Panathinaikos is going to face Efes Pilsen for the second game between the two teams in “Ayhan Sahenk”. Vassilis Spanoulis and Alvertis Fragkiskos will not fly with the team due to minor injuries.
The first preparation game between the two teams ended up with Panathinaikos winning (99-87) in OAKA and the belief that the team will be ready when the official games begin. Stratos Perperoglou prefers to talk beginning from another starting point. “We want to thank the fans that came in the OAKA for the game to see us in our first game in Athens. I believe that we managed to make them happy, since we played well for a big part of the game. There were again some “dead” parts. We can improve much more as team and we will be ready for our official games. The two players that were embodied to the team in Slovenia are bonding with the team steadily and we saw that Pekovic played excellent! I believe that we are going to get better game by game”.
Antonis Fotsis through the game against Efes Pilsen returned to OAKA as a host for the first time since 2003 and he said that what he wants is the team to give 100% for 40 minutes: “We played well in all 40 minutes of the game and this is something positive. Efes Pilsen proved on the court that is a very strong team. It was a good game for us. From our side we know that we are coming to the end of our preparation and each day we must perform better and better. We wanted to be ready in our premier. We want to fight in every game; since day one. We must give everything in every game, in order to achieve our goals!”
Dusan Kecman played for the first time in OAKA as host and not as visitor. “It was a good thing that we won easily. We had a 10 point difference in the biggest part of the game. Everybody performed well and we have another important game in our schedule, against Efes Pilsen again in Turkey. What we want is to be ready for the beginning of our official obligations for the championship and the Euroleague as well. We are all together for just seven days, since me and Nikola had to play with our national teams. We need time to feel each other on the court”. Kecman also talked about Nikola Pekovic: “I wasn’t surprised! I expected like that. He is a great player in every part of the game!”
