By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
There’s simply no time for Norris Cole and his teammates in Maccabi Tel Aviv to brood over the blowout defeat that Olympiacos handed them last night in Piraeus.
With Maccabi now 9 – 9 in the EuroLeague Regular Season, all that matters for the American guard is the next battle and how to successfully recover with a victory.
“We have to forget this game. Totally,” Cole told Eurohoops. “Forget this game and get ready to play in front of our home crowd and get ready to fight and get us a win.”
Olympiacos descended upon Maccabi battered, bruised yet highly motivated and greatly determined after being routed by Baskonia the previous week. Cole hopes that his team can react in the same powerful manner against Crvena Zvezda on Thursday (18/1).
“This league changes, you know. In the previous game, Olympiacos lost by 30 and now they won by 30. We have to come with the same professional approach that we lacked tonight. Forget this one (game vs Olympiacos) and be ready to bounce back in our next match.”
If someone looked at the halftime stats of last night’s game he would be in for a major surprise.
While famed primarily for their defensive vigor, the Reds entered the match as one of the least productive teams in EuroLeague and the outfit with by far the worst assist/turnover ration in the competition. Yet they closed the first 20 minutes with 53 points that arrived as a result of a phenomenal contrast of 15 assists/3 turnovers. All of their baskets, except two, had come from inside the key.
“Olympiacos is known for scoring in the paint. That’s what they do,” Cole said. “We had to do a better job defending a paint. But when we did defend, they got free throws. It’s tough to play like that.”
The American guard acknowledges that his team’s defense was sloppy (to say the least) but also believes that their opponents were awarded too many visits to the charity line.
“We never got in sync. We never got any rhythm. Obviously, our defense could better. We have to do a better job and follow our game plan. Be disciplined. But it’s tough to get into any rhythm when a team is shooting 20 plus free throws in the first half. This is a whole game’s worth of free throws. It’s tough to play like that. It’s not my job to comment on the officiating or something like that. I just know they shot more free throws than they usually shoot.”
Cole wasn’t exactly thrilled with his own performance either. Despite coming back from a hamstring injury that kept him out for two EuroLeague matches, he made no excuses for his poor shooting (7 points with 3/9 from the field) and lack of playmaking (1 assists/3 turnovers).
“I definitely have to play better. I’ve been out for a couple of weeks so my rhythm was a little off. I’ll be better, trust me. I’ll be better and our team will be better. That’s what we have to do.”
Even though last night’s display scarred his averages a bit, Cole remains one of the top contributors for Maccabi with 13.6 points, 3.9 assists, and 2.6 rebounds per game. Numbers that, along with the fierce defensive pressure he often applies to the opposing guards, have made him a legitimate candidate for All-EuroLeague Team honors.
After playing seven years in the NBA and winning two rings with the Miami Heat, Cole appreciates the challenge that EuroLeague brings and experiencing a different style of basketball.
“There’s some good competition here. Obviously, it’s not the same in the NBA, but it’s a good competition,” said the two-time NBA champion.“The game is more team-oriented. More schematical and not as much free-flowing like in the NBA. There’s good competition and there are good players.”
“I’m enjoying the EuroLeague experience. I really am,” Norris Cole added.