Scariolo: “It’s a very difficult game but a good opportunity for us”
“Panathinaikos is a rival with enormous talent, experience, and technical and physical quality,” explained the coach.
Sergio Scariolo spoke ahead of the Panathinaikos-Real Madrid game, corresponding to matchday 26 of the Euroleague, which will be played in Athens (Tuesday, 8:15 pm CEST; #Vamos). The coach said: “We have consecutive away games where we can try to improve in this aspect. I think it’s almost the only one where we need to take a leap forward. All aspects can be improved, but here we need to take a significant step. From the perspective of preparing for a match, I don’t see it as anything different from a home game because they are the same players. It’s more a matter of bravery, confidence, character, personality, and prioritizing the importance of the match at this stage.”
“The matchup in Madrid was one of the few where we felt that everything we were doing wasn’t enough because the rival was one step ahead. It’s a valid and useful experience. It’s a rival with enormous talent, experience, technical and physical quality, at the highest European level, so it’s a good opportunity to show that we can compete against this type of rival.”
Type of game
“It will be a difficult game due to the atmosphere and the quality of the rival. All away games are challenging, and this one belongs to the category of very difficult.”
Physical condition of Feliz and Abalde
“They are slightly affected, but they will be there. The one who won’t be is Deck. As part of the general protocol we have to take care of him, he needs to rest for a few days to recover full efficiency due to his characteristics.”
Will Panathinaikos’ outside shooting be key?
“It’s the team that attempts the least three-pointers in the entire Euroleague and scores the least. They have very good outside players, but the key is to protect the paint. It’s a rival that will propose a very high volume of pick&roll and isolations.”
Character
“Our players have the character to compete. Of course, it’s worked on and activated depending on the sense of urgency or importance of the different moments of the season. It’s not so much at the start of the game but throughout it. You have to know how to handle frustrations and the good moments of the rival. We must remain calm, patient, and arrive with options at the end.”
Disclaimer: Translation generated by artificial intelligence. It may contain inaccuracies.