Marius Grigonis: 'We have a better locker room than last season' / News - Basketnews.com

Marius Grigonis appeared optimistic about Panathinaikos' season, following another loss to Olympiacos. The Lithuanian guard commented on the Reds' big weapon and pointed out that PAO's future looks brighter compared to last year.

Credit: Vangelis Stolis Credit Vangelis Stolis

Marius Grigonis made several clutch shots in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, but it ultimately wasn't enough, as Panathinaikos Athens fell to Olympiacos Piraeus in overtime.

Player of the Game EFF 31 Alec Peters Points 17 Accuracy 7-9 Rebounds 10 Assists 4

Talking after the game, the Lithuanian guard was honest about the entire situation.

"I hope that we can do better on our journey this season," he told BasketNews.

"We made a lot of the same mistakes we usually make. When there's miscommunication and you miss layups, that costs you a win at this level," he continued.

Grigonis thinks his team can bounce back and improve, as long as they manage to learn from their mistakes.

"If we don't, we'll keep repeating the same," he noted. "It's the EuroLeague and we can learn from it."

Grigonis finished the game with 17 points, the second-highest tally on the team, and made 4 three-pointers, two of which during the last three minutes of the fourth quarter. Despite coming into the extra period with energy, the entire Panathinaikos team scored just 4 points in the overtime, though. Meanwhile, Olympiacos stunned their rivals with a 12-0 run.

Overall, it was the 18th Olympiacos win against Panathinaikos in the last 19 games and the fifth straight in the EuroLeague. Looking at both rosters, the Reds maintained their core of players, as suited up with only three newcomers at OAKA. Still, Nikola Milutinov and Nigel Wiliams-Goss entered a rather familiar environment, since they had both played with Olympiacos in the past (2015-2020 and 2018-19 respectively).

Conversely, nine out of 12 players on PAO's roster on Friday night were new entries. Lefteris Mantzoukas, Panagiotis Kalaitzakis and Marius Grigonis are the three men still standing. However, the Lithuanian international isn't willing to argue that the Greens are a squad under construction.

Marius Grigonis

MIN:30.38PTS:17 (63.64%)REB:2As:2ST:0BL:0TO:1GM:1ProfileEuroLeague2023/2024

"It seems like an excuse," he responded.

"It's the easy answer to give that we're a new team. They're just better than us at this moment," Grigonis honestly went on to say.

The 29-year-old sharpshooter doesn't overlook the fact that Olympiacos have managed to build what his team has been lacking for years.

"They have for sure good chemistry," he admitted.

"But I believe that we will be able to have that as well. We have a good locker room, better than last season, and I'm really happy about that. We're all together and I believe that everyone has the same goal and wants to help each other. But we have to transmit that on the court as well," Grigonis added.

After a terrible season that left Panathinaikos trophy-less and out of the EuroLeague playoff race way too early, the former Zalgiris Kaunas player is partly optimistic that the six-time continental champs can flip the script and break Olympiacos' streak.

"We have a good team with quality. That's the positive thing," he pointed out. "The material is here but we need to play as a team."

To add to the positive thinking, Grigonis is feelingmore comfortable with life in Athens and how his day-to-day routine with Panathinaikos is unfolding.

"It seems that the club has a brighter future," he observed.

"It has an idea of how everything goes. Everything is moving in a better direction. As far as myself, I want to take bigger steps and improve. I know that the EuroLeague goes really fast and we need to get back on the winning track."

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