By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Panathinaikos is flying out to Abu Dhabi to defend last year’s EuroLeague title, and Mathias Lessort is part of the squad — but whether he will play in Friday’s (23/5) semifinal against Fenerbahçe will be decided at the last moment.
Speaking from Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos,” Ataman clarified the status of the French center, saying he won’t take any chances:
“If we feel there’s a risk, he won’t play. He’s done some light training in recent days, and what we’ve seen has been positive. But that’s not the most important thing — we got here without Lessort. We have good players, and they’re all important. Our focus is on the Final Four and the semifinal.”
Ataman also added:
“Last year, we made the Final Four for the first time in 12 years, and there was huge excitement. This year, it feels a bit different. Olympiacos is a slight favorite because of the season they’ve had. We did beat them this year — not in the EuroLeague, but still. First, though, we’re looking at the game against Fenerbahçe.”
On the semifinal clash against Šarūnas Jasikevičius’ team:
“Beating Fener twice in the regular season doesn’t matter now. The Final Four is a totally different situation. It’s always tough to get here and even tougher to win the trophy,” Ataman concluded.