Skourtopoulos: “We played very well in defence”
Following the crucial victory against New Zealand at the 2019 FIBA World Cup, both Thanasis Skourtopoulos and Nick Calathes spoke to the media.
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It wasn’t easy at all, but with Giannis Antetokounmpo achieving a double-double, Greece edged past New Zealand 103-97 to seal a place in the second round of the World Cup in China. The Episimi Agapimeni will now prepare to play the USA and the Czech Republic in Group K.
Thanasis Skourtopoulos noted the difficulty of the game: “It was a difficult game for us, because we lost to Brazil in the last match,” stated Skourtopoulos in the press-conference. “We had to win tonight, and we were playing against a very dangerous team. New Zealand had some open court and a lot of dangerous threes. If you don’t play with concentration for 40 minutes they can hurt any team, not just us. I think that we were very good in defence today, we decided to use a switching approach. It worked a lot. We controlled the rebounds and had a very good night offensively. Our 1-on-1 situations and pick-and-rolls worked well, this is why it’s a high score.”
“This is a successful result for us, we have qualified for the next round,” continued the Greek coach. “We have to be 100% ready for both the USA and the Czech Republic in order to secure our qualification to the knockouts. The Czechs are a very serious team, they showed that against the Americans. It is a bit surprising that the Czech Republic beat an experienced Turkish team. The US still have a great roster even without some star players, and their coaches are more than great. We must be fully ready to play against them.”
“Giannis is the superstar of this team and everyone knows what he can do, but we have to protect him because of his health,” said Skourtopoulos when asked about the form of Giannis Antetokounmpo. “We had to take care of the amount of time he plays. He understands the mentality of the American team, so it’s time for him to play more.”
Nick Calathes also shared his views with the press: “This was a good win in a knockout game for us, and the next two matches are also knockout ones,” revealed the Panathinaikos star. “New Zealand have a very unique team, they run and shoot threes. They play a different style to other teams, and they gave us everything they had. I think that we did well in defence, even if we allowed them a couple of three-pointers. Our switching hurt them a bit. Giannis took over the game offensively, and Ioannis hit some big threes for us in the third quarter. We’re happy to go to the next round.”
“Obviously, like I’ve said before at this tournament, we go as far as Giannis goes,” replied Calathes when answering a question concerning the need to beat the USA and the Czechs. “He makes a big impact both offensively and defensively. We’ll be ready to go, we’re not afraid of anyone. The US have the best team at the tournament right now, so we will be prepared with the right mindset. The Czech Republic have confidence after beating Turkey. They are two tough opponents and this is a new tournament for us now.”
