Bartzokas on the upcoming playoffs: 'We promise that we'll fight, regardless of the opponent' / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Olympiacos BC Credit Olympiacos BC

The third quarter of the game in Piraeus between Olympiacos andFC Barcelona opened with a Thomas Walkup 3-point shot that made the score 36-40.

Player of the Game EFF 21 Shaquielle McKissic Points 20 Accuracy 7-11 Rebounds 3 Assists 2

The hosts were trying to claw their way back into the game by paying several visits to the foul line. To their fans' disappointment, almost every pair of free throws turned into a painful experience.

Kostas Papanikolaou, a 75% shooter from the stripe this season, missed two. Tyler Dorsey, whose percentage was close to 86%, wasted four attempts in a row. In the meantime, Nikola Mirotic scored his first points in the second half, handing Barca their biggest lead (47-38).

Having been outrebounded in a resounding fashion, Olympiacos got more aggressive on defense in an attempt to bounce back. By the end of the third quarter, the Reds were trailing 2-14 on the offensive glass and had missed ten free throws (9/19). Yet, they were up by three (51-48), thanks to a buzzer-beater 3-pointer by Shaquielle McKissic.

For a team that lined up for a showdown against the league leaders without two of its cornerstones, as Kostas Sloukas and Moustapha Fall were out with flu complications (stomach problems and fever), there was hardly a way out.

Yes, Barcelona were also missing important pieces in Corey Higgins, Rokas Jokubaitis, and Pierre Oriola, but Sertac Sanli was available, and the Catalans' bench is so deep that Nicolas Laprovittola saw the entire first half from his seat.

With so many adversities, Olympiacos stood tall, displaying their once-lost 'refuse-to-lose' mentality that had become their trademark until 2018. Ironically, that was the last time the three-time continental champs made the EuroLeague playoffs while also having the home-court advantage.

Aleksandr Vezenkov

MIN:29.58PTS:13.77 (60.77%)REB:5.61As:1.48ST:1.1BL:0.26TO:0.81GM:31ProfileEuroLeague2021/2022

Coach Giorgos Bartzokas knows well that his team didn't play high-quality basketball, but that didn't bother him at all. It was a win that worked as a character statement for Olympiacos ahead of the post-season.

The Reds rank second at the moment but can drop to third if Real Madrid beat Bayern Munich next week.

"There are many times when I felt happy and proud of the wins we made," Bartzokas commented in the post-game presser.

"But this time, we had to show character because we missed a lot of shots. We were not hesitant at any point. We were missing shots, we were losing layups at critical points. We all insisted on winning the game."

In fact, Olympiacos missed 11 free throws, got 17 fewer rebounds than their opponents, and yet managed to win by seven (73-66).

"Today's game was not a must-win, although we put up a fight. There were many fouls and many contacts. It looked like a playoff game, not a regular-season one," the Greek coach added.

"We played without two very important players, Sloukas and Fall, but we showed character, team effort, and our defense throughout the game was unique."

Barcelona had been prone to turnovers, averaging 13.6 per game, but this time they made 19.

"We missed a lot of shots in the third period - and crucial layups. We relied on our defense and found a way to win. We made a promise that regardless of who our opponent in the playoffs is going to be, we will fight."

In contrast to other teams, like Barca, Olympiacos have finished their obligations in the regular season. Thus, Bartzokas took the occasion to make an overall appraisal of his team's accomplishments so far.

"The playoffs are a completely different story than the regular season. The level of tension rises. The game is played with a lot of contact, as the playoffs should be," he warned.

"All teams that have made the playoffs are very good, and we will have to show a fighting spirit. That's what we're good at. We've made a very good effort, assuming that the goal was to be in the eight best teams.

"Teams come to the playoffs without much pressure because suddenly their season starts again. That's why they're very dangerous. Being a good defensive team will play an important role in the playoffs," Bartzokas added.

Bartzokas was asked about how he assembled the team and whether he takes pride in the fact that the budget was smaller this year compared to previous years.

"You should not rely on the budget," he argued. "When I returned to Olympiacos (in 2020), I had a specific mission. To get to where we are now. We had an interim campaign (2020-21) that wasn't a failure, we just didn't play in the Greek League and had no game rhythm.

We started a process, keeping the players who had to stay and adding some important pieces. I feel that there is an atmosphere that we're all in this together."

Now that Olympiacos have no more games left to play in the regular season, Bartzokas will have plenty of time to study potential opponents. However, it seems that it won't be the head coach's job after all.

"My assistants are doing the zapping, I don't. Whatever is to come, let it come," he concluded.

Forward Sasha Vezenkov put the icing on the cake of his career-best season, amassing 13 points and 4 rebounds against Barcelona. The Bulgarian international made a mini-account of the season for Olympiakos in his statements immediately after the contest.

"I said during the season that we have 13 or 14 players ready to play every game. We knew we had some problems during the week and couldn't practice much, but every team goes through that process," the 27-year-old said.

"We played against the best team in the regular season by far," Vezenkov added, talking about Barca.

"We knew they were going to hit every mismatch, and I think we played excellent defense, holding them to down to 66 points and proving that we are one of the best teams in Europe. But the main course in the season starts now, and we have a lot of room for improvement."

"We had dreams and goals, knowing we had failed last season. We meshed very quickly as a team and wanted to get to the playoffs," Vezenkov later told Greek broadcaster NOVASPORTS.

"We knew that if we protected our home court, we would succeed. A lot of things happened during the season. The Russian teams were justifiably eliminated, and we didn't know if we would end up third."

Although the former Barcelona player is in the MVP discussion, if it hadn't been for McKissic and Walkup, Olympiacos would probably have suffered their second home defeat of the season.

"We may not have 16-17 players like other teams, but anyone can come in and help. We are always mentally ready. Everyone knows their role, and everyone is happy with the success of their teammate. We are a family with its ups and downs. But now the difficult part begins," he said, referring to the playoffs.

One of the factors that contributed to Olympiacos' success, according to Vezenkov, was avoiding a big losing streak.

"We had four losses in a row, but we changed the chip in Baskonia and got a boost by winning the Greek Cup.

The same would have happened with Panathinaikos had they won it instead of us. But we got what we wanted," Vezenkov concluded.

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