Thanasis Antetokounmpo: “We’ve been in tough arenas before – the key is to stick to our ga
Source: ProtoThema English
The Greek forward emphasized that as long as the national team stays true to its plan, it has every chance of punching its ticket to the semifinals:
“The most important thing is to follow the plan. That’s what matters for us. We’re improving, the plan evolves each time, and we always bring something new. Fresh faces are stepping up, just like our young guys now. What really matters is that we’re getting better with every game,” said Thanasis.
On the hostile crowd he expects in Vilnius:
“It doesn’t mean anything. Every guy on this team has played in tough games and hostile arenas. What really matters is staying locked in on our plan and keeping our focus.”
Asked about being one of the fans’ favorite players, he laughed:
“I smiled right away (laughs). Of course, it feels great, but the most important thing is that people don’t just see Thanasis, they see the team — how we inspire each other and what that means both on and off the court.”
On comparisons between Luka Dončić and Giannis regarding free throws:
“It’s unfair to compare the two players. It’s not about the players themselves — they’re not doing anything wrong. But this is a very competitive tournament, and things like that happen. The key is focusing on what we do.”
On Lithuania having an extra day of preparation:
“Now that you mention it, I realized it (smiles). But honestly, all we’re thinking about is what we have to do.”
On Greece’s sticker being placed on FIBA’s official board:
“It’s something nice, the first time they’ve done it. But the key for us is to focus on doing our job on the court and taking it step by step off it.”
On matching up with Jonas Valančiūnas:
“I can’t reveal the game plan (smiles). But we’ll need to play tough, stick to our style, and everything else will take care of itself.”
Lountzis: “We need to be ready and keep a clear head against Lithuania’s style of play”
Teammate Giannoulis Larentzakis also stressed focus and discipline ahead of the do-or-die game:
“We’re very focused on Lithuania. Our mind is only on the tactics and the plan. They’re a tough team, they crash the offensive boards hard, they play right on the edge of fouls and with tons of energy, so we need to be ready and keep a clear head to handle that style of play. We have to go out there to win and stay fully locked on our goal.”
On whether it’s his moment to score big:
“Whoever’s hot should score a lot. The point is to win. Who scores more comes second or third. The real prize is making the Final Four — that would be huge for our country and our team.”
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