Bartzokas, Peters, Fournier talk the Greek Cup Final (vids)

At the media day ahead of the big Cup final (February 16, 20:15), Olympiacos coach Giorgos Bartzokas discussed the particularities of the derbies against Panathinaikos. When asked about the possibility of Thomas Walkup playing, he emphasized that it is "extremely difficult." From their side, Alec Peters and Evan Fournier stated they are ready to fight for their second title of the year.

Regarding the quarterfinal and semifinal of the Final 8 and what he takes away from those games, he mentioned: "These are completely different games. I think most players, more or less, see them as a process to get to the final without giving 100%. That's why yesterday, we started like that against PAOK. And because the opponents play well, they are good teams, we are forced to put pressure on ourselves later to get the win. I always believe that the finals are a different story. It doesn't matter how tired a team is, what injuries they face, or how much they were pressured in the previous games. It's a special situation handled by human beings, so as you can imagine, human beings are vulnerable to many things. They have insecurities, internal strengths, and in the end, the winner is the one who is the most ready and perhaps the luckiest."

When asked if there is a chance Thomas Walkup will be in the final, he stated: "Right now, it looks extremely difficult."

Regarding how difficult it is to face Panathinaikos in a final and how he prepares for it: "My experience so far includes many games, finals, semifinals, anything really. I'm used to it. What matters is how the players handle it, the pressure they have in these kinds of games. But we are optimistic, we believe in our team, and we think we will be ready."

Alec Peters emphasized: "Every game between these two teams gets better and better. It's great for Greek basketball because it’s at the highest level, with these two teams possibly being the best in Europe. Whoever is on the court tomorrow, it's a final and that's how we approach it. We need to have the same effort and mentality as in the last games. There is no secret recipe, it’s about who will have the most intensity. Everyone knows the atmosphere, there may be some injuries, but these are the kinds of games we live for. Whoever is available, we want to do what we do best and we hope to succeed."

Regarding his eyebrow injury, he said: "I was a bit annoyed that I was bleeding (laughs), but it's nothing. I don’t even feel it. I’m ready to play."

Evan Fournier mentioned: "I feel good, we have a good opportunity tomorrow to play good basketball, it’s always exciting to play against Panathinaikos. We have the opportunity to win a second title. The team is focused."

Asked about the absences the team has to manage: "Injuries are part of the game. It’s unfortunate because it would have been better if both teams were fully healthy, but that's how it is. The available players will give everything for the win, regardless of the absences."

When asked about the key points of the game: "The keys to victory are a mix of things. We need to execute our plan, be the toughest team, and do the basics. The opponent will try to do the same, and whoever does it better will obviously win."

THE FULL STATEMENTS IN THE VIDEO THAT FOLLOWS