Karlik Jones Delivers a "Masterclass" Against Armani, Then Declares: "I'm Never Satisfied, I'll Let My Game Do the Talking!"
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You can follow the Partizan – Armani match live on Sportal.
Partizan controlled the score for most of the game, with Jones completely taking over in the final quarter. He was directly responsible for the black-and-whites' first 16 points in the last period – scoring eight himself and assisting on another eight.
After the game, he didn't hide his satisfaction with how the team opened the new season.
Man, I'm excited. It was an incredible team win and a great way to start the season. My teammates trust me, the coaches trust me, and that's how I play. I'm very motivated and extremely happy to be back in front of these amazing fans. All in all, a big win for us. Karlik Jones
Jones also commented on the videos of last season's moments that appeared before the new season, and whether this night felt different to him.
Those are just some incredible experiences I've had since I've been here. There's been a lot of talk about what kind of team we'll be, whether we'll be good, whether we'll be bad. We were just trying to build energy around the team. We love the fans and appreciate you more than ever, and we just want you to stick with us. That's all we ask. It's a new year, a new season. We have a great group of guys who are excited, who are ready to fight, and I want everyone to give us a chance.
The Partizan captain was also asked if he expected the team to look this good before the first EuroLeague game, or if it felt like the players had been playing together for several years.
Yes. I mean, I saw it in practice. I saw it in the first games too. We made mistakes, but what team doesn't? Our practices this week were incredible, we shared the ball, defended well, the coach was the coach. Everything was good, and it's no surprise that we came out and played hard for all 40 minutes and had each other's backs.
Partizan's victory over Olimpia broke a long streak, marking their first EuroLeague season-opening triumph since 2007. This was particularly significant for Jones, as he hadn't managed a first-round win in his previous two stints.
The feeling is incredible, especially for me. In the first two years, we didn't win, and, as you said, it feels good to break that curse. Who knows, man? Maybe this can be a positive thing for us. Maybe this is a turning point, and maybe we'll string together a few wins. You never know. We'll go game by game, but I'm glad we got this first one.
Finally, he also spoke about Partizan's EuroLeague rankings before the start of the season and the fact that some didn't rate the black-and-whites highly.
I'm motivated. I just said, I'm never satisfied, but they rank how they rank. They feel how they feel. Obviously, I feel differently, but I'll let my game do the talking.
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