By Stefan Acevski / info@eurohoops.net
Olympiacos managed to secure a victory in Istanbul against Besiktas, improving their standings in this season’s EuroLeague (81-73).
This result pleases Giorgos Bartzokas, as he expressed in the press conference after the match.
“It was a very important away victory, in a very good game with a fantastic atmosphere. Both teams tried hard, and both are dealing with significant absences at the moment. We had to cover the gaps of the three players missing from our perimeter, and, of course, the absence of Nikola Milutinov, our best rebounder. And we succeeded.
If you look at the statistics, we distributed 26 assists, the most we have recorded so far in the EuroLeague. This is very important to me because it shows we wanted to play for each other and base our game on team spirit. Ultimately, this proved decisive for our victory. Congratulations to coach Dusan and his team. I wish them good luck in their upcoming games.”
Bartzokas on scandal in Greek basketball
Bartzokas was also asked at the press conference about the scandal shaking Greek basketball, in which the president of the federation and several well-known referees have been arrested.
“Basketball is above all. Initially, it’s not our job to comment on the situation, as it is currently being handled by lawyers and courts. They will decide what will happen and who is responsible.
Our job is basketball, and that’s what I believe. We are blessed to work in the sport we love. This is true for every club, every coach, and every player. We should enjoy our careers on the court. For athletes, this journey doesn’t last forever; it may last six, seven, eight, nine, or ten years.
Possibly, these are the best years of our lives, and we should not allow anything to take away this feeling. We should be happy to compete at the highest level. That is all I can say at this moment. We will wait to see what the courts decide in the near future.”
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