By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
After guiding Panathinaikos Aktor to the Final Four of the 2024-25 edition of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, Ergin Ataman updated the recovery timeline of Mathias Lessort and projected him to be available for the championship-crowning tournament in Abu Dhabi.
“I expect Mathias Lessort to play in the Final Four,” he told Turkish news agency Anadolu Agency, “He has not started training with the team, but he is working well. He is being productive. I expect him to join the team next week.”
Lessort suffered a left leg injury and underwent surgery in December. He was initially set to remain sidelined for the next four months. Confirming progress, he followed the team on a road trip during a best-of-five series with Anadolu Efes.
“We spent almost three-quarters of the entire season without Lessort, the best center in Europe, and we have reached this point. This was a great success for us, but we need Lessort in the Final Four,” explained Ataman, “I hope he will be there with the team.”
Overcoming the absence of the 29-year-old center, the defending EuroLeague champions ranked third in the 2024-25 Regular Season of Europe’s premier club continental competition with a 22-12 tally. Facing Anadolu Efes in the Playoffs, the Greens ended up on the winning end of deciding Game 5 in OAKA Altion on Tuesday. On to the season-ending tournament, a clash with Fenerbahce Beko follows in Etihad Arena on May 23.
“I am not thinking much about the Fenerbahce game right now. It will be a very difficult Final Four. We played with Fenerbahce in the Semifinals last year. This is also destiny for me, to face Turkish teams,” pointed out the 59-year-old Turkish head coach of Panathinaikos.
“We will prepare. We will do everything to win,” he furthered, “Fenerbahce is also a very strong team. They had a good season. We will see. We beat Fenerbahce both in Istanbul and Athens this season. However, this is not equal to the Final Four. The team that deserves it will play in the Final.”
The other semifinal matchup is between Olympiacos and AS Monaco. The championship and third-place games are scheduled for May 25.