Turkish coach Ergin Ataman of Panathinaikos commented on Paris’s playing style and his players’ complaints about the French defense after the game. Paris celebrated its first-ever EuroLeague victory, while Panathinaikos fell to 2-1 in the standings. Ataman stated in the press conference:
“Congratulations to Paris for their victory. For us, it was special to play in this arena. After so many years in the EuroLeague, I saw an unusual style of play, but they had an excellent performance. We made 17 turnovers and took poor shots. They had 17 offensive rebounds, which indicates we made mistakes on rebounds as well. It was a good game for the home team, and we couldn’t find our spaces on the court.”
Paris’s Playing Style
Regarding Paris’s playing style, he said, “They played a very fast game. They ran with the ball and shot within 5-6 seconds. Defensively, they were very aggressive. I haven’t seen this and can’t comment on the calls, but my players had many complaints. It was unusual. After so many years, I see this for the first time in EuroLeague.”
When asked about the players’ complaints, he replied, “I don’t want to say anything. The people understood what I meant.”
It is noted that Panathinaikos filed a protest after an unsportsmanlike foul was called, despite the play being stopped due to a technical foul issued to their coach, Ergin Ataman.
Brown: “It Wasn’t a Mental Issue; We Have Last Year’s Final in Mind”
Lorenzo Brown, in his statements after Panathinaikos’s loss to Paris, discussed what he believed caused the team’s failure and also talked about the upcoming match against Real Madrid.
“It was more than one mistake for sure. We didn’t play well defensively; we didn’t get many 50-50 balls. We didn’t rebound as we should have.
It wasn’t a mental issue. It’s a team that plays a different style of basketball; they play very fast. They took many risks with their shots, and they went in. It was something we should have been prepared for; we knew they would do this.
A game against Real always carries much more motivation. We will prepare; we have last year’s final in mind, and we will do our best to be ready.”
Not the Real Panathinaikos
Panathinaikos was far from being the team with high expectations, a “full” and quality roster, and ambitious goals at “Bercy.” Instead, they appeared much weaker than expected, suffering a loss that could impact their future in the EuroLeague. For Paris, this was a historic victory as it was their first in the competition.
The “greens” never got into the spirit of the game. They were mere spectators, following the pace set by Paris without any solutions, ideas, concentration, or clear-mindedness. The dynamic duo of Nadir Hifi (20 points) and T.J. Shorts (16 points, 7 assists) inflicted the most damage on the Greek team, with Panathinaikos paying for their numerous turnovers (15) and their failure to secure many rebounds, giving Paris 15 additional possessions.
No player from Panathinaikos made a significant contribution, as Nunn’s 16 points came while his team was chasing the game after only scoring 2 points in the first half. Lesor recorded 19 points and 11 rebounds but faced many issues at both ends of the court.
The Match: Paris – Panathinaikos
Panathinaikos committed many turnovers at the start of the game. Kendrick Nunn was out of sync, having committed three quick fouls, which Paris took advantage of. Although T.J. Shorts had issues against the Greek team’s defense, Nadir Hifi solved them and caused the most damage, leading Paris to a 7-0 run, turning a 7-9 score into 14-9 with 3:23 left in the first quarter.
Paris seized the game’s momentum, putting the European champions under pressure. The first quarter ended with a score of 21-19 in favor of the hosts, but the “greens” had already committed six turnovers. Their 3/5 from three-point range helped them avoid a larger deficit, with Lorenzo Brown scoring 7 points in the last three minutes of the first quarter.
Things worsened for Panathinaikos in the second period as the hosts began with a 16-6 scoring run, pushing the score to a double-digit lead of +14 (39-25 at 15′), creating many problems for the “greens” on both sides of the court. By that point, Panathinaikos had made 6/16 two-point shots and had committed 6 turnovers, while Paris had 10 assists and 2 turnovers with impressive shooting stats of 11/16 on two-point shots and 2/3 from three-point range in the second period.
Shorts contributed 5 assists, Malcolm took over scoring (3/4 from three), and Hifi (12 points) continued his strong performance, pushing the lead to 15 points (42-27). The worst part was Panathinaikos’s poor defense, allowing 42 points in less than 17 minutes of play. However, the Greek team reacted. Lesor took more shots, trying to draw fouls on Paris’s big men, which he largely succeeded in doing.
With a scoring run of 12-3, Panathinaikos cut the deficit to 6 points by halftime (45-39), with Kendrick Nunn finally scoring his first basket at the end of the half, finishing with 1/5 shooting, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, and 3 turnovers. Lesor was the top scorer for the “greens” with 11 points (3/4 from two-point range, 5/6 free throws, 4 rebounds, 3 assists), and Lorenzo Brown had a positive impact with 9 points.
In the first half, Paris (Hifi 12 points, Malcolm 10 points, Shorts 6 points – 6 assists) shot 12/19 on two-point shots, 6/17 on three-point attempts, 3/4 on free throws, while also holding a 12-5 rebounding advantage, with 11 assists, 4 turnovers, and 5 steals. In comparison, Panathinaikos had 8/18 on two-point shots, 4/9 from three, 11/13 on free throws, and 13-4 in rebounds, with 11 assists, 8 turnovers, and 3 steals by halftime.
At the start of the third quarter, Panathinaikos closed into a three-point deficit (47-44 at 31′), but they could not maintain it. Once again, Paris forced the “greens” into numerous hasty mistakes, allowing them to regain a 12-point lead (62-50) at 27′. This period saw Ataman’s team collapse once again. The only thing they managed was to cut the score to 69-59, showing a poor performance yet again. After the beginning of the final quarter, the Turkish coach stuck with a lineup of Nunn, Grant, Papapetrou, Juancho, and Lesor.
Nunn had some offensive bursts but couldn’t bring the team closer than five points (73-68 at 35′). Several bad and rushed decisions, along with missed rebounds, allowed Paris to control the game. Frustration also grew among the “greens” over some (non) calls, causing them to lose focus completely and ultimately the game.
As a result, Paris stretched the lead back to +12 (80-68) at 38′, officially concluding a nightmare evening for the Greek team.
DECISIVE MOMENT
The game was decided in the terrible start of Panathinaikos in the second quarter, resulting in a 16-6 scoring run by Paris, giving them a 15-point lead (42-27). The poor start in the third quarter also contributed, as instead of making a comeback, Panathinaikos watched the hosts go up by another 12 points.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Nadir Hifi was a constant “headache” for the Panathinaikos defense, finishing the game with 20 points, shooting 4/6 from two-point range, 3/7 from three, and 3/3 on free throws.
KEY CONTRIBUTORS TO THE VICTORY
There were solid performances from T.J. Shorts (16 points, 7 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals) and Colin Malcolm (14 points, 1/3 two-point shots, 3/6 three-point shots, 3/4 free throws).
EXPECTED MORE
Overall, Panathinaikos was out of sync, suffering a loss to the EuroLeague newcomer.
STRUGGLED WITH PERFORMANCE
Matias Lesor was the only one who tried to “save” the team, scoring 19 points with 6/9 from two-point range, 7/10 from the free-throw line, 11 rebounds, and 3 assists.
STAT OF THE GAME
Panathinaikos’s 15 turnovers, Paris’s good assist-to-turnover ratio, and their 56% shooting on two-point attempts alongside 15 offensive rebounds were key factors.
NEXT OPPONENTS
Panathinaikos will close its challenging week in Madrid against Real Madrid (October 17), while Paris will travel to Munich to face Bayern (October 17).
