Zeljko Obradovic talked about the opponents’ motivation, while he also stressed that all players must help for Panathinaikos to get the coveted results.
“Many things went wrong today. Something that I tell my players over and over again each year, something that I keep telling them and I have repeated when we won the Euroleague title in Barcelona is that teams compete with higher motivation against us. If you are not on the right level, there will be a problem. So, the result will be this. I do not mean to say that we did not try. We fought, but we did not fight hard enough, not as much as we should have. It was the little details that determined the winner. In the locker-room I talked to our players and said that our concentration was not on the desirable level. This was also clear in the preparatory phase for the game. In our last practice in Athens as well as in Bamberg we reacted; afterwards. I want to repeat that it was the details that decided the game. One thing that I cannot believe is that, same as in the game against CSKA Moscow, we found ourselves ahead in the game by a seven-point lead and then lost the game. Today we played good defense, but in crucial points we made the wrong decisions, which makes me wonder why. Speaking about the preparation for the game, there are some things that are unbelievable, as regards the way we prepared the players and the way they reacted. Some of the players are out in the sense that they are not helping. They need to understand this. I do not like hiding; I look everyone in the eyes and say this to everyone. They need to understand that at the end of the third period we had zero fouls. I told them that they reach easy baskets. We received seven points within a minute and a half. We had a six-point lead and we found ourselves losing without committing a foul. How am I supposed to understand that? What is this? I give them the information….the point is concentration and motivation. If some of them do not enjoy playing here in every practice, every game, it is very difficult. Believe you me; it is very, very difficult. Bamberg is a very good team both offensively and defensively. All these years we have shown our quality and character. We have to do everything. It is not nice to wake up one morning and say “today I am not going to play”. This is unbelievable and we have a very tough calendar ahead of us…. We are facing Olympiakos and then Unicaja Malaga and Kavala with two back-to-back journeys…. It takes concentration and effort on everyone’s part.”
