Bartzokas praises Olympiacos' bench players: 'I really believe in our roster' / News - Basketnews.com

Giorgos Bartzokas doesn't think there's a distinction between first and second-unit players at Olympiacos. The Greek coach also named the only thing that didn't work for his team in an almost-perfect game vs. Fenerbahce.

Credit: Olympiacos BC Credit Olympiacos BC

Olympiacos Piraeus put together another explosive performance, blowing out EuroLeague regular season leaders Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul on Tuesday night (94-67).

Player of the Game EFF 27 Aleksandr Vezenkov Points 21 Accuracy 9-12 Rebounds 4 Assists 2

After their impressive 117-71 win against Virtus Bologna last week, the Reds have managed to score a total of 211 points in back-to-back EuroLeague matches, creating a new club record (since the 2000-01 season).

Maccabi Tel Aviv are still holding the absolute record in the competition, having scored 234 points in two straight games in 2004, at the end of a year when they won the trophy.

At the same time, Olympiacos forced Fenerbahce to a EuroLeague record for the largest loss by standings leaders since the 2016-17 season (new format), with at least 12 games played.

The history of the match, however, which gave the hosts their biggest victory in the history of their encounters with the Turkish team, and only the second in the last 8 games between the two sides (from November 2018 onwards), shows that after a period with ups and downs, Olympiacos have rediscovered their early offensive groove - and even combined it with greater intensity and energy on defense.

Coach Giorgos Bartzokas saw his players leave no room for the guests to put them in trouble, and essentially finish the game before it had even started. Olympiacos were up 12-0 after three minutes and had a huge 29-point lead (50-21) with three minutes left in the first half. They had also dished out 19 assists at half-time, en route to breaking their all-time record again (33 vs. Virtus).

Records weren't registered this time, but -still- Olympiacos became the first team in the season to keep Fener under 70 points and 17 points below their season average.

2-pointers this season

61%20,5Points made:20,5Accuracy:60,5%Place in standings:5Record max:29Record min:11Most made 2FGs:Aleksandr VezenkovTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

Giorgos Bartzokas made a special reference to what his team did in the first half and the contribution of the players coming from the bench.

"It was a very good game by our team in a fantastic atmosphere," the Greek tactician said in the presser.

"Our performance in the first half was unique. We had 19 assists and scored 58 points. Our defense was also very good. Our main goal in today's game against the team that's ranked first in points scored in the paint was to avoid that," he commented.

Bartzokas didn't forget to mention that Fenerbahce came to Greece short-handed, as Scottie Wilbekin, Johnathan Motley, Tarik Biberovic, and long-time injured Nemanja Bjelica, who's still to make his season debut, stayed in Istanbul.

"Injuries are part of the game," Bartzokas said before naming the only thing that didn't work for Olympiacos in an almost-perfect game.

"In the second half, we made a lot of mistakes. 19 turnovers is a lot," he said.

"I can't complain at all, it was a good win. We had a difficult schedule, but we did very well. The match against ASVEL follows, and we have to be ready.

Always, when you coach in a double week, you have to open the rotation if possible because energy is much needed in two straight games. Whoever came from the bench tonight, was ready to play".

Regarding the contribution of the players coming off the bench, Bartzokas said he doesn't think there's a distinction between first and second-unit players.

"I don't think [Giannoulis] Larentzakis or [Alec] Peters are players who come from behind. They are all important players.

The fact that Sasha Vezenkov's playing less now is important. He continues to perform big-time, but in fewer minutes, and that's important because of the back-to-back games," the 2022 EuroLeague Coach of the Year argued.

Bartzokas further stressed that Olympiacos have "pairs of players who match each other."

"One's complementing the other, whether it's on defense, creation, or scoring. It also helped that the game against Panathinaikos was stressful for us, since to a large extent, it would decide the home-court advantage [in the Greek playoffs].

I really believe in our roster and all the players we have," Bartzokas concluded.

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