Panathinaikos lost Game 4 against Valencia, with the series now tied at 2-2 and set to be decided in a decisive Game 5. But after the game, Ergin Ataman chose to open his press conference by addressing the officiating debate and the comments made by Valencia’s coach after Game 3.
“For sure you will have questions after, I will answer, but I start with another thing,” Ataman said. He then referred to the previous press conference: “Yesterday their coach made a press conference and announced that in the third game, all of this scenario after I got the technical foul, after he got a technical foul and the disqualification, was because in the first two games I took two technical fouls during the game and I changed the game, because after that the referees helped us to win the game.”
Ataman strongly rejected that interpretation: “What does it mean that the referees helped us win the game? Any penalty? No.” The Panathinaikos coach also pointed to the fines he has received this season: “If I talk strongly with the referees today, for sure, like all year, I will pay. Until now I think I have paid €35,000 in penalties. So what kind of penalty did they give for this statement?”
The Turkish coach did not go into detailed technical analysis of the officiating, but repeatedly invited everyone to rewatch the game: “Everybody watched the game tonight. The only thing that I don’t want to—go home and watch the game, watch the game again.” He added: “I know the mistakes, the technical mistakes that we made, but go home and watch the game again.”
Ataman also described his disbelief at what he had seen: “At halftime, for the first time in my career, I said something like this. In 25 years of my coaching career, these kind of strange things I saw for the first time.” Then came the irony on the series score: “Anyway, it’s 2-2. We won two games there with referee’s help, they won here two games, nothing. The referees were very, very kind referees. Very kind.”
He also mentioned the technical foul called on the Panathinaikos bench: “Technical foul for my bench because one guy was standing up all game. I told them: okay, you gave us a technical foul, but watch Valencia’s bench. There are always two coaches, three coaches standing up. Everybody together, and nothing.”
Despite his frustration, Ataman acknowledged Valencia’s win: “Okay, they won the game very fair, fairly. We will go there to play the fifth game.” But he closed by repeating his message: “I suggest to all of you to go and watch the game. Watch the game, watch the possessions. Of course, for the technical questions, I’m ready to answer.”
The series now moves back to Valencia for a fiery Game 5, with a place in the EuroLeague Final Four on the line.
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