By John Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
At that game, AEK beat Slavia Prague in front of 80.000 fans at Panathinaiko stadium and became the first Greek basketball team that won a European trophy.
As AEK’s guard explained in the first official practice of the BCL Final Four: “All those stories are nice to hear and are written in the end. It is very important that 50 years have passed since AEK’s epic win in the Cup Winners Cup because this anniversary gives us strength and an extra motivation. This motivation along with our fans could be an extra push for us to give it all and write our own story”.
Speaking about the game and Murcia, Larentzakis believes that defense and slowing the pace will be the key for AEK: “I don’t think there is a player to pay special attention to. Murcia has twelve players just as good. Their players are experienced and play at a fast pace. We must be very strong and focused, to play our own game. Surely Oleson is a good and experienced player, but as we have seen on video their strong point is their depth on their roster. The whole team is a tied unit and plays very good and effective basketball. They have another star in each of their games. We need to be focused, so we could stop them. Defense is the most important factor of the semifinal. Everything starts from there. We have to be strong, try to stop the Murcia’s offense and control the rebounds”.
And AEK expects once again a sold-out crowd at OAKA that can be an extra asset for them: “Certainly the atmosphere will give us an advantage. We want to forget our last defeat in the Greek League, before the two most important games of our season. We are concentrated on Murcia and we are ready for Friday. The fans will help very much. The stadium will be full. People will surely give us a boost. We have to be strong. The fans will create a creative anxiety for us. There are no favorites and underdogs in the Final Four. At this level, all teams are strong, so we have to be focused”.