Basketball
Papanikolaou: “AEK played with a few tricks in our heads”
Costas Papanikolaou explained that AEK had a difficult time with Olympiakos with their tricks, but in the end the team’s personalities showed and cleaned the game.
Olympiacos saw AEK return from -18 but ended up winning 76-70 in the 2nd semi-final of the Greek Cup Final Four, with Costas Papanikolaou admitting ‘Union’ had a tough time with the ‘reds and whites’.
The international striker stood in the lurch of AEK, stressing that the Piraeus team got carried away by the slow pace of the ‘Union’ before the team’s personalities finally spoke.
Costas Papanikolaou explained in detail:
For the match against AEK: “theif a strange game. AEK played with our minds and pulled it off with a few tricks in the beginning. Then we found a rhythm, but in the 4th quarter we lost the rhythm again. It’s a semi-final and anything can happen. AEK tried to fill the lack of key players with a slow pace and also lowered our pace. I think we got their rhythm wrong instead of pushing.
We allowed AEK to set its own pace instead of imposing ours. If you match your opponent’s pace, you will lose rhythm in attack and lose phases in defense. We missed a few more shots and that’s why the game turned. But the personalities of the team spoke there.
On the final with Panathinaikos: “It’s a game. In 40 minutes we get the first title of the year. The finale is judged in moments, in detail, in small pieces.
Every game is different. The finals will be judged on who has a better night to get the maximum and get as many things as possible.
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