Another meeting of direct rivals sees Olympiacos (16-11) welcome Virtus (17-10) as sixth faces fifth.
Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos: 'We are prepared to play against a strong team'
Seasons
3 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 28 of 34
Regular Season
Olympiacos PiraeusOLY
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Virtus Segafredo BolognaVIR
Overview
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Virtus showed a good collective game to overcome Valencia last week, dishing 23 assists with just 8 turnovers orchestrated by Alessandro Pajola with 6 helpers, and will need a similarly controlled effort to gain a vital road victory. But that won't be easy against an Olympiacos defense marshalled by the outstanding ball-hawking skills of Thomas Walkup, who powered last week's win at Zalgiris, and the Italian team will also have to find an answer to the shooting prowess of Alec Peters. December's meeting between these teams was a close encounter, taken 69-67 by Virtus after a game-winning shot by former Olympiacos player Daniel Hackett, and this pivotal showdown should be another hard-fought battle.
Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos head coach
"We are prepared to play against a strong team, that has been consistent so far, has won many games at the buzzer and for sure has character. Coach Banchi and his players have done a great job so far and their participation in the playoffs is secured. But we play in our home court, the gym will be crowded and we want the win. We believe in our team, in our potential and our dynamics. We know that we face a strong and experienced team, that’s why we must play well, as we did in the last games, and play with self-denial, because the absences we have are crucial."
Luca Banchi, Virtus head coach
"We are on the eve of a period of very important and difficult games that we will have to face with concentration and responsibility, in the knowledge that we are now fighting for very important goals, which is why we will have to express on court all the energy, enthusiasm and confidence of having earned this stage with effort and dedication. Olympiacos, vice European champions, is going through a very good moment of form, producing a choral basketball and a defensive consistency worthy of a title aspiring team. We will play in a very hot environment, but the value of the opponents and the environmental conditions should be the impetus for an aggressive and determined game."
Michalis Lountzis, Olympiacos player
"It is quite a crucial game at the point of the season we are at. We see that many teams are fighting for a place in the playoffs, for home-court advantage. So, we have no room not to see each game as a final. And also, it is a game that takes place at our head quarters. I think Virtus is ahead of us, so we have to win the game. Virtus is a tough team. But the truth is that we feel good. We are all quite experienced I can say. I think we all know the way the coach wants the game to be played. We’ve all bought into his philosophy both in defense and attack, so I think it all comes out with or without absence."
Alessandro Pajola, Virtus player
"A very difficult game awaits us on a really complicated court, against a very strong team built to win the title and that in recent seasons has proven to do well. A tough match to which, however, we come prepared. After the defeat in Sassari we had a chance to reason about our mistakes, we are ready to take the court and play a good game."