The ‘reds’ conquer Belgrade!
Only a few hours following the great victory against Barcelona in Catalonia, Olympiacos also conquered Belgrade! With a bucket and one by Giorgos Printezis, the ‘reds’ beat Crvena Zvezda 81-79 for the 13th round of the Euroleague.
The bad defensive operation of the ‘reds’ – that practically facilitated the excellent percentages of the hosts (6/6 free throws,3/4 twos and 6/7 threes) – together with their many turnovers (6 for 2), they resulted into Crvena Zvezda completely dominating the first quarter (+14, 30-16 at 10’). Giorgos Bartzokas shuffled the cards, Olympiacos played toughened up in the back court hence becoming for efficient, however, despite Spanoulis’ having a great scoring night, the ‘reds’ were not able to close in more than 8p. (45-37 at 20’).
Nevertheless, the counter attack went on… The ‘reds’ put even more pressure in the defense, disorganizing Crvena Zvezda and its offense. With Aaron Harrison taking the lead (he gave a recital from behind the 6.75m. arc, scoring three triples in a row), they succeeded in the turning the table and getting in the driver’s seat (for the first time in the game) at 26’ (52-54). The hosts “struck” from the perimeter and regained the lead (60-57), but, Giannoulis Larentzakis – who did an excellent back court job as well – gave Olympiacos the lead once again with a three pointer (61-62 at 30’).
A two point bucket and two more threes, by Printezis and Larentzakis, gave our team a +9 cushion (61-70). However, lost rebounds and mistakes, allowed Crvena Zvezda to return to the game (74-76 at 27’). The ‘reds’ were charged with three back to back offensive fouls (Sloukas, Printezis and Jean-Charles) and the hosts with a 4-0 got ahead again (78-76). A two by Printezis and one out of two free throws by Spanoulis gave Olympiacos a +1 lead (78-79), with 8.6’’ until the buzzer. O’Bryant got to shoot free throws at 6.8’’ and tied the game 79-79 making one of two, but Giorgos Printezis sealed the win for Olympiacos with a two and a foul and with only 3.2’’ on the clock!
The quarters: 30-16, 45-37, 61-62, 79-81.
Spanoulis continues writing history!
The Olympiacos’ captain crashed yet another huge record! With the 14 points he scored (he had needed 13), came ahead of Juan Carlos Navarro and became the player with the most points in the history of the competition since its ‘birth’ in 1957! “Thank you for the congratulations and the nice words, but the most important thing for me is that the team wins”, was the captain’s only comment, who chose to focus on the game against Crvena Zvezda. “It was a back to back game, which we succeeded in winning and it took for many of the guys to step up to do that. We have had a good plan and followed it even we found ourselves trailing. We kept our composure, we remained calm and resilient and got the win. The whole team deserves the accolades. We were very tough basketball wise and did not give our opponent anything in the second half. We were smart with our offense. Also, Larentzaki, although it’s his first season with the competition and with Olympiacos, came forward and helped a lot. I’m talking about him because he’s new with the team, but many guys did an excellent job as well. The important thing is we did not lose our cool, Giorgos scored a huge bucket and we got the win. The season is very long and it’s going to take balance in both positive and negative results. We are experienced enough to manage these situations. When something is wrong, we always talk, we always look for solutions, we always work harder. The most important thing is to be calm and keep the faith in the team. It’s a weird season due to the coronavirus and we will need a lot of mental strength”.
Asked if he has set to crash the next big record, that is to surpass Nikos Gallis and become the top scorer of any competition, he replied: “It’s a huge record, but I don’t think about it. What I want is to be healthy and help my team win. I love basketball very much and I’m extremely motivated. I forget about the past and what I have accomplished and I only think about the present, because I’m being tested and judged in the present. Basketball is my life. There are days that I can’t sleep, that I think about what I have done wrong and what I need to be doing. I have this bug, I want to win!”.
"Everyone did an excellent job"
The coach of Olympiacos, Giorgos Bartzokas, said: “It’s a very important victory. However, each win is important with the Euroleague. You cannot underestimate any opponent and you cannot be playing without intensity. We played without intensity in the first quarter and appeared to be tired, as if we had not will or motivation. On the other hand, Crvena Zvezda was playing an excellent game during that time, all their shots we going in. They also stole the ball and played with great intensity. So, we had to match exactly that aspect and that’s why we used more players that had not gotten minutes in the game against Barcelona. We had to match up for the opponent’s energy. Everyone did an excellent job. We were losing 30-16 in the first quarter, however, we won all thee others and finally won the game. It’s a very important win”.
When asked to make a comment about the home games of the double week that follows, with games against Valencia and Real Madrid, he made clear that: “We can’t be looking at it like that… We only have the game against Valencia ahead of us. If we look at the schedule the way you present it, it’s going to seem a very steep slope to climb. We have had road games against Barcelona and Zvezda, but we won both games. These days, the home court advantage is anything but. So, what you need to be doing, is always focusing on the next opponent, playing tough and keeping the team together. I try to convince everyone on the team they should be thinking this way. It doesn’t matter how big or small our opponent’s names are. We need to always be a team”.
Asked about the impact the pandemic has had on his team, as well as the fact the team does not participate the Greek League, he replied: “The Administration and the Presidents of Olympiacos are very well aware of the Euroleague and its needs and they have been providing with all we need. For instance, we came here on a chartered flight and had time to rest. There is organization, but we also need luck, because this season, the way the situation is, I think that the title will go to the luckiest team. We have had four covid cases following the game against Zenit and lost our chemistry. We stopped practicing for a week, so, sometimes, luck is very important. But, as I’ve said before, we have good organization and yes, it’s a problem we don’t play for the national league. I’m not going to lie. For us, it would be better to be participating two competitions, but I look at the bright side… We have more time to practice and to prepare the games. We are professionals with a desire and motivation to win”.
"We thank the Presidents"
Giorgos Bozikas, associate to Giorgos Bartzokas, pointed out: “Everyone deserves a lot of congrats. The way we began the game, everyone had to step up during the next three quarters. It was a game of high level difficulty, since it followed the one in Barcelona. Fatigue hit us at the beginning, but at this point, I need to talk about the luxury we have had thanks to our Presidents and we thank them for that, that is to travel on a chartered flight from Barcelona to Belgrade. I think it made all the difference. We avoided all extra wear and tear and this is a luxury other teams lack”.