Olympiacos won (82-74) against Villeurbanne on the 35th matchday of the Euroleague and has now reached the top of the standings.
"Villeurbanne's potential is at a very high level. The pace and way their players play is quite dangerous for any opponent. We had the will today, we had the wrong idea to finish the game earlier than usual. However, we had 17 more possessions from rebounds and turnovers, and that helped us win the game," said the coach of the "red and whites," Giorgos Bartzokas, after the match against the French team.
Regarding the upcoming match against Real, he commented: "You can't compare one game to another in the EuroLeague, meaning we can't compare today's game with the games that follow for us. Right now, Villeurbanne, for example, was playing for its honor, for its reputation, and it's very dangerous. For me, Villeurbanne has my absolute respect for the way they play, and that shows that the EuroLeague is the most difficult league in the world, and I truly believe that. The victory is infinitely appreciated by our team, and now we have three very crucial games ahead of us to complete the regular season."
When asked if the first place in the regular season of the competition is a goal, he explained: "We will take what the games give us. We will fight as hard as we can in the last matches, and if we ultimately get the first place in the regular season, it will be something we deserve. But basically, our goal is to have the home-court advantage. I believe that from 1 to 4 and from 5 to 8, there are very difficult teams. You cannot choose an opponent.
We will fight hard until the end of the season and we will see which team we will face in the playoffs. I hope we have the advantage. If we do, it will be difficult for our opponent to beat us in Piraeus, where we will have our fans by our side, who create a fantastic atmosphere. But we have some issues now, as we are mentally and physically tired, as are all Euroleague teams.
It's April, and we've played more than 60-65 games. And in the Euroleague, there are no easy games. It's all been very difficult from the start until now. All teams are exhausted, but now the most important part of the season begins. I hope we stay healthy and with a little luck, we will finish as we deserve."