Panathinaikos prevailed over PAOK with Zeljko Obradovic talking with respect about their opponent, but also speaking about the turnovers committed: “We played with absolute respect for PAOK. We wanted to play good defense and keep a high pace in the game. We were also ready for the changes in defense and zone press. Generally speaking, we played a good game. One of the problems we had today was that we were not effective in open court. We committed unforced turnovers. Congratulations to our players, but also to PAOK.”
Alexis Kyritsis, who came to the press conference, underlined: “We expected to have a tough night. We had to play seriously, particularly in defense, and we managed to stop PAOK’s trump cards. We did not allow our opponent to run, succeed in fast breaks, or find open shots. Defense show us the way. It is important to manage to go through PAOK’s home arena unscathed.”
PAOK coach, Soulis Markopoulos, stated: “Panathinaikos is a very good team that has depth as such. It was better than us at all points on both defense and offence. We tried to find solutions, rotated the ball, found shots, but the shots we found were unsuccessful. Panathinaikos’ three-pointers in the first half “killed” us. We have difficult games ahead in the calendar, starting with the one on Tuesday in the EuroCup competition. We need to win to stay in the competition. We are aware of our shortcomings and need help from our fans.”
J. R. Giddens added: “We made a good effort in a good, basket-loving atmosphere, facing a great team such as Panathinaikos. We prepared as best as possible, but what we had planned did not translate well on court, because they were shooting very well. However, I do believe that our effort was a positive one.”
