By Vangelis Papadimitriou/ info@eurohoops.net
Enjoying back-to-back berths to the Final Four of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, Olympiacos traveled to Kaunas Wednesday.
Previewing the season-ending tournament, the head coach of the Greek club, Giorgos Bartzokas recalled the 2022 Final Four and Vasilije Micic beating the buzzer to advance Anadolu Efes to the championship game instead of the Reds.
“Every coach and their respective teams are good. It can come down to luck or one single shot,” the 57-year-old tactician described usual tight games in the Final Four, “Last season, we were on the wrong end of a game-winning shot and missed the opportunity to advance to the Final. This year, we hope for more luck and to play even better.”
Olympiacos will be dealing with AS Monaco in the Semifinals with the Clasico between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid later wrapping up Friday’s schedule in Zalgirio Arena.
“Some minor tweaks will be made. But the overall approach will not change compared to the games earlier in the season,” said the Coach of the Year commenting on the remaining championship contenders.
The recipient of the Alphonso Ford EuroLeague Top Scorer Trophy and probable season MVP, Sasha Vezenkov is eager for an improved performance compared to the team showing in Belgrade.
“Every single player is ready to battle,” he said before checking in for the flight to Kaunas, “We will keep on what we have been doing all season.”
Vezenkov, 27, tallied 17.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.2 blocks per contest en route to the second straight Final Four.