Kostas Papanikolaou: 'I wouldn't want to be a Monaco player tomorrow' / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Olympiacos BC Credit Olympiacos BC

With their series againstAS Monaco tied at 2-2, on Wednesday,Olympiacos Piraeuswill look for another win that will hand them a Final Four ticket for the first time since 2017.

Kostas Papanikolaou

MIN:23.8PTS:6.68 (45.09%)REB:3.06As:1.71ST:0.91BL:0.18TO:1.03GM:34ProfileEuroLeague2021/2022

Kostas Papanikolaou, being one of the most experienced players on the Reds' roster, knows very well the ins and outs of decisive games like the one his team is playing tomorrow. According to the Greek forward, one of the most important factors in games like that is the support from home fans.

Olympiacos have announced a sold out, which translates into a crowd of more than 11.500. Papanikolaou maintains that the atmosphere created by them in the Peace and Friendship Stadium will push him and his teammates to victory.

"We fought all year for the home-court advantage, which means playing Game 5 at home with your fans. All these years fans have been giving energy to the team and not the other way around. It is a great privilege to have them near, hoping that they will create a unique atmosphere. I wouldn't want to be a Monaco player tomorrow," the 32-year-old said.

Papanikolaou said Olympiacos being close to the Final Four presents everyone with "a great opportunity."

"The previous games turned into very strong battles, but none of this matters anymore. It is a game which equals a whole season and our European journey is at stake. I think it has been a successful year for us.

We have a unique opportunity to go through and we must take advantage of it, because you never know when it will appear again," the two-time EuroLeague champ continued.

"All of us who are doing what we love most dream of playing games that decide who's going to the Final Four. The team has already achieved its initial goal and now we have a great opportunity ahead of us. That's how I and my teammates perceive it," he explained.

Asked whether he expects something different in terms of strategy, Papanikolaou said adding new pieces will be difficult after four games.

"The way you get into the game and play for 40 minutes is pivotal. We have shown that we can bring out endless energy playing in our home court, having our fans next to us. We're ready to show that tomorrow," he concluded.

Thank you for reading us! Help us even more.