Delighted Bartzokas reveals reasons behind the win against Barcelona / News - Basketnews.com

The Greek coach could not hide his satisfaction after Olympiacos' victory at Palau Blaugrana against FC Barcelona.

Credit: Olympiacos BC Credit Olympiacos BC

Olympiacos Piraeus grabbed their first victory in the EuroLeague with a solid and consistent at Palau Blaugrana against FC Barcelona with a final score of 80-70.

Points this season

41%80,0Points made:80,0Accuracy:40,7%Place in standings:7Record max:80Record min:80Best scorer:Aleksandr VezenkovTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

After the game, Olympiacos head coach Georgios Bartzokas could not hide his satisfaction with the win.

"I really appreciate this victory. It's always difficult to win at Palau against a talented and experienced team like this," began the Greek coach.

"We wanted to show our potential and mentality. We knew we were going to play hard in every part of the game. We were solid defensively for the whole game. We stopped Barcelona's creativity. We controlled the game," continued Bartzokas.

The 57-year-old specialist admitted their players followed the game plan, reading what they needed exactly at each moment.

"Barca played a lot of switch defense in this game. We had to read it, and we did it. From the inside to the outside and the other way around. We understood it really well. We had time to attack the rim, we found good 3-point shots, and we also found Bolomboy inside," analyzed Bartzokas.

The Greek head coach admitted the biggest key to the win was stopping Barca's creativity on offense.

"Our defense was great. We have big guards who can protect the basket and big guys who can stop their guards. We controlled the rebounds, which is very important in this kind of game," added Bartzokas.

Barca tried to bounce back in the second half and reduced the deficit from 11 points to just 3 (60-49 to 60-57), but Olympiacos managed their nerves and controlled the pace after that.

"We expected them to come back, but we showed patience offensively. We were not frustrated. I think our players have a winning mentality. They knew what we needed to do to win here," said Bartzokas.

When asked about what this win means for Olympiacos, Bartzokas ensured it gives confidence and credit.

"Winning away in the EuroLeague is not easy. Every year is even tougher. There is no easy game in this league. Barca is one of the most difficult teams to play against. You have to be really solid, and we were tonight," explained the Greek coach.

"Last year, we won two domestic titles, and we reached the Final Four, so we built a winning mentality. This year we need to be consistent for many months. Obviously, this win gives us confidence and credit in front of our fans and media", Bartzokas concluded.

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