Ergin Ataman spoke to the press ahead of Game 4 of the EuroLeague Playoffs against Anadolu Efes Istanbul. The Panathinaikos AKTOR head coach reflected on the key moments that defined the third game of the series and what ultimately made the difference.

His statements in detail:

“Yesterday, we fought hard and showed great focus because we knew it was one of the pivotal games in the series. Honestly, for three quarters we played perfect basketball. However, once again in the final quarter, we made many mistakes and nearly risked the game, just as we did in the second match in Athens. But then came Mitoglou’s shot and a smart play executed by Nunn and Sloukas, and that’s how we found a way to win.

Still, it’s 2–1. Anadolu Efes Istanbul is a very dangerous team. They play aggressively, they double-team, they even use triple coverage against our scorers — against Nunn and Sloukas. So we need to find points from other players as we did yesterday with Mitoglou. Of course, we also need scoring contributions from our other perimeter players.

It’s going to be tough. The series continues — we simply took the advantage. Tomorrow will be a tough game. We’ll try to win, but it won’t be easy.”

On Kendrick Nunn:

“Yesterday he was very active. Even in the first half, when he scored only four points, his toughness on defense and his pace were excellent. Of course, Anadolu Efes Istanbul defended him very well, but it’s not easy to maintain that level of defensive intensity with the same players for 40 minutes.

Eventually, he started to find his rhythm and gain confidence, especially in the second half where he scored 19 points and played a crucial role. Don’t forget that on the other side, Larkin has the experience and created a lot of problems — with his one-on-one plays, pick-and-rolls, and shooting. It felt like a duel between two EuroLeague stars.”

On whether they made any adjustments to Nunn’s game:

“Of course we talked about it. We analyzed and reviewed the previous games and showed him that they were double- and triple-teaming him. Anadolu Efes protects the paint well when he attacks, and yesterday, especially in the first half, he was very smart in finding the open man. Naturally, once he started finding the open player, the defense opened up and he was then able to find his own game as well.

Honestly, we told him not to focus too much on their defense, but to play his game — to try and score, but also be smart in moving the ball and looking for the second or third option.”

On whether he expects anything different from Anadolu Efes Istanbul in Game 4:

“Not really. Both teams have played 38 games in the EuroLeague — it’s almost impossible to introduce anything new in just one day. They have experienced players. Yesterday, besides Larkin, Oturu also had a good game and fought hard. Elijah Bryant and Dozier are always dangerous players. So we’re not expecting anything particularly different, but one thing is certain: Anadolu Efes Istanbul never gives up.”

Yurtseven: “We want to check our ticket here”

Omer Yurtseven spoke to the media ahead of Game 4 of the playoff series against Anadolu Efes Istanbul.

His full statement:

“It was incredible (referring to last night’s game). I think we fought really well. The first three quarters were amazing. We were up by 10 to 12 points, and in the fourth quarter they went on a big run, hit some big shots, and got two steals.

Every game is unique — it’s the playoffs. We know we want to punch our ticket here. We don’t want to leave anything to chance or push it to Game 5. No one knows what might happen in that game. We have to close it out when we have the opportunity.

Playoffs are a completely different experience. Emotions play a huge role. They can go either way. There are certain possessions where I might feel something is unfair, and sometimes it’s hard to hold myself back. But I respect the referees.”