Panathinaikos (3-4) will aim to prove that last week's powerful win in Berlin could be the start of something special as its welcomes a struggling Zalgiris (3-4), which has lost three in a row.
Kazys Maksvytis, Zalgiris: 'Panathinaikos is an interesting team'
Seasons
3 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 8 of 34
Group Regular Season
w
w
l
w
l
l
l
l
l
w
Dinos Mitoglou has been the key player for Panathinaikos, averaging 16 points and 6 rebounds in more than 30 minutes on the floor. This week he faces a versatile paint protector in Rolands Smits, who averages 5.3 rebounds and also poses a scoring threat with an average of 13.3 points. Smits has made at least one three-pointer in each of his last six games. The hosts are entering a run of three consecutive games in Athens and will look to make that count against a Zalgiris team that has claimed two of its three wins on the road.
Ergin Ataman, Panathinaikos head coach
"Everybody asks wins of us in all EuroLeague games, no matter if we lost or won the previous ones. We have a tough game ahead of us. Zalgiris is a good team, they have experienced players. Evans could be their main scorer, but Dimsa can score a lot, Smits and Ulanovas are also dangerous players... They have played with the same roster for about two years and they know how to play."
Kazys Maksvytis, Zalgiris head coach
"Panathinaikos is an interesting team. Last week we played against Anadolu Efes, now their former coach is in Athens, so we could see a similar style of play. Lots of shooting players, lots of creativity, pick-and-roll situations. They have some absences in the 3-4 positions, but the gap is well filled by Kostas Mitoglou, who is one of their key players. Marius Grigonis is in good shape, he spends a lot of time on the court. Of course, there are many other dangerous players, starting with Kostas Sloukas, Jerian Grant, Luca Vildoza, powerful big men under the basket. Panathinaikos is a good, offensive-oriented team."
Jerian Grant, Panathinaikos player
"They will come here and play even harder, so we have to be prepared for that. This double week will be hard. Zalgiris has been together for a while now and they added some good pieces. We will have to pay attention to the whole team, not just some players."
Arnas Butkevicius, Zalgiris player
"We have struggled a little bit in recent games. Teamwork is key. Obviously, ball movement would help in creating good shots, and we could create second chances from that. Another thing is that a good defense could help us initiate the fast-breaks and would make it easier to score points. All these components would bring a positive impulse and better energy. On defense, we need to be more disciplined, talk with each other on the court and avoid miscommunication. Talking about Panathinaikos, they have a very deep roster and quality in each position. They get adjusted to a new coach game by game."