Panathinaikos BC AKTOR travels to Istanbul on Thursday afternoon (12/12) for the away game against Anadolu Efes Istanbul (13/12, 19:30), as part of the 15th round of the EuroLeague regular season.
The team’s head coach, Ergin Ataman, spoke about the away game, stating: «This is a very important game for us. Anadolu Efes Istanbul, especially at home, plays with great confidence to win. We are obligated to play good defense, as they have excellent perimeter players in their offense».
On his part, Panagiotis Kalaitzakis emphasized: «It’s going to be a very tough game. We all know that in recent games, we haven’t delivered the results we wanted. Nevertheless, we have to enter focused, with defense as our guide above all. In recent games, we’ve been allowing 85 and 90 points, and we haven’t been performing well away from home—not just in Europe but also in Greece. When we play away, we’re not focused and end up fighting for the game in the final possessions. We must bring energy, start the game well, and avoid finding ourselves chasing the score again. Concentration, defense, and more defense!»
When asked about the absence of Kendrick Nunn for the upcoming game, Kalaitzakis replied: «Of course, when you lose your best player, the engine of your team’s offense, it’s a big blow. All of us must step up. It’s a motivation for those of us coming from behind. As I said earlier, we need to stay focused. It’s a big loss, but let’s not forget that at the beginning of last season, we didn’t have Kendrick either, and we managed to achieve some big wins. It’s not about one player; we all need to contribute. His absence hurts us, and we wanted him with us, but this is who we are. We must stay motivated. Victory is the only way».
Regarding the defensive approach to Shane Larkin’s game, Kalaitzakis stated: «With players like him, whose offensive talent is well-known, the best defense is not to let them receive the ball. From the very first minute, you have to play ‘deny.’ Offense in basketball, for better or worse, always has the advantage. Good offense always beats good defense, especially with players like Larkin, who, if they start the game strong, are unstoppable. Defense is a team effort. We know what we need to do, stay focused on the plan, and try to neutralize every strength of Anadolu Efes Istanbul».
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