Ergin Ataman and Jerian Grant spoke on behalf of Panathinaikos BC AKTOR ahead of tomorrow’s matchup against Real Madrid (03/02, 21:15) at Telekom Center Athens.

The head coach of Panathinaikos BC AKTOR stated: “We are ready to face one more big game against Real Madrid. It is, of course, a very important game because we are only one victory away from our season goal, and just one win behind Real Madrid, whom we beat in Madrid. Of course, tomorrow we again have some problems, as Kendrick Nunn will not play. He is one of the key players in our offensive system. However, I believe that with our energy, our defense, and the support of all our fans, we will find a way to win the game and reach the position in the standings that we deserve.

Finally, I would like to say to our fans that we are completely ready for this double week, where every game will be very important. And of course, I am sorry about yesterday’s loss against Aris, but as you can see, after a EuroLeague game, especially with important injuries, many players get tired. It is not easy to play every game at that level, but the team fought until the last minutes of overtime yesterday.

We must also give Aris the credit they deserve because they played very aggressively and created a very good atmosphere in Thessaloniki. They played a great game. As everyone can see in the EuroLeague, and also when you look at the standings in the ACB League, the Turkish League, and other leagues, many teams suffer many losses during the regular season.

Our team has done a great job over the last three years, losing only three games in total. In the first year, this team lost only one regular-season game, against Aris at home. So nothing changes regarding our goals. I understand that fans want to win every time, but this is sport and sometimes these things happen.

For this week and next week, we have another big game to reach our season goal, which is to finish in the top four of the playoffs and secure home-court advantage, just as we have done over the last two years”.

From the player’s side Grant noted: “A big game for us. These are the games that really bring out the best of us, playing against the best teams in Europe. The key is bringing that energy. We saw the last time we faced them that we played with a lot of energy and played together, and the crowd and the fans are going to help bring that as well”.