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Repeša: We need more energy

Milano had a chance to get rest this weekend because of the All Star, and finally practice with the full roster, which Repeša couldn't be happier about. If he managed to get the so-much-needed energy, and if Gentile is in the right mood, Milano will have it easy

Milano had a break because of the All Star weekend, which suited Repeša great. He's been struggling with injuries this entire season, and the filled up schedule, which didn't help him get the time for practices. Simon was the only one who was out for a few days because he won the three-pointers in the above mentioned revue competition.

The key will be in raising the team's defensive game because that's what Repeša complained about the most after losing to Alba. He said that the team lacked energy on the floor, and he should've gotten that now.

- In a short competition like this phase of the Eurocup, it's really important to keep the home floor intact. That's especially true for us after losing our first match in Berlin. We have to play with a lot more energy against Aris, throughout the entire 40 minutes, and I hope our fans will see that and fill up the arena today.

Alessandro Gentile will have much more to say today. He did play the last two matches, but his minutes were limited. His injury is a thing of the past now, and Gentile is completely ready: 

- Like all other Greek teams, Aris are very strong, they like basketball with lots of contact and their game is slow and organized. I'd point out Okar White who played for Virtus Bologna last season, and I know him very well. But, after losing in Berlin, we can only do with a win, and that's how we have to approach this.

If he is in the right mood today, Milano will have it much easier because Aris don't have a player who could guard him. Milano base everything in their defense when playing at home, and dominating the rebounds, which should be expected today. They're physically superior to Aris, and after the decent break, that strength and energy should show today.

Aris showed everyone that getting points in Thessaloniki won't be easy right from the first round. They left Neptunas with only five points in the first quarter, and were up by 20 after that, leaving no dilemma till the end. That convincing win relieved them of a big part of the pressure before playing away in Milano. A new win would really help them take a huge step towards the top 16.

The match against Kolossos was the beginning of Aris' four-away-matches run in two weeks. It wasn't the best start. Aris got their fourth championship defeat, mostly because of their humble offensive efficiency. The final 70 points could fool you, Aris scored 42 in the first 30 minutes, improved the impression in the final moments where they didn't really have a chance to turn the result around. Still, what they were really unhappy about was their defensive efficiency.

- We didn't follow the plan, primarily in the defense. This was one of our worst matches this season - Xanthopoulos said.

- Kolossos' backcourt shots had an important role today (13/28). We didn't play the way we wanted to, we have to close this chapter quickly and turn to Armania - the coach Priftis added.

Aris' goal is to leave their opponent with 70 points tops in every game, and that is their goal today, as well. They'll try to do that in a match of low numbers, similar to the way they won in Kazan. Since the Italian team are strong defensively, this could be a big battle for every point.

- We have to be focused and efficient defensively, and keep their offense at low numbers, so we would be competitive on their floor - Priftis announced the match where all of his players will again be at his disposal.

Kruno Simon is mostly a good choice for these kind of bets and interestingly, the number of points he finishes with this season isn't affected by whether Gentile plays or not. It is, however, affected by whether Milano play home or away. Simon hit 12, 11, 16, 17 and 14 points in European games home while finishing with 5, 7, 3, 9, 13 and 8 away. Simon is clearly more relaxed home and his shooting percentages are much better there. When Gentile is on the floor, Simon gets more uncontested shots as opponents' defenses focus on Gentile. Form is not an issue and also, Kruno won the All Star three point competitions last weekend. That's not something that will change his carrier drastically but things like that can affect shooters' confidence greatly. I think Kruno will go over this margin easily with 10 usual shots.