Bartzokas: «All who played sacrificed for the win» (Vid)
Giorgos Bartzokas commented the following at the post-game press conference following Olympiacos’ clash with Barcelona in Round 25 of the EuroLeague.
In his opening remarks about the game, the Olympiacos head coach said: “First of all, congratulations to our players and our fans for yet another great night for us. I think our fans enjoyed the game, I felt that both in the last quarter and in the first half. Especially after last night and the football team's win in Amsterdam, it was two wonderful Wednesday and Thursday nights for Olympiacos. I consider this win extremely important, because Barcelona is a very experienced team and in excellent momentum. They shot 45% from 3-point range and we shot 25%, but we were very good at rebounding, we forced them into a lot of turnovers, and we were dominant in the 1st and 4th quarters through our defense. Everyone who stepped on the floor sacrificed himself to help the team win. We just need to avoid some easy mistakes. But it is what it is. Every win is important and we are already looking forward to the next game. Congratulations to the players.”
Asked about the 22 fast-break points scored by Olympiacos and whether the team can rely on that statistic, Bartzokas replied: “As a team, we can do everything. At this moment, Olympiacos has very good players in transition. If we play good defense, obviously we get the chance to run in transition, and we are good at that. There are players who are specialists in this area, Ward, Vezenkov, who is very good on the break as a ‘4’, as well as McKissic and Dorsey. But on the defensive end we need to be very solid so that these opportunities are created. If we give second chances to the opponent through offensive rebounds, or if we are not aggressive on defense, it’s difficult to run. But because Barca sets its offense a lot and generally tries to control the tempo of the game through half-court execution, it was important for us to play with speed. If you look at their statements as well, they themselves said that Olympiacos plays and executes faster at home. In general, I think we are a team that can play all styles of basketball based on the roster we have. I believe we need everyone available, and some players who were out for a long time need to get into a slightly better rhythm than they are in now. Of course, that takes games and practices. Overall, we are optimistic.”
Regarding the positive atmosphere within the team and the large number of players available, the Olympiacos coach said: “Body language shows what is happening. At this moment, one explanation to the players is that the management cannot allow this year’s investment to be put at risk due to a lack of availability. Even today, two point-guards were out and we were forced to put Cory on the floor, and for me he played very well considering he hadn’t played for nine months. You understand that the intensity of the game is completely different. Since we have such a good roster, one could say an expensive one, and considering that these kinds of investments are being made in European basketball, our management helped us with that. Now, when everyone is here… but you know, everyone is never really here. Papanikolaou is now out for 10 days; the other two point-guards are out. Statistically, in every EuroLeague game, teams miss two or three players; not just us, all teams. So, a larger roster gives you the ability to suffer fewer losses in the standings, but at the same time, theoretically, players have to accept it because their playing time is reduced. For example, against Efes and in the previous game, Donta was excellent. Today we wanted a more physical game and Tyrique was decisive in helping us win the game, so…”
You can watch the full statements in the VIDEO below.