By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
A tight game opened the best-of-five series between Olympiacos and Panathinaikos, to decide Greece’s Basket League champion.
Following the Game 1 loss Sunday, the Greens released a statement Monday addressing the referees and also the incidents marking the arrival of the team at the Peace and Friendship Stadium also tabbed as SEF.
Determined to “earn what it deserves on the court,” was the opening point shared in the press release, additionally noting the team being “relentless when others attempt to steal from the effort of the players,”.
The Athens outfit went on to demand sanctions against “those determining the outcome of the games,” from the Hellenic Basketball Federation and the Referee Central Committee, authorities responsible for assigning the officials for Basket League games. “We demand equality,” underlined Panathinaikos.
“This is the third Basket League game opposite Olympiacos decided by refereeing crimes for all Greece to see,” added the statement bolding the word ‘crimes’ to connect with the Greens ‘running out of patience,’.
Regarding the items thrown at players and other team members at the entrance of SEF, Panathinaikos stressed “considering a heavy punishment as a given” from competent judges and the Hellenic Basketball Association, HEBA, the governing body in charge of Greece’s top-flight division since 1992.
Switching to the opposite venue, OAKA, the series is scheduled to continue with Game 2 Thursday. Back to SEF, Game 3 is set for Sunday. Games 4 and 5, if necessary, have been set for Thursday, 15 June, and Sunday, 18 June, respectively.