GRE - FRA SEMI-FINAL

[Sharpos]

Ok, lets not jump the gun and think this game is already won just beacuse we whoop the french in the group stages. This is an entirely different team we're up against now. They have gathered a lot of selfconfidence knocking out such power houses as Serbia and Lithuania. I hope that our ethniki has learned the lesson of not underestimating opponents. I dont think none of us here at Phantis will settle for bronze now, right?

Lets relive last summer all over again! :tup:

[Aggouri]

Well said Sharpos!

We must not underestimate the French.

[loup]

we need to play our top d - if we do we will likely win

great time

great entertainment

great team

[Aggouri]

Oi galloi ta exoun parei panw tous...

Opws diavasa se kapoia gallika sites, mas exoun gia sxetika efkolH omada. Se kammia periptwsH den exoun milHsei thetika gia tHn amyna mas...Tetoia yperopsia mono oi galloi tha mporousan na exoun.

Efxomai na fane 15ara pali gia na to voulwsoun epitelous. Mou tH dinoun sta nevra!

[mpasketikos]

for some reason the french are always arrogant. This can only work to our benefit. On the other hand our game is rather predictable and unless we have another performance like papalouka's performance tonight we 're going to struggle. Do you guys think we deserve to go all the way in terms of the quality of our game? 64 points/game? It reminds a bit of Limoz of Bozidar malkovich from a few years back now when they won the european league. they put all the emphasis on defence, destroying the opponent's game.

[Olympiakosthyra7]

:gr: :gr: :gr: :gr: :gr: :gr: :gr:

HELLAS

Pame yia repeat

since 1987

niki

niki

amin

[Aggouri]

I think that we deserve to go at least to the final. We play team basketball just like we played team football in Portugal. The other teams might be more flashy, but no team in the world can win something without a powerful defence.

Also, I really like the fact that people say we are predictable. Actually, WE ARE NOT!!

The only thing that is steady from the start of the competition is the AMAZING DEFENCE.

Otherwise:

1) vs France (DiamantidHs)

2) Slovenia (hmmm... maybe SpanoulHs,ZHsHs who gave us a small chance near the end -it was too late when we woke up)

3) Bosnia (FwtsHs, TsartsarHs, DiamantidHs)

4) Israel (ZHsHs)

5) Russia (Papaloukas, NtikoudHs)

Papadopoulos played generally well, however we have managed to win even when he is shut down.

Moreover, if you look at other teams, they can be more predictable than us. For example, Germany heavily rely on Nowitzki.

Finally, by making people think we are predictable, we have a huge advantage. Let's hope the French stay arrogant. They will definitely lose if they take us lightly.

[loup]

aggouri - great post and better name

mpasket - you are right - this team is very similar to the soccer team - o a different player each game steps up - hopefully one does vs. France

I've said this before but I'll say it again the team defence is remarkabel so active so quick so destructive as someone else said

2 more - lets do it :gr:

[billydagreek]

offense wins games, defence wins championships.....this team is awesome even with 64 points a game but they are holding their opponents to less points than that and thats what matters........honestly though if we can beat france we will win though whole thing....France is a great team and i think because we whooped them people underestimated them.....but they will come out firing and Parker will be key, also their defense has been ten times better than when we played them....after all that said , ###### parker and the french....Viva Grecia.........

[NYC_Olympiakos]

i am rarely in here

but wut a significant win today for us

our defense was tremendous to say the least

but we can't celebrate our win v Russia cause now we play France

France is a good squad i mean they beat the defending champions in Lithuania

so we will have our hands full for this game

but we are a great 3 point shooting team and we show great defensive pressure

if our frontline holds up were good

lets beat the French

[Grigoris]

I'm sure we are all thinking about being European champions simultaneously in both football and basketball. Of course, the question comes to mind: has this ever been accomplished before? Well, the answer is: yes. The USSR were Eurpoean basketball champions in 1959 and European football champions in 1960. They managed to defend their basketball championship twice (in 1961 and 1963) during their four year reign as European football champions. [Note: The European basketball championship is every 2 years while the football championship is every 4 years.] Amazingly, the USSR were Eurpoean basketball champions from 1957 through 1971 - 8 championships in a row.

