01 September, 2016
30 April, 2017
Vlado Jankovic (GRE)
11/11/2016
News
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Gameday 4 MVP Jankovic wants Aris to go full throttle every game

THESSALONIKI (Basketball Champions League) - Vlado Jankovic, the midweek hero for Aris in the Basketball Champions League, has some advice for his teammates and fans.

"We must approach every game as if it is a final and play the best basketball that we can play," he said.

That was how Jankovic approached Wednesday's game against Banvit and the Greek club needed every bit of his effort as it claimed an 84-78 victory. He was named the Gameday 4 MVP.

Jankovic finished with game highs in points (19), rebounds (10) and steals (3). The 26-year-old who began the season with Valencia Basket but has joined Aris on loan for the remainder of the campaign paid a big dividend with his performance.

Despite being with the club for just over a week, he got into a great rhythm.

"It was easy to adjust because my coach and my teammates helped me a lot to get ready for the next games," he said.

"It was a very difficult game after a big loss (to Olympiacos) in front of our home crowd so we needed to react." - Jankovic

Jankovic says it's too early for him to judge how strong the Basketball Champions League is since he has played in just one game. He does know, however, that at Aris, the players will be expected to win. The fans demand it.

Adding to the sense of urgency against Banvit was the fact that Aris had suffered a seven-point loss to Olympiacos in the Greek league just 48 hours before the game against the Turkish club.

"It was a very difficult game after a big loss in front of our home crowd so we needed to react," Jankovic said. "It was a very tough game (against Banvit) which nearly needed 40 minutes so we could judge who was going to win and who was going to lose."

The Aris crowd played a huge role in Wednesday's win

The passionate and demanding fan base can obviously be an asset for Aris if it gets behind the team the way it did on Wednesday.

"We got a lot of energy from our home court," Jankovic said, "and especially when we were losing by 10 points. We reacted very well and we played very strong defense."

Next up in the Basketball Champions League for Jankovic and Aris will be a clash with CEZ Nymburk in the Czech Republic on Tuesday.