Hapoel Tel Aviv Faces Tough EuroLeague Test Against Panathinaikos
Translated & summarized from Sport5 by baba
Hapoel Tel Aviv will play Panathinaikos in Greece after defeating Besiktas. Coach Dimitris Itoudis will face his former mentor, Željko Obradović, who coaches the undefeated Panathinaikos. Itoudis stated Panathinaikos is built to win it all, while forward Zach LeDay emphasized Hapoel's focus for the difficult game. Obradović downplayed the personal matchup, calling Itoudis his "brother."
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Hapoel Tel Aviv faces undefeated Panathinaikos in a difficult EuroLeague game in Greece.
- Hapoel coach Dimitris Itoudis will meet his former mentor, Željko Obradović, coach of Panathinaikos.
- Itoudis described Panathinaikos as a team built to win the competition.
- Forward Zach LeDay stressed Hapoel's need for 40 minutes of focus.
- Obradović called Itoudis his "brother" and downplayed the personal aspect of the game.
Following a significant victory over Besiktas, Hapoel Tel Aviv has traveled to Greece to face the undefeated Panathinaikos in a challenging EuroLeague matchup. For Hapoel's coach, Dimitris Itoudis, this game holds personal significance as he will once again confront Željko Obradović, with whom he worked closely for many years.
Itoudis described Panathinaikos as a team built to go all the way, noting their aggressive play on both ends of the court. "We will need to deal with their physicality, but at the same time try to control the tempo, get good shots, and win the rebounding battle," he stated.
Hapoel forward Zach LeDay expressed the team's focus, highlighting their recent wins against Valencia in the Israeli league and Besiktas in the EuroLeague. "Now we come completely focused to one of the toughest games this competition has to offer," LeDay said. "We will need to be focused for all 40 minutes and give our best."
Earlier, Obradović addressed his relationship with Itoudis, who served as his assistant coach for a long time and developed a close bond. Obradović emphasized that the game is not about him versus Itoudis, but rather Panathinaikos versus Hapoel. "You know my relationship with Dimitris, and I don't think I need to repeat it. We are very close, he is my brother. We will surely meet today, and that's it," he commented.
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