Zeljko Obradovic comments on Bartzokas winning EuroLeague COTY award / News - Basketnews.com

As Partizan prepare for their ABA League quarter-final series, Zeljko Obradovic emphasized that his team must turn the page and congratulated Giorgos Bartzokas on winning the EuroLeague Coach of The Year Award for the second straight time.

Credit: ABA League j.t.d./Dragana Stjepanovic Credit ABA League j.t.d./Dragana Stjepanovic

After the painful defeat by Real Madrid in Game 5, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade are now preparing for the end of the season in the ABA League.

3-pointers this season

40%8,7Points made:8,7Accuracy:39,9%Place in standings:14Record max:17Record min:3Most made 3FGs:Kevin PunterTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

Now the Serbian side is now exclusively focusing on the domestic front, where there is only one goal - the title. The first obstacle is KK SC Derby Podgorica, which arrives in Belgrade Monday for the start of the best-of-three series.

Partizan will be playing that game in the Pionir arena due to the Stark arena being occupied, while Game 2 will be held on Thursday.

"At the beginning of the season, the ABA League was our primary goal. I assume that we will be at the level of motivation that we had until now, if not higher", Zeljko Obradovic argued.

As much as the black and whites are focused on the start of the ABA league playoffs, the number one topic for the fans is still the series against Real Madrid and the missed opportunity for the team to advance to the Final Four in Kaunas.

Partizan managed to start the series with a 2-0 lead and two road wins, but the series returned to Madrid. There, Partizan had an 18-point advantage, but in the end, the hosts advanced to the big event.

"We gave the players a day off after Madrid and then we started talking only about the ABA league," Obradovic said. "I also asked the people in the coaching staff not to think about the EuroLeague. That's over, now the focus is only on the ABA league.

I've personally turned the page and don't talk about the EuroLeague, not even with my closest friends."

Uros Trifunovic practiced with a protective mask. Obradovic clarified that the player hadreceived a small blow and wears the mask as a precaution.

The EuroLeague's winningest coach was asked to comment on Giorgos Bartzokas winning the Alexander Gomelsky award for the season's best coach.

Obradovic finished in second place behind Bartzokas in the vote of EuroLeague coaches, while Zalgiris Kaunas' expert Kazys Maksvytis came in third.

"Bartzokas deservedly won, I congratulate him," the 63-year-old tactician acknowledged.

"They had an outstanding campaign and Olympiacos finished first in the regular season. Thank you to everyone who voted for me," said Obradovic, who also had a word for Yam Madar, the Israeli point guard that was named the competition's Rising Star for 2023.

"We are proud of him. I hope that this will be a motivation for him to practice even harder," he opined.

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