Bartzokas: «We must improve to even the series on Sunday»

At the press conference following the first final against Panathinaikos at OAKA, Olympiacos head coach Giorgos Bartzokas focused on the reasons behind his team’s defeat.

In his opening statement, he said: “Congratulations to Panathinaikos, they deserved to win; it was evident in how they got their hands on the ball, how they were more decisive in every loose-ball situation. That’s a decisive factor in games like this. There are a lot of 50-50 balls, and whoever wins those possessions imposes themselves on the opponent. We shot poorly from the three-point line, made turnovers, and gave up points in transition. Even though we had opportunities to apply pressure, we didn’t respond. We weren’t solid as a team. We need to improve in order to even the series in Sunday’s game.”
Regarding the imbalance in the guard play and whether it can change by Sunday, he replied: “It can change. We need to review our mistakes, prepare the game both tactically and mentally, and each player must reflect on what is required at this level in order for us to win. In series like this, psychology can swing very easily; up or down.”