A gigantic Valencia Basket devours Panathinaikos at OAKA

Valencia Basket fought for life in the Euroleague with a victory of great character at OAKA. The "taronja" team stormed Panathinaikos' court with an 87-91 win in a tense and controversial third game, allowing Pedro Martínez's team to stay alive in the quarterfinal series after the 0-2 setback at Roig Arena.

The atmosphere was already heated from the first two games played in Valencia, marked by incidents involving Dimitris Giannakopoulos and the crossfire of criticisms between both clubs. In Athens, far from easing tensions, the match exploded in the middle of the third quarter.

Up to that point, Valencia was probably playing its most solid game of the series. With an aggressive defense against Kendrick Nunn and a very cohesive offensive rhythm, the Valencians managed to lead by up to 19 points against a completely silenced OAKA. Jean Montero, Brancou Badio, and Kam Taylor led a brave team with strong mental resilience.

The peak of tension came after a disputed play by Ergin Ataman. The Turkish coach persistently demanded a referee review, and Pedro Martínez responded from the sidelines, tired of the constant complaints from the Panathinaikos coach. Both coaches confronted near the sideline, with the argument escalating to the point of involving players and staff from both benches.

The referees decided to eject both Ataman and Pedro Martínez. The situation did not calm down after the technical fouls, as the Turkish coach remained highly agitated on his way to the locker room and had to be restrained by Mathias Lessort to prevent further escalation.

Great Finish for Valencia

Far from falling apart, Valencia Basket held on amid the chaos. Xavi Albert took command from the bench, and the team maintained composure despite Panathinaikos' final push, led by Cedi Osman and Rogkavopoulos. The Greek team dangerously closed the gap in the last minutes, but the Valencians managed the pressure and sealed a highly meritorious triumph in one of Europe's most hostile environments.

The victory sets the series at 1-2 and necessitates a fourth game again in Athens, where Valencia Basket will strive to complete the comeback and bring the series back to Roig Arena.