Priftis and Bartzokas address teams' experience ahead of the Greek Cup final / News - Basketnews.com

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Panathinaikos OPAP Athens and Olympiacos Piraeus will lock horns in the Greek Cup Final in Heraklion, Crete.

Konstantinos Sloukas

MIN:24.18PTS:11.43 (51.69%)REB:2.87As:4.35ST:1.04BL:0TO:1.83GM:23ProfileEuroLeague2021/2022

Greece's biggest rivalry game will tip off at 16:00 at the "Dyo Aorakia" gym and roughly 2.000 spectators are expected to be in attendance.

At the pre-game press conference, the two head coaches Dimitris Priftis and Giorgos Bartzokas weighed in on the experience that players on the two teams bring to the table.

"It's a good opportunity for us. We want to give our best collectively and not individually. However, it is important that three or four players will have a good game," PAO coach said at the beginning of his statement.

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In contrast to Olympiacos, who can count on Kostas Papanikolaou, Giorgos Printezis and Kostas Sloukas, who were present when the Reds played their last-to-date Cup Final against Panathinaikos in 2013, the Greens lack athletes with big-game experience. Captain Ioannis Papapetrou will sit out and is expected to watch the game from the team's bench, but not dressed in a sports outfit.

This means that players like Nemanja Nedovic will have to carry the torch.

"All players and coaches live for games like that. We will have a Panathinaikos - Olympiacos final after years. The hard part is behind us, we will try to enjoy it," the Serbian guard commented.

Nedovic, currently on his second season with PAO, has tasted how it's like to play Greek rivalry games.

"It's a terrific experience. Last year, because of COVID, we didn't enjoy it as we would have liked. This year, the atmosphere at OAKA and in Piraeus was incredible.

You live for those games, that's why we play basketball for. I wish we had our fans tomorrow. I know this is kind of hard. But we will try to enjoy it anyway," he stressed.

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Konstantinos Sloukas

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

"We have some guys with experience," Priftis pointed out.

"But as a whole, we are not an experienced team. We have guys who are new to the EuroLeague level, we are a new team. We have other reference points compared to Olympiacos. Let's not fool ourselves, this is also evident in the EuroLeague standings and in how both teams play."

The former UNICS Kazan bench boss admitted that the Greens don't have the luxury of "an experienced team, compared to the players of Olympiacos, and especially some of their Greek athletes."

"We don't look at it like that," Giorgos Bartzokas argued.

"For instance, one cannot say that Nemanja Nedovic has no finals experience or that he's unprepared for such games. After all, in a final, all the tension is transferred from the stands to the court."

Kostas Sloukas, representing Olympiacos at the presser, called Sunday's final "an important game for our organization, which returns to a final after a few years."

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Bartzokas further emphasized that there are no secrets or unknowns between the two teams.

"Everyone knows the importance of this match," he said.

"Whether it suits you or not, you have to know that these games are not about talent, but about approach. We know what to expect and what they expect. Passion is important, but one doesn't need try to become a hero. We believe in our team game."

Compared to the last time both teams clashed, Panathinaikos has undergone some roster changes. Kendrick Perry is off to Cedevita Olimpija, Jehyve Floyd is playing with Fenerbahce, while Stefan Jovic has been added to the roster.

The Serbian guard's performance in the semifinal against Promitheas Patras oscillated between the underwhelming and the disappointing. He finished the game scoreless on 0/4 from the field in 17 minutes.

"He's a high-quality player," Bartzokas commented. "It's normal for him not to be in good shape. He will come around at some point, let's hope not tomorrow."

Olympiacos's tactician reminded that "the season evolves based on the methodology of the coaches and the response of the players. We want our players to respond and play according to their talent."

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Before Olympiacos's last pre-final practice in Crete, one of the club's presidents, Giorgos Angelopoulos, took the chance to talk to the players and the coaching staff, as he had done after the Reds' latest EuroLeague contest against Anadolu Efes.

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According to the guidelines issued by the Greek Basketball Federation, in accordance with the local police, on game day doors will open at 13:30 CET and the public is requested to arrive in time, so as not to create overcrowding due to multiple checks being performed.

During the attendance of the spectators, strict ticket checks, identification, COVID vaccination or recovery certificates, as well as body search, both outdoors and before entering the stadium will be carried out.

The area will be videotaped by closed security circuit and by drone.

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