By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Panathinaikos head coach Rick Pitino is preparing for his first game vs. Greens’ archrival Olympiacos Friday (4/12) for Round 16 of the EuroLeague regular season. And as someone familiar to him told him, it will be unlike anything he had experienced before.
“Well, the Memphis Grizzlies GM [Chris Wallace] who I hired as my GM with the Boston Celtics… he said that Lousiville – Kentucky is like a church league game compared to this one [Olympiacos – Panathinaikos],” Pitino said during the pre-game presser ahead of the match between the two Greek powerhouses.
“I’m blown away with the fans’ support here. People are great. When I go out to get a bite to eat and someone says ‘You are Panathinaikos’ coach?’ And they say that ‘I’m Olympiacos fan’? Then I switch tables,” Pitino joked regarding the Greek fans.
On the match, Pitino said: “I told the guys that to get a win on the road to anybody, you must be 8 to 10 points better that night to get the win. If not, it’s going to go to the last shot or the other team will be in control. You gotta play great on the road to win, at any level of basketball.”
Panathinaikos is 7 – 8 heading into the game while Olympiacos is 9 – 6.