Georgios Bartzokas, head coach of Olympiacos, shared his expectations ahead of the third game of the EuroLeague quarterfinal series against Real Madrid.
The Piraeus team played two very high–quality games on their home court, winning both, and are now one step away from reaching the Final Four.
“We will try to defend better than we did in the first quarter of the last game, to be compact, to play for the win, and to overcome some minor injury problems that have appeared, although we hope no one will miss the game,” Bartzokas began, before commenting on the fact that this time Real Madrid will be the hosts.
“I don’t think there’s a big difference, not only for them but for any team. Real is a talented and experienced team, and the crowd creates pressure, just like on every court in Europe now. We had the chance to beat them there during the regular season, and we played generally well. We have to repeat that. We have to be very good, because otherwise, we won’t succeed. We must take advantage of everything Real gives us and, as always, control our emotions — not to get too excited or too discouraged during tough moments.”
Although Olympiacos won both games comfortably in Greece, they struggled significantly with their shooting percentages.
“Of course, we have to shoot better. The presence of Tavares under the basket makes finishing near the rim much more difficult. Real’s style of play gives opponents the chance to run and shoot from distance, and if you shoot well, you will win. So, we have to shoot better than we did in the previous two games.”
The Greek coach revealed what was the focus in preparing for this game.
“First and foremost, we must keep in mind that it’s a big trap to think we have three chances to move on. We must only think about the next game. Unfortunately, human nature leads to relaxation after good results and to alertness after bad ones. We must show that our level does not allow for relaxation. We will enter with the goal of winning the third game and thereby getting more time to rest and prepare. The tasks are very difficult due to the quality of the opponent.”
Finally, he commented on Thomas Walkup’s return after injury.
“It’s important that we have a guard who is focused on defense and can take on the most dangerous opposing player, whether he plays at the 1, 2, or 3 position. The problem is that after a three-month break, Walkup can’t play 10–12 minutes continuously; instead, he has to play in shorter five-minute stretches. In the last game, we pushed him to play ten minutes straight because it was necessary. We’ll have to manage his minutes carefully,” said Georgios Bartzokas.
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