Bartzokas: 'The derby will be decided by Panathinaikos's shooting percentage' / News - Basketnews.com

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Olympiacos Piraeus have left behind the win in Kaunas and are now focusing on tomorrow's EuroLeague Round 30 derby against Panathinaikos OPAP Athens.

Konstantinos Sloukas

Team:Olympiakos PiraeusPosition:PGAge:32Height:190 cmWeight:95 kgBirth place:Thessaloniki, GreeceProfileNewsStatistics

The game is expected to take place in a crowded Peace and Friendship Stadium, as the Reds have announced that 7.000 tickets have been sold already, while 2.000 more were still available until yesterday.The stakes for Olympiacos in their overall fourth clash with PAO this season are high, as the hosts are aiming for a win that will keep them in the Top 4."We had a very demanding game on Tuesday, with a trip and Panathinaikos have been preparing for this game more than us", coach Giorgos Bartzokas commented. Asked if the team's morale is elevated after the victory over Zalgiris, he stressed that "games against Panathinaikos are always special. However, the fact that we've made the EuroLeague playoffs displaying a solid record (16-8), is a very important achievement of the team, which is mainly credited to the players and to the management.

It was the second goal of the year after the Greek Cup that we won. Obviously, we can't stop here. We want to win every game if possible until the end of the regular season to see where we will end up and what's up next for us," the Greek coach said.Asked whether there are differences in the tactical part, as the two teams have locked horns in all competitions so far, Bartzokas pointed out that "Panathinaikos have a certain style. Their coach is always doing his homework and he has a method in how he plays and what he presents.

At the same time, it will go down to how well they will shoot the ball, on whether they're impactful from the outside. There's a lot of things that play a part in a basketball game."

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"We're leaving everything behind us, the game against Zalgiris included, to focus on a special contest against Panathinaikos, which is the eternal rival," Kostas Sloukas stressed.The Greek guard thinks that strategy is important but added that "a bigger role is played by will, determination and right decisions. I think that tomorrow our crowd will play a very important role and with the help of our fans, we want to make another win in the EuroLeague".Asked whether there is fatigue among the team's members due to the trip to Kaunas, Sloukas admitted that players must use all the rest they can get.

"It's a difficult situation, but it is not an excuse. That's why our presidents provide us with charter flights, which allow us to immediately return to our homes to rest. We have a day of rest and we should take advantage of it because tomorrow comes a game with peculiarities."

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