Peters, Lee and Larentzakis on OlympiacosBC TV about the Final Four qualification (vid)
Moments after the huge qualification to the Abu Dhabi Final 4, Alec Peters, Saben Lee and Giannoulis Larentzakis shared their thoughts and feelings on the win over Real Madrid as well as on what lies ahead on the camera of OlympiacosBC TV.
Alec Peters:
When asked whether two games remain for Euroleague glory, the American forward replied: “We have a game on Sunday (note: referring to the Greek League semifinal against AEK), so I don’t know what everyone else is thinking, but we also have another competition to play in. So yes, we still have two more EuroLeague games ahead of us, but the thing about the Final Four is that anything can happen. All four teams that make it through have their chance; it’s all about who plays their best game that weekend. We’ve got a lot of basketball left to play in both competitions.”
Saben Lee: “It’s amazing. It’ll be my first time at a Final Four, and it’s my first year with the team, so it’s really special. Great group of guys, and I’m excited for what’s coming next.”
On experiencing the tough battle against Real Madrid, he added: “It was obviously a tough journey for us, two very difficult games. We had to push to the top, and in the second game, we managed to close out the series and punch our ticket to the Final Four. The job’s not finished. That’s clearly the next step. We want to finish it when we get to Abu Dhabi.”
Giannoulis Larentzakis: “It’s a big deal. We’re very happy. I believe we deserve it this year as well. We’ve shown great consistency over the past few years, and we absolutely deserve to be in the Final Four.”
On whether the memory of a previous painful defeat crossed his mind at the end of the game: “Whenever the game gets that close, especially against Real, that specific shot will always come to mind. It really hurt us back then, but at least this time it didn’t go in and we got to celebrate our qualification to the Final Four right here.”
On the work not being finished yet: “That’s how it is; the job’s not done. This team was built this year to win the Euroleague. Nothing less will satisfy us. The goal is the title. We have to be ready to fight for it and win it.”
On what the key to the team’s success has been over the past four years: “Daily work plays a big role. I believe health and hard work are the main ingredients. We are a family here; everyone supports one another. Through the good and the bad, Olympiacos has always come out with a positive trajectory.”
THE FULL STATEMENTS IN THE VIDEO THAT FOLLOWS: