By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Maccabi Tel Aviv coach Oded Kattash commented on the complaints that Panathinaikos Athens expressed last week following the loss in Game 1 of the EuroLeague playoffs.
“I’m not surprised by the behavior of the Panathinaikos people, but it doesn’t affect me either,” said Kattash ahead of Game 3 Tuesday (30/4) per Sport 5. Apart from Panathinaikos, that released a statement on the Game 1 officiating, coach Ergin Ataman slammed the referees for some of their calls while guard Kendrick Nunn mentioned they “cleaned it [the whistle] up a lot” in Game 2.
“We have to concentrate on basketball and on a personal level I don’t let it get to me, but it doesn’t surprise me,” Kattash added. “Let’s hope the players will accept it in the same way.”
After getting the comeback win on the road in Game 1, Maccabi fell to Panathinaikos in Game 2 and now the series is tied at 1-1. The Greens were superior in the vast majority of the second game, courtesy of a stunning performance by Kostas Sloukas.
Maccabi couldn’t match Panathinaikos in Game 2 as the Yellows were missing leading scorer (17.9 points) and second-most-prolific passer (4.9 assists) Wade Baldwin, a key figure also in the Game 1 comeback that led to the win.
Baldwin exited the match in the fourth period with a hamstring problem. He sat out Game 2 and then traveled to Croatia to undergo intense treatment with the hope of being ready to play in Game 3.
“We have to wait until tomorrow, tomorrow he will undergo another MRI and we will know more,” Kattash mentioned. “He had another treatment today, we will see how he feels after training and tomorrow he will have another MRI And we will get a better opinion.”
Baldwin’s participation is an important aspect of the series but Kattash also wants to see his players putting on some extra effort and hustle on the floor that he believes were missing in Game 2.
“Wade’s absence is significant,” Kattash added. “I would feel more comfortable with a full roster, where we could spread the minutes. That means other players will have to share that work. We’re playing against some players with experience who did some damage in Game 2, but mentally, we didn’t break there and found a way to come back. There was a feeling that they were more aggressive and all the 50-50 moments were on their side.”