Tried, but failed
Olympiacos lost his second game for the Euroleague TOP-16 in Barcelona 76-68.
The team of Giorgos Bartzokas started an excellent game and led 0-5. However, the Catalonians answered with a partial 16-4 and led 16-9 just before the end of the first quarter, which actually closed at +5 (18-13).
The European Champions tried to close in the score during the second quarter, but each time they tried, the Catalonians would answer back and thus the first half ended 41-32 in favor the Spanish Champions.
Giorgos Printezis score eight consecutive points in the third quarter and the score closed in at 45-40. Law and Hines were of real help to the Greek forward, but Jasikevicius and Huertas pushed the third quarter to 60-52.
Olympiacos tried for the big upset in the last quarter. With consecutive threes by Antic and one by Mantzaris from the corner, the score was 72-66, but the comeback was never completed and the “reds” lost for the second time in the TOP-16 76-68.
The quarters: 18-13, 41-32, 60-52,76-68
Barcelona (Pascual): Sada 10 , Huertas 10, Νavarro 5, Jasikevicius 10, Todorovic, Wallace 6, Rabaseda, Lorbek 6, Jawai 2, Michael 12, Tomic 15.
Οlympiacos (Bartzokas): Hines 6 (3/11 2p, 9 reb, 2 st.), Law 8, Antic 9 (3/5 3p.), Spanoulis 9, Perperoglou 4, Shermadini 6, Sloukas, Powell 4, Gecevicius, Printezis 14 (2), Papanikolaou 5 (1), Mantzaris 3 (1).
GIORGOS BARTZOKAS: We did not play as good as we had wanted to today. We had to play better to win. Some of our decisions had been very bad, our two – point shot percentage had been very poor and the outcome was only natural. We did not act properly to what Barcelona’s defense was giving us. TOP-16 is very tough, especially our group, with many tough games. But we have to forget about it, analyze our mistakes and move on. We cannot be looking back.
Barca’s defense with Sada on Spanoulis had been very good, but they showed some weaknesses which we should have taken advantage of and we did not make good decisions regarding those weaknesses.
ΚYLE HINES:They had more energy, they executed better than us and we did not press them in defense as much as we should have. But I think it was details that decided the game. We were executing the plays right, but we were missing a lot of free shots. There is nothing we can do right now, we don’t have the time and only need to work hard. We don’t have the luxury to lose a home game and the week that’s coming is very crucial to us. We know it and we have to keep heads in.
STRATOS PERPEROGLOU: It was a tough and peculiar game. We were losing concentration at moments in both offense and defense and this actually cost us. It certainly played a part, especially in the lack of co-operation in defense, the fact that it’s a really loud gym and at times we could not communicate. We should win both upcoming games, starting with the home game against Siena and then try for a big victory on the road.