Bartzokas: "We have to prepare mentally, physically and tactically"

The coach of Olympiacos, Giorgos Bartzokas, was not content by the intensity with which his players played against Larissa, but stressed that what matters now is the series of the games against Monaco for the Euroleague playoffs.

“I want to congratulate Larissa for its course in general. Right now, they are among the most difficult teams to play against in the League. They execute well on both ends of the floor, they have chemistry and are well coached. Before and during the game, I thought it was the best game we could be playing before Wednesday’s game. Therefore, I want to congratulate them and wish them a good remainder of the season”, he said.

And he went on to comment: “For us, it was obvious that fifteen minutes of good basketball were enough to win. The second half of the second quarter along with the third one were enough for us to build a twenty point margin. Then we relaxed. I feel that our players, following the game against Panathinaikos, that gave us a huge advantage in the terms of home court in the playoffs, think they should be preserving their strength when it comes to the Greek League. They are doing their job and I have to be doing mine and push them. I understand that the previous game was in Patras on Thursday and today is Saturday. However, I have to convince them that these games are not perfunctory and that the team has a lot to gain if they play with intensity. We have to prepare for Wednesday physically, mentally and tactically and fight along with our fans for the first win in the playoffs”.