Bartzokas: «Tough game against a classic Spanish team»
Olympiacos is playing against Laboral Kutxa (24/1, 20:30 CET) and both Giorgos Barztokas and Brent Petway agree that the game is especially difficult, but the Back2Back European Champions will do all in their power to win it.
Our team’s coach has stated just before the departure of our delegation to Vitoria that “I’m happy with the last practices we have had since our injured are slowly getting incorporated again while Collins has practiced more with the team is getting all the more adjusted. What comes next is very difficult and we are going to need to have all our players healthy. If you wish to talk about the past we shouldn’t always pick to talk about our toughest moments since we have beaten Fenerbahce/Ulker, but also Panionios. So we shouldn’t always revisit the difficult times. Everything is part of sports, we have had injury problems and now we have to look ahead. I have great faith in our team, I deeply trust our roster; we have anyway won the European Championship two times in a row. Our players need to enter a totally different train of thinking about the game since we are facing a classic Spanish team in its home court. We expect the game to have a fast and high tempo for 40 minutes. I think we are ready for a very difficult game and it’s only left to see if we can make it”.
On his part, Brent Petway said that “I feel much better and look forward to playing and helping my team. I believe that the key against Laboral Kutxa is defense and controlling the tempo. We have to be more aggressive in defense and more decisive in offense. We have to believe in ourselves and give all we’ve got in both ends of the court to get the victory. On my part, I’m going to give energy in our defense and offense and I will generally do whatever it takes to help my team win”.