Obradovic: We must play well to stop their rhythm

Zeljko Obradovic and Panagiotis Kalaitzakis spoke shortly before Panathinaikos BC AKTOR's departure for Madrid, where the team will face Real Madrid (04/11, 21:45), as part of Round 10 of the EuroLeague Regular Season.
In his statements, the Greens' coach pointed out: “Every game in the EuroLeague is difficult. We have to play well. Real Madrid plays fast, and we also have to play well to stop their rhythm. We have to control our offense, not allow them to run and limit our turnovers. We have talked about this, and we have to do everything differently in the game against Real Madrid. Also, they say there is pressure in home games. People talk about the result. It is always a matter of character. In the game against Aris, we played well and I congratulated my players on their performance. We have to keep fighting. We had many turnovers in that game, and we have to reduce that number. I know the news about Campazzo, but they have enough quality on their roster to play well and cover the absences. Rogkavopoulos is not in a position to play with the team right now. We are taking it day by day, and he is still not in a position to help us.”
On behalf of the players, ahead of the matchup against Real Madrid, Panagiotis Kalaitzakis noted: “In general, we are going through a period in which we are not playing the basketball we want to play. We are not at the level we were at during the opening rounds. There are ups and downs during a season, and it is normal to go through such periods. What we have to do is believe in our abilities and return to winning ways. In basketball, when you face a team with great individual quality, especially in the EuroLeague, is very difficult to completely contain them. What we can do is play good defense. We have to be aggressive defensively, regain possession, get back quickly on defense and not allow easy baskets. I believe this is the foundation for finding our rhythm again on offense as well. It is normal to have ups and downs and moments when the team speeds up or slows down. It is not something that concerns us to the point of affecting us. We believe in our abilities and in the victories we can achieve. Until a week ago, before the game against Efes, we were first. We still are. We have faced Real Madrid several times, and last year we beat them twice. We feel good. Real Madrid has some absences, but even with those absences, they remain a very dangerous team. They are in excellent form and have been playing very good basketball recently. We know it will be a very difficult game, but we are going to Madrid to fight for the win.”