Bartzokas after Olympiacos' first Super Cup win: 'I don't know how important this title is' / News - Basketnews.com

After Olympiacos Piraeus' first Super Cup title and 8th straight win against Panathinaikos BC Athens, coach Giorgos Bartzokas chose to stay low-key.

Credit: Olympiacos BC Credit Olympiacos BC

Olympiacos Piraeus added another title to their trophy case on Sunday night, as the Reds easily held off archrivals Panathinaikos BC Athens in Rhodes to claim their first Super Cup trophy.

Eleftherios Bochoridis

Team:Panathinaikos AthensPosition:PGAge:28Height:196 cmWeight:91 kgBirth place:Thessaloniki, GreeceProfileNewsStatistics

That was the 28th title overall for the Greek powerhouse and third straight for coach Giorgos Bartzokas.

In his postgame statements, the 57-year-old tactician preferred to downplay the significance of what the Greek Super Cup means for his team.

"I don't know how important this title is, but it's a good start with a trophy against our big opponent Panathinaikos," Bartzokas said in the presser.

The Reds held Panathinaikos down to only 52 points, conceding 18 in the second half when the game was decided. Bartzokas maintains that both sides were overrun by nervousness while emphasizing that the Greek champs had "a problem in execution."

"We controlled the game, especially in the second half, starting from our defense. We could have gotten a bigger lead, but we were a little scrappy," Bartzokas continued.

The Greek play-caller doesn't share the view that the Super Cup title matters ahead of the upcoming games, starting from the Reds' EuroLeague premiere vs. FC Barcelona on the road.

"Our team will improve during the season. We have talent and quality, and we will be competitive at every level," he pointed out.

If Olympiacos managed to win their first trophy of the season, Moustapha Fall takes a lot of credit for it. The French center dominated the paint in the third quarter, scoring nine points, and helping Olympiacos gain a double-digit edge. Overall, Fall finished with 12 points, 5 rebounds, and as many assists to claim MVP honors.

"It was a tough game, like always against Panathinaikos," he said in the presser while Bartzokas was smiling next to him.

"We played very strong defense and unselfish basketball. That was the key to our success today. It's always good to win some individual awards. But that's not the first goal; If I can perform well and the team wins, it's even better," Fall commented.

On the other end, Panathinaikos started the contest strong (9-2) but could do nothing when Olympiacos increased their defensive tension.

Coach Dejan Radonjic congratulated the Reds on the win and stressed that his team "did very well in the defensive area in the first half."

However, PAO's players didn't avoid "mistakes on both ends."

Credit Vangelis Stolis

"In the last minutes, we had the opportunity, the open shots, to come back," the Montenegrin coach stressed. "But we missed a lot of shots, and that's why we couldn't get closer," Radonjic concluded.

Guard Lefteris Bochoridis paid his respects to Olympiacos for "playing better and deserving the win."

"We were below expectations. We started well but we allowed Olympiacos to play their game", the author of eight points for the Greens said.

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