Bartzokas stays low-key after Olympiacos demolish PAO: 'We don't know what our ceiling is' / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Olympiacos BC Credit Olympiacos BC

Panathinaikos OPAP Athens were no match for Olympiacos Piraeus, who racked up their third win in four contests against their main rival this season.

Player of the Game EFF 25 Moustapha Fall Points 13 Accuracy 6-7 Rebounds 6 Assists 5

The Reds left the Greens with no room to breathe, going off on an impressive 38-13 start that largely decided the winner. Standing at 17-8, the team coached byGiorgos Bartzokas has reason to believe that the best is yet to come.

The Greek tactician had a lot of things to weigh in on at the post-game presser.

"It was a complicated game for us before it started," he argued.

"We only had one day and one practice to prepare ourselves. We spent a lot of energy in Kaunas, including the trip.

We didn't know how much energy we would have tonight. But the motivation in those kind of games is huge, especially for our fans who were pushing our players to play hard."

Despite the huge 28-point margin (101-73), the biggest-ever in a Greek derby in the context of the EuroLeague, Bartzokas stayed low-key.

"It was just a win in the regular season and we've got another three games ahead of us. A coach's job is always difficult, whether you win or lose. Players have the right to relax. The big number of games can lead to strange results," he warned.

Explaining how the Greens managed to cut down the deficit to 14 points (60-46) midway through the third quarter, Bartzokas said that "Panathinaikos hit us on the offensive glass, when we showed up a bit self-complacent. But then we called a time-out and we reacted well.

We put pressure on defense, played with intensity, we ran in transition, created open shots. PAO started with a zone defense, but they soon changed style and we responded to whatever problem they put us in."

Panathinaikos Athens / Schedule

Zenit Saint Petersburg Panathinaikos AthensFri17:00 Olympiakos Piraeus Panathinaikos Athens101-73 Panathinaikos Athens FC Bayern MunichTue19:00 UNIKS Kazan Panathinaikos Athens03-2416:00

Bartzokas said that the resounding 38-13 on the scoreboard after the first quarter didn't surprise him at all.

"I was not surprised by our performance in the first quarter because we are a team with offensive talent. We have proven to be a good team. Basketball is not chess, where you have to move the pawns.

In general, we have shown stability and that we can remain at a high level. We don't know where our ceiling is and we don't have to be overly optimistic. Coaches work with instinct, knowing the players' psychology. We have a deep roster and we are happy with the players we've got."

Asked about Hassan Martin's recent performances, with the latest examples being the games against Zalgiris and Panathinaikos, Bartzokas acknowledged that the American big man "is playing well, he's gotten healthier and lighter and the team trusts him."

Now that the main goal of the EuroLeague season has been accomplished for the Reds, fans and media have already started to mention the Final Four as the next step. However, Bartzokas doesn't think that way at all.

"When I returned to Olympiacos (in 2020), I was asked to lead the team back to the playoffs. Now, if we finish 5th or 6th, it will be considered a failure. What we care about is being mentally ready in every game," he uttered.

On the other hand,Dimitris Priftis was devastated to watch his team get hammered by the hosts, without being able to respond, except for a partial score of 2-15 in the third quarter.

The Greek coach showed up late in the post-game press conference, more than half an hour after the final buzzer, and after Bartzokas had completed his statements - which is quite uncommon for the coach of the visiting team.

"Obviously, it's a very tough night for us," Priftis admitted.

Credit Vangelis Stolis

"The way we stepped on the court in the first quarter was terrible. Although we made an effort in the next three quarters, we were so bad in the first ten minutes that we couldn't get anything out of this game."

When asked about the main problem that PAO are facing and calls for immediate action, Priftis said it's something that will be discussed and addressed internally.

"Obviously, we have to fix a lot of things and there are explanations for it, but we will have to solve our problems between ourselves."

Thank you for reading us! Help us even more.