By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
There are more than 60 scenarios regarding which three teams will get the final “golden” tickets. Teams that were previously among the favorites, not only for a postseason place but also possibly home-court advantage, see their fate now depending on other squads and results that they can’t control.
Others are now relevant once more despite being considered just strugglers some months ago. There’s talk about every different situation, combination, and circumstances in this heated race. Here are some of the most interesting quotes ahead of decisive Round 30.
1. Losing the offensive backbone
Olympiacos approached the final, and most crucial, stretch of the EuroLeague regular season minus its top offensive guards when it comes to both scoring and facilitating: Captain Vassilis Spanoulis and Janis Strelnieks.
After a blowout loss to Gran Canaria, Olympiacos coach David Blatt couldn’t help but wonder how different his team’s situation would be with these two players on board.
“We are playing without our two main ball guards. You take the two main ball guards out of any team and I want to see what they do. And this is not the first time we’ve been in this situation. But you’ve got to deal with that, too, sometimes and we’ve got to find a way.”