Euroleague Regular Season: Week 11

[EverGreen]

*Fenerbahce - Khimki
Crvena Zvezda - Valencia Basket
ALBA Berlin - Zalgiris
*Panathinaikos - Baskonia
Maccabi Tel Aviv - ASVEL Villeurbanne
Zenit St Petersburg - Real Madrid
Anadolu Efes - Bayern Munich
*Olympiacos - AX Armani Milan
*FC Barcelona - CSKA Moscow


Rick Pitino (PAO) and Dusan Sakota (CZ) new faces on the bench this week makes things more interesting and shows the club's fight to improve their position.

The games I've an asterisk on seem the most competitive. Olympiakos seem to have turned a corner having played well vs Zalgi and Alba and probably lost their game to Bayern on the ground of tactical errors from Kemzura after 33 mins. Basically Lo won the game single-handedly for the Germans when Spanoulis re-entered. I truly think it will be a close game vs Armani. Oly's new signings have helped them improve and seem nothing like the punching bag we saw in the first 5 rounds.

Big excitement with Pitino's return and the team responded with 2 away wins as well as a 50 margin demolition against Iraklis yesterday. Jimmer Fredette 26/35 three-pointers (74%!!!). Just waiting for the games he will destroy the opposition similar to that. I'm sure Pitino can free his reigns.

[EverGreen]

Pitino landed in Athens today his first statements...

Rick Pitino came, revealed that he intended to stay for two years and announced that "we will be a great team"!

The 67-year-old legend returned to Greece and shortly after agreeing with the GBF for our national team came to "Eleftherios Venizelos" with ... more suitcases for permanent installation, after taking over the reins of Panathinaikos.

After being venerated by the "green" fans with his ... well-known "Rick Pitino, oe-oe-oe", the experienced coach smiled at the media waiting for him and initially stressed:

“I feel great. I haven't slept, but I'm fine! Life takes some weird turns. It's a beautiful thing for the National team as well. I'll see Maccabi, Olympiacos, CSKA, our players. I will see our players and create a good team. "

Regarding Panathinaikos, he said: "I speak with the coaches. Offensively we do an excellent job. We have to make the defense. If we do, we will become a great team! The important thing is to take care of the "today". I want to fix the defense, to reach the level of offense. Then beautiful things will happen! ”

Asked whether changes should be made to the roster, Pitino said: "No moves should be made. I haven't seen them in training, but the team is good and strong. I'm close to everyone, we've had contact all this time. "


Asked about Marcus Smart and the post he made a few hours ago on Twitter, Pitino responded with ... humor, while also reporting, after talking about ... planning ahead of the following season: "You have to talk to Dimitris, the budget must go to a player! We have a team now, we're going to hunt for Marcus next year! "

For the next matches: “I'll take care of Basconia first. Then we have a match for the championship. One game at a time! ".

Concerning George Vovoras, Pitino stressed: “They are faithful people, faithful friends. George could be head coach. I'm close to the staff, I'll meet people too. I don't want to change anything. "

For Dimitris Giannakopoulos and his return: “Dimitris gives me something more important than money. He gives me respect and control. That's the most important thing to me, at my age. I am grateful for trusting me again and giving me so much confidence. If I were 35, the money would be significant. Now, in my 67s, respect is the most important value in my life. "

For PAO fans: “I went back and said I had never seen such fans in my life. In Munich it looked like we had 10,000 fans. The same was true in Kentucky. They travel, they support the team. It's time to bring home something important! "

Finally, when asked if his wife had any objections to his return to OAKA, he remarked: "Basically she convinced me. She was excited about National team. She said something smart, she told me to use the talents God gave me and that would help me a lot. I hope to stay for two years. "

https://www.sdna.gr/mpasket/663527_pitino-i-epistrofi-elpizo-na-meino-dyo-hronia-kai-na-feroyme-kati-special-spiti

[Gman365]

Fenerbahce 55 - Khimki 45
Crvena Zvezda 49 - Valencia Basket 51
ALBA Berlin 49 - Zalgiris 51
Panathinaikos 55 - Baskonia 45
Maccabi Tel Aviv 70 - ASVEL Villeurbanne 30
Zenit St Petersburg 46 - Real Madrid 54
Anadolu Efes 60 - Bayern Munich 40
Olympiacos 51 - AX Armani Milan 49
FC Barcelona 58 - CSKA Moscow 42

[Gershon Temerov]

Fenerbahce - Khimki 65-35
Crvena Zvezda - Valencia Basket 50-50
ALBA Berlin - Zalgiris 55-45
Panathinaikos - Baskonia 60-40
Maccabi Tel Aviv - ASVEL Villeurbanne 57-43
Zenit St Petersburg - Real Madrid 40-60
Anadolu Efes - Bayern Munich 59-41
Olympiacos - AX Armani Milan 45-55
FC Barcelona - CSKA Moscow 60-40

[ronmercer80]

It seems that due to injuries (Casspi and Black) Sferopoulos could utilize Caloiaro. For the time being he will be convocated and the coach said that he might play for some minutes.

[R1ou]

What is going on in Zvezda-Valencia game?

[vivo]

2nd quarter of our game:
Fener 16 - 17 Timma

[Gman365]

2nd quarter of our game:
Fener 16 - 17 Timma

Fener actually shooting the ball pretty good......The D hasn't been great...Not terrible but just not great.....

[EverGreen]

Why has the game stopped in Belgrade??? Over 20 mins now!

[EverGreen]

Kurtinaitis proves he's not smart. Fener are with a 9 man squad and instead of playing in the paint to load Fener with fouls they are shooting 3's like a contest 20 (2p), 20(3p). How dumb is the man? Fener has committed only 6 fouls in 25 mins.

[Gudura]

What is going on in Zvezda-Valencia game?

Led screen score board and timers died....50 minutes since they were trying to fix it

[Gman365]

Fener actually shooting the ball pretty good......The D hasn't been great...Not terrible but just not great.....

More energy on D for Fener in the 2nd half....The building is rocking now....

[EverGreen]

Led screen score board and timers died....50 minutes since they were trying to fix it

Thanks.

[Gman365]

Kurtinaitis proves he's not smart. Fener are with a 9 man squad and instead of playing in the paint to load Fener with fouls they are shooting 3's like a contest 20 (2p), 20(3p). How dumb is the man? Fener has committed only 6 fouls in 25 mins.

That's not who they are though.....They live and die by the 3...That's their identity....

Should be exciting in Athens today with Rick back in charge....Have fun .....

[vivo]

Fener actually shooting the ball pretty good......The D hasn't been great...Not terrible but just not great.....

Agreed. But effort is there, and players were smarter in the 3rd quarter on defense, we forced Khimki to chuck bad shot after bad shot.