PAOK head coach Pantelis Boutskos spoke after the game against Peristeri and the team’s qualification to the FIBA Europe Cup semi-finals, stating:
“It is important that we managed to reach the semi-finals. It has special value, especially if we consider that for half a second in the game against Braunschweig we could have been out of the quarter-finals, and also if we take into account how good a team and how worthy an opponent Peristeri was, having won away games against Bilbao, Zaragoza, and Petkim.
It’s a bit unusual to have to respond in a game where you go in with a 24-point advantage, against a team that has nothing to lose, applies a lot of pressure, and plays freely while also shooting very well. We need to review our mistakes on video and analyze what we didn’t do well in the first half, and see how we can manage such situations better. Because a big team must be able to respond under pressure.
It’s a valuable lesson the way the game unfolded. We reacted in the second half with adjustments, changes in lineups, using two big men or smaller lineups. That was very encouraging. I would also like to wish a speedy recovery to Nikos Chougkaz, who is making a great effort and was very unlucky today.
We have a very demanding schedule ahead, with games almost every three days, so we also need to manage injuries as well.”

On how the team handled the large advantage from the first game and what changed in the second half:
“We hadn’t just won by 24 points, but we had also prepared for the game against Aris. When you spend so much energy to have the team ready both physically and mentally for a derby, and then at the last moment you have to redirect that energy to the next game, it requires a special approach. However, we had great respect for Peristeri.
With the two-big-men lineup, we saw something different in terms of spacing and how our offense could develop. We were calmer, more focused, and played more as a team, which was our biggest issue in the first half. From that point on, we were able to manage the momentum of the game properly.”

On the performance and presence of Patrick Beverley:
“Pressure is a very important part of the job. Pat is extremely experienced. My role is to discover the personality behind the player, to connect with the players, and give them the freedom to be themselves on the court, as well as the freedom to take initiative within a structured framework. When you create such an environment of continuous development and trust, you also build a winning culture that must carry through to the end.”