A big matchup with a playoff feel will see fourth host sixth as Panathinaikos (15-10) welcomes Fenerbahce (15-10).
Sarunas Jasikevicius, Fenerbahce: 'Going to OAKA is a very difficult task'
Seasons
3 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 26 of 34
Regular Season
Panathinaikos AKTOR AthensPAO
7463
Fenerbahce Beko IstanbulFBB
Overview
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The Turkish team claimed a commanding victory when the teams met in Round 3, with 15 points from Georgios Papagiannis leading the way to an 83-69 success. He and the red-hot Johnathan Motley, who has five consecutive games of double-digit scoring, will look to give Fenerbahce the physical edge against a Panathinaikos team eager to bounce back from last week's loss at Zalgiris. The Greens have won five straight in Athens and will be able to count upon an electric atmosphere that will also be enlivened by two of the league's most demonstrative coaches, Ergin Ataman and Sarunas Jasikevicius.
Ergin Ataman, Panathinaikos head coach
"There are no EuroLeague teams that did not lose games, even in their domestic leagues. We played without a few players in our last domestic game. The most important thing is that these are the last 9 games in the EuroLeague. The standings are clear: we are in the same situation as Fenerbahce. We lost the first game against them, but both teams have changed quite a bit. This will be a new game, we will have to play our basketball. Fenerbahce is a great team, but we have to be ready to be playing at home, as we do all EuroLeague games."
Sarunas Jasikevicius, Fenerbahce head coach
"We are expecting a very difficult game. Panathinaikos is having a great season. Going to OAKA is a very difficult task. For us it is extremely important not to lose the balls, not to have too many turnovers. Panathinaikos is great at forcing their opponents to that and getting on the fast break. Obviously controlling their guards and Lessort will be crucial."
Kendrick Nunn, Panathinaikos player
"We want to come out focused and get back on the winning page. We had great practices. We have to come out physically and mentally ready to get a win out of this game."
Tarik Biberovic, Fenerbahce player
"We are aware of the importance of this game. Panathinaikos is a very good team and we know that they play much better at home. A challenging atmosphere awaits us. But we also trust ourselves and our team. It will definitely be a great game. In the EuroLeague, especially in this period, every away win is of great importance. We will fight for the win by sticking to our game plan for 40 minutes."