Bartzokas: 'We promise that we will do whatever we can to win the next game' / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Olympiacos BC-Eurokinissi Sports Credit Olympiacos BC-Eurokinissi Sports

Olympiacos Piraeus were given a dose of their own medicine inGame 2 against AS Monaco, as the EuroLeague newcomers got a huge win that allows them to end the playoff series at home next week.

Player of the Game EFF 23 Danilo Andjusic Points 19 Accuracy 5-7 Rebounds 5 Assists 1

Despite the fact that the Reds were boosted by their fans and the first quarter finished with the home side being up by six (16-10), the game took a different turn in the second quarter.

Monaco rode a huge 20-0 run to lay down the foundation for their first-ever playoff win. Olympiacos, allowing only 54 points in Game 1, conceded 86 in the three last quarters and were reduced to watch Monaco score in every way possible.

After the Reds' heaviest-ever loss at their home court in the EuroLeague playoffs,Giorgos Bartzokas didn't have much to say in the postgame press conference.

However, what he said in his opening statement resonates with what the 10,500 home fans who attended the game and applauded Bartzokas and his squad would like to hear.

"I'm really grateful to our fans. We promise that we will do whatever we can to win the next game in Monte Carlo," the Greek coach stressed before going into more detail about what happened on Friday night.

"Monaco played really well and deserved to win," Bartzokas acknowledged.

"We were very nervous and wanted to finish the game from the beginning. We didn't have patience in our mentality and approach. We started missing layups, open shots, and free throws. Of course, we also turned the ball over 20 times, which is a huge number at this level."

Monaco, as the Greek tactician said, made the best of their opponents' lapses.

"They took advantage and confidence from it. Many things matter in a basketball game - referees' approach, being nervous, making some circus shots, etc. Many things affected our morale and mental approach to the game. So, today everything was against us."

A few minutes before Bartzokas's presser, Sasa Obradovic said that Game 3 will be the decisive one in terms of who will go through. The 2013 EuroLeague champ, who's been to another Final Four with Lokomotiv Kuban in 2016, doesn't think so.

"I disagree that the next game will be the crucial one. What I can say is that the team wasn't mentally ready. Especially in the second quarter. We rushed, broke our plays, choosing to play by instinct, and allowed them to score in transition and gain confidence."

Bartzokas thinks that the losing team is always better prepared in Game 2.

"It happened in Barcelona and Milan. I don't think anyone will sweep their playoff series," he said.

A couple of hours after the experienced coach and his staff had left the Peace and Friendship Stadium, Real Madrid made it 2-0 against Maccabi.

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