Today at noon (8/1) Panathinaikos team and staff departed for Barcelona, Spain, to play FC Barcelona tomorrow night (9/1, 20:45 CET) in the second game of the Turkish Airlines Euroleague TOP 16.
Nikos Pappas stayed in Athens due to fever.
James Gist and DeMarcus Nelson talked to the press before the departure.
James Gist: “We Will Fight for the Win”
“We are going to Barcelona to win. This is our goal. We have been training very well this week and we are ready for this game. Barcelona, are a great team with a deep roster. They have players to replace Oleson, Navarro and Abrines. We are going there to fight for the win. I think that odds will be with the side that will have the strongest will to win the game.
“Our group is very competitive and every match is different. It is very difficult to win Barcelona at their home. We started well in the TOP 16 against Maccabi and we want to continue with a win away. We know very well what we have to do to achieve this.”
Nelson: “Crucial Game”
“It is a very difficult and crucial game. It has nothing to do with the games in the regular season. We have to stay focused for 40 minutes, because they are very good in the paint and at the outside shooting. We have to protect the backcourt and not let them score easy fast-break points. So, we must be effective in the offense and in transition defense. We want very much to get an away win and continue as we started the TOP 16 against Maccabi.
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