The 32-year-old was on top form in Round 34
Isaiah Canaan warns Barcelona: ‘Get out of our way!’
Article
3 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 34 of 34
Group Regular Season
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After firing his Olympiacos Piraeus team to a fifth-placed finish and a mouthwatering upcoming playoff duel with FC Barcelona, Isaiah Canaan delivered a very clear message.
The veteran shooter was on fire from the opening minutes of the regular-season finale against Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, scoring a trio of three-pointers in the first seven minutes and then netting 9 points in the last two minutes of overtime to seal an 84-81 thriller.
Canaan, who finished the game with 27 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field, sounded confident as he looked forward to the postseason, saying: “It's all about picking up momentum towards the end of the season. It’s going to take everybody to get to our goal.
“We had a lot of ups and downs, a lot of injuries all season long. For the first time we’ve got pretty much everybody healthy, and we wanted to close the season on a high note and take that into the playoffs.”
A message for Barcelona
And although the task of facing Barca – who beat Olympiacos twice in the regular season – is far from easy, Canaan certainly isn’t ready to back down from the challenge as he added: “If you’re with us, buckle up. If you’re not, get out of our way. We’re going to try to give it everything we’ve got.”
Canaan will be well remembered by Barca fans after ‘shushing’ the Palau Blaugrana during his time with UNICS Kazan in December 2021, sparking a dramatic comeback by the Spanish team.
That page of history will add just another element of explosiveness to a high-powered matchup, and Canaan is definitely ready to take center stage, concluding: “I’m a competitor. I just try to do whatever I can to help my team win the game.”
Buckle up and get ready, indeed.