


It would be an understatement to say that Panathinaikos Athens head coach Dejan Radonjic turned up at the post-game press conference in a downbeat mood after the Greek side suffered a 91-92 home loss to Valencia Basket, courtesy of a buzzer-beating triple by Chris Jones.
With the Greens dropping to 8-16, Radonjic struggled to explain how his players let victory slip away from their grasp. Having led throughout the first half, Panathinaikos trailed in the third quarter before nosing ahead again in the home straight, largely thanks to the heroic efforts of Paris Lee and Arturas Gudaitis.
But a lapse of defensive concentration on Valencia’s final possession, coupled with 2 missed shots from the foul line in the last minute of the rip-roaring contest, put paid to the Greens' hopes of getting back to winning ways after some stinging defeats.
The poor run has piled pressure on Radonjic and his team, as they need nothing short of a miracle to finish in the regular season’s Top 8 and reach the playoffs.
“The first half was offensively quite good, but in the third quarter we conceded 27 points. We made so many mistakes and our focus was not good enough. Poor defense and, in the end, we missed 2 free throws in the last minute and they won after making a three-point shot,” a dejected Radonjic told reporters.
The Serbian made it clear he asked his players to refrain from fouling in the dying seconds, but the gamble didn’t pay off as Jones hit nothing but net from the beyond the arc.
“I asked them to play defense and not to foul. You can always have the debate what the best thing to do is, it was my decision and unfortunately they made that shot," stated Radonjic.
The setback will be especially disappointing for Lee, who posted a career high of 25 points, and Gudaitis, who registered the season’s personal best of 23 points and 10 rebounds.