Fenerbahce in the final of the Euroleague Final Four in Istanbul in the presence of 13,000 fans of the Turkish team.
The Greek Champions once again put their soul into the game, but were not able to once again overturn the prognostics and were defeated with a 16 point margin. This was the fifth final for the Piraeus team in the last nine years.
The Greek team made a bad start in the game with Kalinic really hurting our team with 9 successive points at the beginning and the quarter ended 26-18. In the second quarter, Olympiacos turned the situation around, closed in at two points, but it was still that Fenerbahce had the answers that shaped the 39-34 at half time.
Olympiacos had a four point game into the third quarter and it looked as if a huge upset was imminent. However, the … annoyingly good shooting percentages of the Turkish team behind the 6.75 range, sending the difference above ten points and it was somewhere there that everything was over with Fenerbahce winning the title and the final score being 80-64.
THE POINTS
Τhe quarters: 26-18, 39-34, 60-48, 80-64
Fenerbahce (Οbradovic): Udoh 10, Mahmutoglu, Antic 4 (1), Bogdanovic 17 (3), Sloukas 3, Nunnully 2, Vesely 8 , Kalinic 17, Dixon 8 (2), Duverioglu, Datome 11 (2).
Οlympiacos (Sfairopoulos): Green 7 (1), Birch 14, Young, Toliopoulos 3 (1), Spanoulis 9 (2 3p., 8 as.), Waters 2, Αgravanis, Μilutinov 10, Printezis 7 (1), Papanikolaou 3 (1), Mantzaris 9 (3).
THE QUOTES
GIANNIS SFAIROPOULOS: "I would like to congratulate our players for bringing our team to the final. I'm very proud for my players and the way they played up to now. We played four knock out games to become champions. I'm talking about the play offs when we were trailing Efes 2-1. We needed four victories from that point on to become champions. We won three out of these four games, but we lacked this little element we needed at the end to win the title. Of course we are kind of disappointed, but we are also very proud for how we have played and about the fact that the team came back to the Final Four and got to play the final. I would like to congratulate Fenerbahce on winning the title. They deserved it, they played better in the second half and got the trophy".
On the atmosphere: «In the last two Final Fours, we played in the opponent's home court. Sinan Erdem is not Fener's home court, but the majority of the fans were for them. This made our task more difficult, but I think we have played many game in many tough courts with loud crowds. It is certain that our experience will be helping us in the future».
Asked on whether there is a lesson for his team in this, he said: «I think that the way the game went allowed a lot of long range shots. Fener did not allow for many lay ups. We score a lot of points from miss-matched passes to the big players, but we also missed a lot of long range shots and a lot of lay-ups. I think that the crucial point was in the third quarter, when we had a four point game and gave them a lot of easy free throws, which sent the margin to two digits. Fener was not able to score at that point but got score from the free throws line. We should have been more focused in situations like that».
ERICK GREEN: "Defense was the big key; their defense is good. Udoh played a heck of a game; he controlled the game, all game. They outplayed us tonight and that is a part of life. It happens. We have to learn from this and move on. Being in the Final Four was an unbelievable experience. I don't know what my next move will be, but I would love to get the opportunity to fight in another EuroLeague Final Four again. We had a great season and came a long way as a team. We have been through a lot together – injuries, ups and downs – but we pulled together and beat a great team like CSKA to be in the championship game."
GEORGE PRINTEZIS: «That's life, it's not possible to come here every year and win the title. We don't play alone. Fenerbahce has been in three Final Fours in a row. Last season they lost by one shot. We need to be proud for what we have achieved. Become better, go to another Final Four and should we get the chance, win the trophy. I don't want to stay on any one point. There may be a lot of things that went wrong. I'm also a lot to blame. I feel responsible. Fenerbahce was shooting with great percentages. We risked with some shots. I don't want to blame it on luck, but no team can win without a lucky break" he said at first. "Pride is what we keep from all of these. If someone told us in 2011 that we would be going to four Final Fours and we would be winning two of them, we would have thought of that as superb. CSKA has only won one in that time, Real another one, Fener one in all those years. It's better that we came that far and we are upset for not winning it, than having been disqualified in the play-off s and watching the Final Four on TV. Each final is different. No one is a robot. I wish the basic roster remains the same and we become even better. We are no focusing on the championship».
ZELJKO OBRADOVIC: «I'm very happy to the European Champion once again, but even happier that Fenerbahce is the champion for the first time in its history. I wish to thank the President, Aziz Yildirim, for trusting me and gave me the chance to work the way I think fit. This title belongs to everyone on the team, from the head quarters to the staff, to my players, who deserve all the glory. They played an excellent Final Four, maybe with the only exception of the second quarter tonight. I'm happy that the whole of Istanbul was talking about basketball and we are in a city that loves the sport. Fener has millions of fans and I thank them. There is no great team without fans. The atmosphere was great».
On Olympiacos: «Congratulations to Olympiacos. They are an excellent organization that deserved to be here and they played good basketball. It was a very difficult game for us. We spent two nights trying to prepare it».
On what comes next: «Life goes on. My players can celebrate, but we have the Turkish play offs to play and we want to defend our title».
On using Pero Antic: «It was the coach's decision. The whole life is like that. Before we came on the floor tonight, I told my players this is a final. There would be nothing to make me happier than being able to give all my players minutes. But it's not always feasible. You need to do what's best for your team. The team is more important than any one player».
In regard to Udoh's role: «He deserved the MVP title. He was great in both games. Ekpe does not care about scoring. Basketball is a game that depends on what your opponent is doing. Real Madrid put its focus on the perimeter and Ekpe found ways to score. Tonight was different. His contribution was immense. I don't remember a lot of players that can focus on both ends of the floor the way Udoh does».
On next season: «The Final Four will be taking place in my country. From the minute this season is over, I will be preparing my team to be there, in Belgrade».
Asked on which of the nine titles he has won, he cherishes the most, he replied: «Each one of them, we worked really hard for all. You remember of all the tough moments throughout the season. For example, I remember when we lost by 36 points in Baskonia this season. The President came to me and we talked about everything else, but the game. When you receive that kind of trust, everything is different».
As to whether he has a plan to evolve Turkish players: «The team has had great ambitions and we achieved our goal. I personally don't look at passports. I look at players and how much time they spend on the floor. We have talented players, but their future depends more on them and less on me. I spend a lot of time at work every day, I go in at 9 in the morning and leave at 10 at night. If they love basketball they can evolve, otherwise they cannot».
On whether there was pressure: «Before the beginning of the season, some people tried to put pressure on us, because the Final Four would be in Istanbul. But no one can put more pressure on me than the pressure I put on myself. I tried to build the best team I could possibly make. Now we are the best team in Europe».
«Until I stop feeling the way I feel now, each day I go to practice, I will keep doing this. When I stop feeling that way, I will be doing something different with my life».