Trinchieri on Bayern getting plastered in Piraeus: 'It was embarrassing, but shit happens' / News - Basketnews.com

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FC Bayern Munich could not keep up with hosts Olympiacosfor the entire game in Piraeus, which resulted in a heavy defeat for the German side.

Player of the Game EFF 24 Aleksandr Vezenkov Points 16 Accuracy 6-8 Rebounds 9 Assists 1

Despite picking up four wins in the last five contests, the team coached by Andrea Trinchieri was held down to just 60 points by the Reds' sweeping defense. Since the Greeks managed to establish a double-digit margin, it was all over even before Bayern players had started warming up.

"On the one side, there was a great performance from Olympiacos, even in the warm-up," Trinchieri said in the post-game presser.

The Italian coach accurately described the huge disparity between how both teams responded on the court, which was also reflected on the scoreboard.

"On the other hand, it was a very poor performance from my team. We didn't have enough mental and physical energy to compete," he added.

"I want to congratulate Giorgos Bartzokas and Olympiacos on the win. It was a bad performance by a group of people, coaches included," Bayern's coach admitted.

"The most difficult thing on those nights is to remain objective. I could easily go to the locker room and point fingers, telling players "you didn't do this, didn't do that, you were sloppy", etc.

I could do that easily. But I cannot forget that we're playing in an emergency without four players. Every game is big," he emphasized.

Bayern shot terribly from the field, converting only 22 of their 62 attempts. That kind of percentage is absolutely prohibitive for any team looking to put Olympiacos's unbeaten home record (8-0) at risk.

"I'm sorry, shit happens. It was a bad night, but I stick with my players. I don't point fingers tonight," Trinchieri repeated.

Thomas Walkup

MIN:22.31PTS:6.47 (50.5%)REB:2.53As:3.27ST:0.93BL:0.07TO:1.13GM:15ProfileEuroLeague2021/2022

"We have to get better at everything. In 48 hours, we have another very difficult game, but I stay on their side. It was a very embarrassing performance for all of us. We need to get better in 48 hours," he stressed.

If nothing really worked on Wednesday night for the Bavarians, for Olympiacos, everything except 3-point shooting was executed almost to perfection.

Against Bayern, Olympiakos registered the second-best two-point percentage in their EuroLeague history.The Reds dominated the German side, taking a huge 71-37 lead and ultimately winning by 23 (83-60). They shot an impressive 75,8% on two-pointers, making 25 of their 33 attempts.However, they didn't break the club record, which still stands at 81,08% since February 2009, when Olympiacos were hosted by Prokom in Poland and finished with 30/37 on two-pointers.

"First of all, I want to thank my players for this very important victory. Bayern are a tough team, they proved it against Efes, who they won easily, as they did with ALBA," Giorgos Bartzokas said post-game.

"We expected a very difficult game, which ultimately didn't happen, because of our good performance. It was a very good defensive effort, and we had the perception to "read" everything that the opposing defense gave us," the Greek coach explained.

Despite the fact that Bayern made an impressive 3-19 score in the fourth quarter, the team from Piraeus had built a huge margin that left no room for contention.

"For 32-34 minutes, it was a really great show," Bartzokas commented.

"In the end, what counts is winning, regardless of the big margin. We have to keep going because our schedule is difficult, we are playing Villeurbanne in less than 48 hours."

The experienced tactician couldn't help but notice the difference between his team's last two games. Last week, Olympiacos dropped a game in Belgrade that they could have won, something that Bartzokas attributes to arrogance.

"We have a serious team that approaches games properly. Against Crvena Zvezda, we were a bit arrogant. Unfortunately, if you're a little sluggish, you lose. The good thing today is that we split the time, so hopefully, we'll be fresh on Friday," Bartzokas explained.

Credit Olympiacos BC

The only problem for Olympiacos against Bayern was their poor three-point percentage. The Reds kept missing the target throughout the first half.

Giannoulis Larentzakis, arguably their most-improved player this season, hit the first one from deep with less than two minutes left in the third quarter. Overall, the hosts went 8/28 from behind the arc.

Asked about the importance of connecting from distance, Bartzokas assured that his team has to shoot the ball well to achieve big wins.

"The vast majority of teams try to prevent their opponents from scoring inside the paint, so you have to make the shots. An example is what happened in Milan. Nevertheless, I'm happy that we won this way," Bartzokas concluded.

It couldn't have been otherwise. Olympiacos made 20/24 two-point shots in the first half (83,3%), and it looked as if they were shooting free throws.

In this vein, Thomas Walkup's contribution was invaluable. The American guard took only one three-point attempt and fed off Bayern's weak first line of defense. He finished with 13 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and one steal. It was one of his best appearances in the red and white jersey.

Credit Olympiacos BC

"I can score the ball. But today, the important thing was our defense. We did an excellent job, it's reflected on the scoreboard as well. We found the shots, had flow and hit where we wanted to.

When these things happen, you feel like you can make it easy. Shots are made easier," Walkup commented on Greek television network NOVASPORTS. Referring to how quickly he became a starter for Olympiacos and managed to adjust to the team, he said:

"I am comfortable with my role, I like it. From the beginning, the coach made clear he wanted from me and that's what I do - sometimes better and sometimes worse. But it's always about the team. The rest will come."

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