Bartzokas: «A solid team is always ready, no matter where it plays»

Olympiacos will host Partizan tomorrow (07/11, 20:15 CET) for Round 9 of the EuroLeague.

Speaking about the game against the Serbian team, and when asked whether this is an opportunity for Olympiacos to take advantage of its home court and start building a winning streak, Giorgos Bartzokas said: “We actually have a better record on the road; three wins in four games. The good thing is that we avoided traveling this time. However, a solid team, wherever it plays, will always be ready to perform. The same goes for Partizan. They’re a good team, and of course, we expect them to play better than they did in their last game in Dubai, because they have the coach, the quality, and the talent to do so. We have some issues in our preparation. One day, Walkup was out sick, but he returned yesterday. Fournier didn’t practice yesterday because he was ill. He came in today but won’t train; we hope he’ll be available for the game. Milutinov was also sick; they all had fevers. Milutinov practiced today, though, and I believe he’ll be ready to play tomorrow. We’re dealing with a few problems, but I’m optimistic we’ll overcome them and that everyone will be ready to fight for the game.”

Team captain Kostas Papanikolaou, when asked about the back-to-back games and how both he and the team manage them, replied: “I won’t say something that hasn’t been said before. You have to have a short memory; both after a loss and after a win. You need to reset your mindset for the next game, which is always the most important one. Beyond that, there’s also the individual management; physically and mentally. There are many small pieces that help you restart for the next match. It’s not easy, but we’re professional athletes, and at this point, it’s become a way of life.”