By Stefan Acevski / info@eurohoops.net
The last ticket for the Final Four in Athens will be awarded in Game 5 in Valencia.
After four crazy games and four breaks, Valencia will host Panathinaikos in a match that will decide who will join Olympiacos, Fenerbahce, and Real Madrid in the Final Four in Athens
Ergin Ataman spoke about the big match, his players, and the refereeing:
“Now both teams know each other very well. Valencia is a very good team. We have shown our quality and experience in the first two games. We will try to play our best, I have confidence in our players, they are great and have character. We need to show all our ability on the court to qualify.
The two games we won were very different from each other. In the first, we played very good defense, stopping their fast break. In the second, we had a perfect offensive performance. In the 3rd and 4th, we failed to stop Valencia’s transition, they imposed their strategy. It is important to implement our strategy on the court, which we only did in the first game,” said the Turkish coach.
Regarding the refereeing trio, he specifically said:
“About the referees, I would like to say that we must forget what happened in the previous games. Now I see that there are three great referees in this game, I consider them the most successful of the season. We didn’t want any calls, just to see a fair game so that the best team wins. I trust these three referees. They have performed well, whether in games we won or in those we lost. We must focus on our game because if we lose, what can we do? I believe these three referees will try their best, just like my players.”
He added that they have to accept the two defeats, but to be ready to win in Valencia.
“I advise my players to have confidence, to play our basketball. The Valencia players do not have much experience, but they showed great character in front of 20,000 of our fans. I want to thank the fans for their support. As Panathinaikos, we are ready to win, but sometimes we have to accept that we lose. We have to accept the two defeats, but now we are ready to win in Valencia.“