Zeljko Obradovic described the game versus CSKA Moscow as tough and important and focused his attention on Panathinaikos’s defensive performance during the encounter, defense which he believes to be the key of the greens victory.
“It was a very important but also very tough game across from a team that has earned a spot in the F4 for the last 8 years. With the roster and the coach that they have it is very possible that they will make it there this year too. They lost Siskauskas today and had many absences and this is of great importance for them. We committed two entirely different halves. In the first we had 2/13 threes’ and in the second 6/11. We missed many unguarded shots in the first half but a believe that we were playing well even then, We had 14 more possessions due to our offensive defense and the offensive boards we got too”.
Continuing, Obradovic noted: “In the second half we continued doing everything and I am very pleased in the team’s defensive function. It was obvious since CSKA plays defense on the pick-en-roll with the tall guys, that our perimeter players should be more aggressive. My players had to understand that if they were aggressive in defense, it would be possible to get to the win. That, actually was the game’s key. Even when they switched to zone defense we reacted well and this is due to great concentration of my players. It was a very important victory, congratulations to my players but also to the fans for creating such a wonderful atmosphere”.
Head Coach of CSKA Moscow, Dusan Voujosevic, stressed: “Congratulations to Panathinaikos for its victory. I cannot say that I was not pleased with my players’ performance, but we did experience certain dead periods which Panathinaikos exploited.
Even though many of the palyers on my team’s roster have been together a long time, we have many new additions and we need time to evolve our game. The upsetting thing for me is all the guys we have sidelined facing injuries. Today Siskauskas was added to the list and I hope his injury is not too major. Although we did not play well for the entire 40 minutes, we fought at the game for its entire duration. We missed many easy shots, committed many mistakes and allowed Panathinaikos to many offensive rebounds, as we left Nicholas make 4 for 5 three point attempts. When our injured return we will be ready again to worthily face the best clubs in Europe. We await the return of our injured and surely it is a different thing for me to work with great stars now, when in Partizan I had to do with younger players. I try to offer a sense of youth to the older”.
