By Stefanos Tatsios / info@eurohoops.net
Olympiacos Piraeus head coach Georgios Bartzokas spoke during a media availability Tuesday prior to his team’s Game 1 against AS Monaco for the EuroLeague playoffs, focusing on the keys to victory and Mike James.
James is among Monaco’s leaders this season, posting an average of 16.2 points per game and setting sights for the EuroLeague Top Scorer honor. “He’s an incredible player, but Monaco has more [players]. We are not planning anything special and we know how he plays” Bartzokas told reporters.
Olympiacos returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2018 and is called to face debutants Monaco for a ticket to the Final Four. “We have to fight for what we’ve been working on all year. To fight for the ball, for the rebounds. To be intense”, added Bartzokas.
“Monaco is the best in Euroleague in the transition game and isolation. We must all recognize the difficulty of the game. These games are special, there are no steadfast favorites. They also said that they will play without pressure. We must take advantage of our home court”.
Game 1 of the series tips off Wednesday, April 20, 20:00 CET in Piraeus.