Bartzokas message to players: 'We play for Olympiacos and we can’t choose when to play or not' / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Olympiacos BC Credit Olympiacos BC

Olympiacos Piraeus suffered a crushing 72-92 defeat against AS Monaco on Wednesday night, and head coach Giorgos Bartzokas sent a message to his team.

Player of the Game EFF 27 Mike James Points 25 Accuracy 7-10 Rebounds 3 Assists 4

Just before the end of the game, when Olympiacos were trailing 61-88, Bartzokas made clear that his team cannot give up.

"We are playing for Olympiacos, so we need to play," Bartzokas said. "Missing a basket is not a problem, but not getting back on defense and watching whatever they do, is a problem."

"This is a problem for everybody. You cannot choose games (in which you can) not to play. We need to fight until the end and move the ball. If there are no passes, it's not our basketball. This is what they want – that no one would share the ball," Bartzokas concluded his timeout.

After that, Olympiacos finished the game on an 11-4 run which allowed them to slightly trim a huge deficit.

Currently holding a 17-9 record Olympiacos are currently in 4th place of the EuroLeague and try to catch up AX Armani Exchange Milan (16-8). However, the Italian team has two games in hand.

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