On the eve of the away game against Peristeri (Wednesday 17/03, 19:00), David Blatt spoke about his team’s need to win, despite the injuries of several key players.
“We go down to Peristeri for a game which is very important for both teams. The clock is ticking, there aren’t many games left and we must address each one of them with urgency. Peristeri is a quality team, which has had some very good results this season”, the American-Israeli coach said, before commenting on the injuries that his players are suffering:
“Every team has to deal with injuries in the course of a season. Lately, there have been quite a few injuries for us. Jerry Richardson is out, regarding tomorrow’s game, and we don’t know how long it will take until he recovers. Andrew Betts had a frightening episode on Monday, but it proved to be less important than it seemed at first. He’s a big man in more ways than one and hopefully he will be able to play. I’m a little more concerned about Miles and Kakiouzis, who have been playing despite being injured during the last weeks. They can’t perform at 100%, but they still play every time, because of their courage and character. Our medical staff is doing an excellent job and we hope that we will have as ready as possible, because we need them more than ever”.
Mr. Blatt added that “...even Aris, the ancient Greek god of war, got injured some time, according to a passage from the Iliad. It’s strange, because you don’t expect of a god to get injured. However, Aris the god of war kept fighting, in spite of that injury. This is what we must do, too”.
The 51-year-old coach also spoke about the “ingredients” which are necessary for a team to win away from home: “There are particular things one should do in away games, in order to win them. One must take good care of the ball and not turn it over too many times, they also have to rebound, and they must show character and adapt fast in an unknown environment. We are among the most fortunate teams, because our fans are unbelievable. However, we can’t carry Alexandrio with us in our away matches. What we must do, is to take the spirit of Alexandrio with us on the road. That’s something we are missing right now”.
