Fotios Takianos: “Our defense was not up to par”

Fotios Takianos, the head coach of «Astana,» commented on the match in Nizhny Novgorod.

«We were aware that we were facing an extremely tough game. On the one hand, we needed time to recover from a challenging journey; on the other, we aimed to play with maximum concentration since this game was crucial for us in terms of tournament standings.

Unfortunately, right from the start of the match, we made numerous mistakes in rebounding and allowed the opponent to get into their shooting groove. In the first half, Parma NN scored 11 three-pointers and created a comfortable lead for themselves. Clearly, our defense was not up to par.

In the second half, we tried to increase our offense, which resulted in the opponent only making one more long-range shot. The point difference narrowed slightly, yet we faced issues with an excess of fouls, and towards the end of the game, fatigue started to significantly impact our performance. 

If there's a positive takeaway from this match, it's the performance of our local players. They received ample time on the court today, acted diligently, and showed that they can significantly contribute to our team. I hope they will bring us even more benefits in the future, allowing us to play with a broader rotation.»