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Oly defeated after 23 games

The defeat came at the worst possible moment and against the worst opponent. To make matters worse, Olympicaos are without their best player

Dramas were at the center of attention last week as they almost lost their coach. According to some websites, coach Marković had already arranged his cooperation with Aris but there was an unexpected turnaround and Marković stayed at Dramas. Marković himself explained this situation for the club website:

- My agent told me about the interest from Aris and I honestly don't know a coach who wouldn't take charge of such a big club. But in the end, my contract proved to be a too big obstacle and the deal will not go through for now.


It is not hard to assume just how popular this move will be in the dressing room. Luckily for Dramas, today's game against Olympiacos is irrelevant in terms of result as the defeat has been counted on for a while.


- This is a chance for our fans to fill the arena and see one of the best teams in Europe. We have to give our 100 % to continue with the good performances that we have been having lately and we will try to keep the game level as much as possible, even though we know it will be very difficult - said Marković.

Dramas have made another strange move during the summer and that was getting an American player as a point guard. Dante Sitggers used to play for PAOK and Apollon and he has had an average of 18 minutes and 6 points per game in his last stint in Greece, so the reason for bringing him into the team is unclear, as Brown and Jones call the shots there anyway. 

Stiggers will have his debut against the worst possible opponent as the European champions are coming to visit, or to be more precise, the wounded European champions. Olympiacos have suffered their first defeat of the season after 23 consecutive wins and in the worst possible way. The defeat against Panathinaikos is twice as painful and when it knocks you out of the Cup, one can understand why the team from Piraeus is not happy. 

- This defeat hurts a lot. We haven't adapted to the atmosphere and our foreigners have also succumbed to it and so did the referees. I mean, until the last minute, the free throw ratio was 25-4 for them. That's just not real - coach Bartzokas was fuming after the game.

There is no time to cry as they need to focus on the domestic league and the Euroleague and Olympiacos know that full well. The away game against Dramas won't be easy at all especially considering the fact that their best player Spanoulis and power forward Petway didn't come to this trip.

- It's hard to suffer such a defeat against the biggest rivals and in the battle for trophy. But the schedule is dense, there are many games and we mustn't think too much about what happened. We have to clear our heads, accept the facts that there is no Spanoulis and Petway today and do this game the best way possible - said center Simmons.

Most team accept the fast-paced basketball against Dramas which is imposed by their American point guards. You can't expect that from Olympiacos as they will look to win this one through defense especially without Spanoulis and Petway that are very important in offense. One can expect Oly to get the game into its tempo and get a routine win despite the absences and the mentioned shock after being knocked out of the Cup.

Even though Olympiacos have been very dominant this season and have had 23 consecutive wins, some of which have had a huge difference, I don't see this outcome happening today for several reasons. First of all, the shock they suffered when Panathinaikos knocked them out of the Cup which ended their run of wins will certainly affect their confidence and they won't play with such ease. The second important thing is the absence of Spanoulis who might not play much in the league but still carries the team in offense and his absence means quite a lot. Petway is also injured and his attacking game and speed in counters often makes the mentioned huge difference. Th rest of the team is mostly hard-working and doesn't have the flow and speed needed to crush someone in an away game, especially not a solid and talented team like Dramas. Oly won the game by 10 points last season and I don't see how they could win by 20 or more without Spanoulis.