Bertram in Greece to close the series with Peristeri: entry to the Champions League Top 16 at stake. Squarcina's words
Fresh from their first seasonal goal with the Coppa Italia Final Eight in their pocket and the related quarterfinal that awaits them at the Inalpi Arena in Turin with the winter queen Germani Brescia, Bertram Derthona immediately has the chance to hit the second goal of their 2024/25. Tomorrow, Tuesday 14 January, at 18:30 Italian time at the Andreas Papandreou Indoor Hall in Peristeri, a municipality in the immediate hinterland of Athens, the black and white team will go hunting for the decisive point against Peristeri Domino's to close the Basketball Champions League Play-In series early and thus obtain for the first time in their history the passage to the Top 16 of the top European competition for FIBA clubs.
With the repeat of the home victory in Game-1 last Tuesday (69-59) the Tortona Lions would gain access to Group I of the second phase, where the already qualified Wurzburg and AEK Athens await them and where Promitheas Patras also has the chance to access tomorrow, awaited by the home match-point in its Play-In against Karsiyaka after having conquered the Turkish field in the first act. By winning in Greece, the team coached by Walter De Raffaele would save itself the effort and the lottery of the "deal" on Wednesday 22 January at the PalaEnergica Paolo Ferraris in Casale Monferrato, thus making an appointment for the European cup on Tuesday 28 January, the start date of the second phase.
THE OPPONENT: Coach Georgios Limniatis' Peristeri enters Game 2 after losing last Saturday's home game against Maroussi (81-86), played behind closed doors, remaining in eighth place in the Greek standings (5 wins, 9 losses) and collecting their fourth consecutive defeat between the league and the BCL. Early in the match, they also had to contend with the injury to Avdalas, who had 9 points and 5 assists in 34 minutes in Game 1 at Casale, meaning the talented 2006 player, under observation by the NBA, could be doubtful for tomorrow's match. However, the Greeks have recovered experienced American guard Tobin Carberry and introduced newly arrived Serbian-Greek forward Vlado Jankovic.
WHERE TO WATCH IT ON TV The race will be streamed live on DAZN.
STATEMENTS “We are aware that game 2 will be different because they have some injured players returning and they will include the new acquisition Jankovic ”, is the assistant coach Iacopo Squarcina presenting the trip to Greece . "Due to the type of players returning, however, their rotations will be more extended rather than their style of play. So, on a hot court, we'll need to be better at imposing a certain type of physicality that allows us to both hold our ground defensively and increase the pace on offense, trying to win more possessions, more easy baskets, and forcing their big men to run the court. All of this with the intention of opening up space for our outside players, not just for three-pointers but with the patience to create something more, attacking the paint and unloading outside, even finding shots in the opening seconds, but with the idea of sharing. Peristeri ," he continues, " is a court where the crowd can be heard, but we must be aware that it's a very important match. Even in terms of impact, we'll need to play on these courts given the period ahead. We must play with the conviction of those who want to close out the series by trying to snatch a 2-0 lead tooth and nail."
