By Nikos Varlas / varlas@eurohoops.net
Greece dominated Belgium 75-54 and advanced to the quarter-finals, with their first victory in a knockout match after 2009 and Greece’s head coach, Fotis Katsikaris, was delighted afterwards:
“We stayed on the plan and in the first half we would have had a better score if we were not so static against the zone. In the second half the team was very determined and played unbelievable defense. We were serious on offense. It was very difficult for Belgium. Now, we have a huge challenge on Tuesday.”
In their defensive show in the second half, all Greek players played extremely well on both ends of the floor. One of them, Nick Calathes, said: “In the second half we got into a good rhythm and we picked it up defensively and got some easy baskets. Coaches got us ready and we as players were ready. This is what we want to play. This is what we wait two months for.”
On the other hand, Belgium played well in the first half, but struggled from the three-point range in the second and, as a result, they lost the game.
Eddy Casteels was disappointed because of the defeat: “We were in the game in the first half but it took a lot of energy and intensity. In the second half, we were creating the same shots but they were not falling. If we got lucky and three or four of those shots fall then maybe something happens. But they didn’t.”