Also, Italy were world champions in football (1982) and European Champions in basketball (1983), but they were not European champions in football concurrent with their European basketball championship.

That being said. we're still 2 games away from matching the former USSR's accomplishment of being European champions in both football and basketball. A pretty amazing feat if we can pull it off.

[rodoj]

Damn, I'm starting to feel like ol'man Scrooge here but:

a. we need to start making our outside shots, esp. our 3 pointers just to spread the French out. Too often we are trying to drop the ball in which will not work with the French who have tall adn quick big men.

b. what kills me is the lack of dunks by Kakiosis, Papadopoulos and others when they actually do make it close to the basket. It is a higher % shot that the drop in which takes more finesse and is suspectible to blocks.

c. Foul shooting has been horrendous and will need to improve dramatically for us to sustain any lead that we earn.

On the other hand:

a. I like the fight in the players and the interchangeable parts that we have. Against Russia we went to a smaller lineup and yet our defensive intensity and productivity in the paint went up.

b. Yiannakis has done a good job of coaching this young team and needs to continue to motivate them particularly as their nerves will now be on edge given that they are one game away from the final. He should remind them that we beat France and we could do it again.

I like our chances.

[drakos13]

its a shame Giannakis couldnt have the team ready like this in the Olympics......

we deserve a final...but we will probably meet Spain or Slovenia again.......and that will be a challenge. at least the frogs got rid of lithuania. Lithuania scored only 47 points so im pretty sure it just wasnt there day.....

[plato-ny]

In the final four fore the 7th time in history.

We beat France in division play. But, can we beat them a second time?

Also, Lithuania was the current champ and strongest team but France beat them. This game will be more difficult than we think.

[Grace]

Well,definetely France will be harder to win than at the begining of the tournament.But:

France isn't a super team.They won Serbia which wasn't in agood condition in this Eurobasket.When they lost to French,Obradovic was crying because he couldn't stand anymore the bad relationships between his players(they even hit each other in a previous game)so he quit!And Lithouania??They didn't make a single appearence showing that they're the champions and they'd fight for this cup!

It's certain though,that France has an extra motivation against us but as far as I know we beat them once and we can do it again!!!!!!

We have a great TEAM and unlike France we don't have only one leader or MVP but in each game someone else can do the difference!!! :tup:

You know what though?All these is just talking....We have to prove ourselves sto parke!!!! B)

One more thing that I've read somewhere:In the games that we faced France all of these years until now,we have 17 wins and 1 loss.... :gr: :gr:

[MikeS]

Boris Diaw and Lorenz Pietrus are now in form when a week ago they weren't. They will have to be stopped. Tony Parker is Tony Parker but if you can stop his teammates, you stop him.

Thankfully, Greece should have an easier time scoring in the paint than they did against Russia. Hopefully their free-throw shooting will continue to improve. It was better against Russia but it was still a horrible 65%.

I would say Greece is a small favourite but it won't be easy.

Good luck, Ethniki. :tup:

[OriginalAEK]

2004 it was Zidane and Henry.....2005, the victims will be Parker and Pietrus. OEEE, ELLAS OLE OLLEEE!! :gr: :gr: :gr:

[Aggouri]

Two quick things:

1) The danger of adapting your team's defense to one player can clearly be shown by the quarter final game between Germany and Slovenia.

Oi Slovenoi (pou pistevw oti einai kwlopaida) "roufHksan" ta triponta twn Roller k Ntemirel. Nice win Germany! To efxaristHthHka!

2) Notice how the teams that directly qualified for the quarter finals get beaten? Let's see if Spain can avoid this... Basically, I was sure that the Slovenians did us a favour by beating us. Everything is about continuity. Four days without a game is too much! (it's a good thing the French played on the same day as us!)

