Oded Kattash, the head coach of Maccabi Tel Aviv, spoke after his team’s loss against Panatathinaikos in the EuroLeague Game 5.
About the officiating
“For me, these group of guys are champions. Coming into this game, we knew it wouldn’t be easy, but there were some things beyond basketball. I would have liked this series to end in a basketball way, we never talked about the referees, although our opponent did. Maybe we should have. That’s what I want to say. A very physical game on both sides. It was 35-6 in free throws (not counting Lorenzo Brown in the last quarter). Maybe it’s a coincidence, but that’s a crazy number. We showed more respect as a club towards the EuroLeague than some people who were on the court tonight.”
About the turning point in the game
“We missed one of our best players, and that was the deciding moment. Despite that, we proved that we are very talented, with strong character, even though we didn’t play in front of our home crowd.”
The most important thing from the season
“The players’ fighting spirit. Nobody gave us a chance after October 7th. People forget that we played only one game at home. Under such circumstances, to achieve what we have done is truly special. We must hold our heads high and be proud of what we have accomplished,” concluded Kattash.
Panathinaikos thus becomes the second team to qualify for the Final Four in Berlin after Real Madrid.