Papanikolaou underlines the importance of mental aspect: 'We have to be competitive in every game' / News - Basketnews.com

The captain of the Greek national team was among the main contributors of coach Itoudis' side in the win against Great Britain. After the game, he explained how the team adjusted to the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo and how they bounced back after a sloppy first half

Credit: FIBA Credit FIBA

Greece obtained their third win in the first three games of EuroBasket against Great Britain and already secured a place in the second phase of the tournament. After winning with the final score of 93-77, team captain Kostas Papanikolaou spoke with the reporters in the mixed zone to express his views on the game.

Greece / Schedule

Croatia Greece85-89 Greece Italy85-81 Great Britain Greece77-93 Greece UkraineTue15:00 Estonia GreeceThu15:00

"I think the game was divided into two parts", Papanikolaou began. "In the first half we didn't have enough concentration. Great Britain played a great game with a lot of energy, big credit to them, they're competitive. In the first half, we didn't bring the energy and the competitiveness, and that was the main difference going into the second half".

"The most important thing is always the mental aspect", Papanikoloau continued. "It doesn't matter who're you playing against, which game, the points difference, you have to bring your mental energy. It's all about the momentum and bringing it into the next game because this is a short tournament. We have to be competitive in every game".

The captain of the Greek team then explained how the team tried to adjust to the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was rested after experiencing some discomfort.

"When Giannis is not in the lineup, everybody gotta give something extra", Papanikoloau explained. "Twice the energy, twice the hustle, twice the usual contribution on the court, because of course it's not easy to cover for what he does on the court. And I think from that perspective we did a good job in the second half".

Papanikolaou, who had 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists in the game against Great Britain, also touched on the importance of Kostas Sloukas for the team. The point guard was the top scorer of the night with 21 points and 5 assists.

"For sure it's great to have Kostas Sloukas and Georgios Papagiannis healthy", Papanikolaou said. "They both had a great game. We did the preparation without many players and now it's good they're coming back and they can be at 100% of their level soon enough".

Greece, after already securing the qualification to the second phase, will play its next game tomorrow against Ukraine. Coach Itoudis specified in the press conference that Giannis Antetokounmpo will be available for the game. His brother Kostas, who's still recovering from an injury, is progressing well but it's still unclear when he'll be available to play for the national team.

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