3) I hope that France still think that they can stop us just by trying to take Papadopoulos out of the game. If we play good perimeter defense and we get all the defensive rebounds, then we 'll dictate the game's rythm. :gr:

[loup]

Ellas Germany France and ???? (the game is in overtime as I write this)

We have a pretty good shot I think

I just checekd out the box score from the 1st time we played - and the Frenchies were 1/12 froom 3-pt land - we can't expect that again so it should be a dog fight

I missed game 1 - is there any sinstight from someone who saw it

I'm psyched :gr: :gr: :gr: :gr: :gr: :gr: :gr: :gr: :gr: :gr:

[mpasketikos]

Guys here is an interesting statistic

In the last 20 games against the french we claimed 17 victories and only lost 3 friendly games.

Stats is the best way to lie they say but in this case i think the trend is quite clear.

Now, i enjoyed reading the posts on this topic, the forum members have interesting, some times well supported views, here is what i think

1. free throws: we are aaauffuulll!!! we need to improve

2. defence: top quality - amazing

3. scoring: the team has shown a rare quality in terms of scoring. What would you say if prior to the hellas-russia game someone told you that Papadoupoulos would remain pointless and diamandidis would only score 2pts with bad stats and that we would only score 66pts. Would you have ever guessed that we would win the game???

This is giannaki's second service with the national team, the first being below expectations beyond a doubt. This time however he is near perfect in the way he's steering the team through the games. Very good coaching indeed!

We managed to beat the french in the qualifying rounds easily and this is why i'm now a bit worried. Are we going to take them for granted? I hope not

later chaps :gr:

[Iliana]

I think we will beat them, but let's hope our players won't do the mistake and underestimate the French!!

good luck!! :gr: :tup:

[pittman13]

MOOOVED FROM THE TV SECTION!!!

THA PARUME TO EVROPAIKO!!!!

TRIFILAR.... DOH! I MEAN, ELADARA, SAGAPO O O !!!!

hope the frenchies will not take revenge on the euro 2004, eki pu mas tzuzi pio poli, sto bball!!!!

(bec as you already know, in football, Greece has a long time tradition, and not to mention, that the.... its like this and like that naoum!!! TREEEEEELA)

im scared of the frogs to tell you da truth!!! (i have a bad feeling, 4 once... hope im wrong!!!) (kala nde, min varate!!!!)

FORZA GREECE!!!!

GO DRAKOS!!!

ole

PS. GALIA: IKOSSI XRONIA PELATES (make it 21 please...)

[Wallofsoccer88]

WHAT A GAME!! I was watching the 2nd half on TV and we came back down about 8 points with 2 minutes left and won! Diamantidis hit a 3-pointer with 3 seconds left to win the game 67-66. Some god awful free-throw shooting by both teams in the final minutes, but we pulled it out.

We play the winner of the Germany-Spain semifinal, who play at 3 PM EST (east coast USA).

Note, you can catch the other semi final and the final (Sunday 3 PM EST) live on NBA TV in the United States. It should be avliable on Direct TV, Dish Network, and several cable companies (including Comcast the one I have).

FORZA ELLAS :tup: :box: :nw: :gr: :gr: :gr: !

[pittman13]

I wAS WROOOOOONG!!!!

DEN VALATE MIALO

DEN VALATE MIALO

PUTS* STIN PREMIERA KIE STON TELIKO!!!!!!!!!!

j encule la france et les francais

ITS THE FINAL COUNTDOWN!!!!!

[Sharpos]

IN FRIGGIN SANE I TELLS YA!!! :LOL: :LOL: :LOL: :LOL:

:gr: :gr: :gr: :gr: :gr: :gr: :gr: :gr: :gr:

This was picked right out of some hollywood basket movie. Except the heroes wouldnt have been down 8 points when less than 2 min left.

ALL THE WAY NOW!!!!!