By Antonis Stroggylakis / info@eurohoops.net
Filip Petrusev was Olympiacos‘s standout player in Game 3 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs, but after his foul in the final seconds of overtime, Jabari Parker handed Barcelona victory.
After scoring his career-high in an Olympiacos shirt, the Serbian player commented on the situation that had decided the game.
“They said it was a foul. He clearly wanted contact; there was a little bit of it, and in the end, I backed off. The referee decided to decide the game like this. It’s tough, but it is what it is. We had too many chances to close the game. We need to use them to finish the game instead of letting somebody else decide the game,” Petrusev said to Eurohoops.
Olympiacos had a 71-66 lead with 1:24 to go in the fourth quarter but couldn’t close the game. Barcelona managed to make it to overtime with Alex Abrines hitting the crucial three-pointer. In the last minute of the added five, they had a three-point lead, but Tomas Satoransky tied the game from beyond the arc, and Parker won it for the visitors.
“They had three wide-open threes. It’s not acceptable. It’s a playoff game, and everybody wants to go to the Final Four. We have to be focused until the end; we can’t relax. We have to finish these games. If we don’t, we saw what’s going to happen. It’s definitely on us; everybody can be better and more focused for 40 minutes and finish off these games.”
Despite him performing well, his side suffered defeat and is playing do-or-die Game 4 in front of their fans.
“It sucks, obviously, but even I can be better. Everybody can be better and ready to play 40 minutes.”
Petrusev insists he and his teammates have to stay focused until the final buzzer.
“Just finish the game. I feel like we were the better team; we had a couple of opportunities. It’s on us, but we can be better. Even the atmosphere can be a little bit better; push us a little bit more when we stop playing, give us a little extra energy. Just do what we did and keep fighting. It was good, but everything can be a little bit better. But it’s playoffs; whatever it takes, everybody has to give more than 100 percent. I believe in this team, this organization, and we are going to fight until the end,” Filip Petrusve concluded.