Bartzokas reflects on Alec Peters incident, names Fenerbahce's statistical peculiarity / News - Basketnews.com

Giorgos Bartzokas addressed the incident involving him and Alec Peters, acknowledging his own share of responsibility. The coach of Olympiacos took stock of his team's season and named Fenerbahce's strongest points.

Credit: Panagiotis Moschandreou/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images Credit Panagiotis Moschandreou/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images

Giorgos Bartzokas' hug with Alec Peters after the end of Olympiacos Piraeus' practice session on Wednesday went viral due to the incident that took place during the Reds' Greek league game against Peristeri last Sunday afternoon.

Alec Peters

MIN:26.21PTS:13.75 (63.35%)REB:4.88As:1.53ST:0.53BL:0.13TO:1.16GM:32ProfileEuroLeague2023/2024

While exiting the court after being subbed out, Peters refused to high-five Bartzokas and chose to bypass the Greek coach on his way to the bench.

Three days later, Olympiacos informed that the American forward bought his teammates and the club's staff sushi. The photos of team members enjoying the meal, as well as the pic where the coach and the player share a hug, confirmed that peace had been restored between the two sides.

"We took that photo for fun," Bartzokas explained on the eve of Olympiacos' clash with Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul at the Peace and Friensdhip Stadium.

"I told him, 'Just because we are enemies, I told him 'come and have a hug with me'," the Greek tactician joked. "We wanted to have a laugh," Bartzokas continued.

Credit Olympiacos BC

"I think there are moments of tension. I am also a person of tension, I create pressure during the game on those around me and sometimes the reactions are not normal," he reflected.

"On the other hand, it's normal in sports that certain people use the incident for their own purposes," he commented on the incident's aftermath.

Before they take the court to face Fener on Friday night (20:15), Olympiacos will have the luxury of knowing the results of the games immediately affecting their placement in the standings. The two games of interest are Panathinaikos-ALBA Berlin and Monaco-Bayern. Bartzokas was asked if the Reds would ever consider choosing an opponent in the playoffs. His answer was clear.

"Is it being discussed whether we will choose an opponent?" he asked. "Over time, Olympiacos has never done it, neither I nor any of our players. We respect the effort we have made so far. We have made 21 wins in the EuroLeague. It's an honor for our team that for the third straight year, we are in the playoffs and we will claim our chances for the Final Four," Bartzokas stressed.

"In my assessment, it's a great success, based on the conditions we have had this year. Of course we will respect our effort and the opponent, we will play as well as we can and the fans for making it another soldout game. It will be a contest of great intensity and great competition, as befits two playoff teams."

Bartzokas called Fenerbahce "a team that is currently playing very well, based on results."

"They shoot the same number of two-pointers and three-pointers, which is peculiar," he noted. "They have 5-6 players who play with great confidence. [Scottie] Wilbekin, [Tarik] Biberovic, [Sertac] Sanli, [Nigel] Hayes-Davis, they all have good numbers, shoot a lot and play well. In general, they improved their offensive numbers since Saras came in.

It is a team that creates problems from the 3-point line. Both [Giorgos] Papagiannis and [Sertac] Sanli shoot the ball well."

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