By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Ahead of Panathinaikos OPAP’s EuroLeague Regular Season Round 30 game against Buducnost VOLI, Rick Pitino talked about the playoffs scenarios surrounding his team. “It can go various ways. With a win we’ll finish seventh or sixth. CSKA will previously face Baskonia. We will see if they want to face us” the 66-year-old head coach mentioned.
On the home defeat from Real Madrid: “We lost our previous game. We talked about it. We played 35 good minutes, but finished making mistakes. Buducnost is a dangerous team with nothing to lose. They were close with Fenerbahce, they got a ten-point lead in Barcelona before losing. It won’t be easy”.
Pitino pointed out: “We defeated ourselves. We understood that. Success is difficult. We won six in a row, we thought we won again. However we must congratulate our opponents for their right choices over ours”.
Afterwards he explained: “A couple of months ago everyone doubted Panathinaikos can advance to the playoffs. I believe the team progressed since adjusting its character, its culture. It changed the way it views games”.
In conclusion, he compared EuroLeague to the NCAA mentioning: “It’s not like the NBA, EuroLeague is closer to NCAA. Defense, ball movement, pick-and-roll. Differences are there, but in the details. When I arrived, I didn’t know any team, I didn’t know the players. That was my biggest adjustment learning everything I needed to”.