The first victory with ease
The ‘reds’ took the first step to qualify to the play-offs finals. Olympiacos easily edged Aris 95-63 playing impressive basketball during most of the game.
The Greek Cup Winners began the game enthusiastically and led by Milos Teodosic, quickly to the difference to high levels never feeling threatened by Aris till the end.
Τhe quarters: 30-10, 54-26, 73-45, 95-63
Οlympiacos: Papaloukas 13, Gordon 4, Spanoulis 7, Printezis 8, Bourousis 8, Κeselj 4, Μavrokefalides 6, Halperin 5, Glyniadakis 6, Papanikolaou 6, Erceg 8, Τeodosic 20
Aris: Brown 6, Winters 3, Κing 12, Τsairelis 5, Chatzivrettas 4, Charalampides 4, Καsirov 13, Κoumpouras 2, Bavcic 4, Chrysikopoulos 5, Verginis, Mpohorides
DUSAN IVKOVIC: We won fairly and much easier than expected. The absences of Sloukas and Tapoutos have been very important for a historical team like Aris. The game has actually been a one half. I know we have had 15 assists and many easy baskets in the first half. I think that the team is in quite a good shape after the voids in the schedule and we need to pay attention to all details.
We should not have received 15 points from offensive rebounds in such a game. However, Bourousis in particular had a good reaction and that’s something we have to keep. We have some time till the next game, this is how it is going to be from now on, but I believe we are going to be ready”.
As I had said after the final, Spanoulis had not been ready to play and I think that it was difficult for him in the beginning to get into rhythm and these games against Aris are going to help him. I think that Spanoulis is going to be even readier for the next game in Thessaloniki”.
ΜARKO KESELJ: We got our first victory in the semi final, which is very important for us following the winning of the cup. We are getting ready for the next game we hope we’ll make 2-0.
LEFTERIS SUBOTIC: There is no need for criticism on our game. Our perimeter defense has been absent and we lacked all focus in a very poor beginning. We have a game in our home court next and I hope we are going to be stronger and more focused, to have energy and will, although I think that our problem has not been lack of will in this game. That’s what I told my players in the locker rooms, this defeat should bring back egoism in us. Nobody likes losing by 30 and I hope we’ll react. The only excuse, if there is one, is a lack of official games for about twelve days. We are not thinking about our next opponent, we are only thinking about Olympiacos right now.
DEMETRES VERGINIS: We paid for a very poor start as a team. When you are trailing after Olympiacos, it’s very difficult to cover for the margin and make something good out of it. We have to rest now and look at our mistakes and we know that we are going to be much stronger in our home court and we’ll try for the victory.