Valencia Basket fought hard to force a fourth game in the series, defeating Panathinaikos 91-87 on the road and silencing the Greek hosts.
Kam Taylor, shooting
Valencia Basket
In the final quarter, the tension reached its peak. Hayes-Davis tightened the game, but the taronja held their ground to push the series to a fourth match.
Data center for Panathinaikos vs. Valencia Basket
Pedro Martínez and his squad needed a true feat, not just to win the third game but to leave OAKA alive and send the series to a decisive fifth contest. The team’s recent poor run in the ACB left little room for optimism.
The last encounter at Roig Arena had already heated up the atmosphere, and the Greek cauldron presented an extra challenge for the visitors.
Meanwhile, the Greens—with their president absent physically but very present through images displayed by the fans—had two home games to secure a spot in the Final Four.
“Papi” Badio opened the scoring with an encouraging start for Valencia. His three-pointer acted as fuel, pushing the visitors to a 3-9 lead that Sako only broke from the free-throw line. The Valencia center missed four consecutive shots, halting his team’s momentum.
Ataman and his players reacted, cutting the deficit, but they could not lower the Spaniards’ level. Valencia maintained solid defense and accurate offense. Kam Taylor led the scoring with nine points in the first quarter.
A strong finish from the visitors allowed them to go into the first break ahead 18-24.
Valencia stumbles on Greek soil
Just when OAKA expected a home response, Valencia Basket increased the intensity. Darius Thompson, Sako, and an inspired Kam Taylor pushed the lead to double digits.
The taronja seemed to glide across the court, and the Greek hell felt more like a theme park in that half. They hit hard on fast breaks against a helpless Panathinaikos, which showed a weak version compared to earlier games.
A spectacular end to the second quarter from Darius Thompson took Valencia to 52 points, establishing the game’s biggest lead at 13. Nunn’s 10 points were not enough for the Greek side to improve.
The worst news came from Puerto’s unfortunate ankle injury.
The home team did not improve after halftime. In a flash, Valencia moved ahead by as many as 19 points.
However, Osman and Rogkavopoulos brought OAKA back into the game and fully involved Panathinaikos with an 11-3 run.
Game statistics
Ataman seeks a change of mindset
With the score at 56-67, the Turkish coach tried to shake his team with a heated protest against the referees, which also involved Pedro Martínez. After the argument, both coaches were ejected, and Ataman pointed an accusing finger at the Spanish coach.
The expected reaction from the home side came, but Valencia responded with a couple of well-executed plays that prevented Panathinaikos from believing in a comeback.
Rogkavopoulos, with a three-pointer on the last play of the quarter, brought his team within nine points heading into the final period.
The locals tried to do damage with fast play, but Valencia felt comfortable. After a Costello dunk and a huge basket from Montero, they went up by 16, forcing the Greek bench to call a timeout to change the momentum.
Scare without fatal consequences
Midway through the final stretch, Nunn committed his fifth foul, seemingly leaving the victory within Valencia’s reach.
But in a burst of pride, the home side put together a 10-2 run that cut the gap to eight points in favor of the team from the Turia City.
Valencia suffered an offensive collapse in the closing minutes, but they managed to hold on and secure the win, keeping their hopes alive in the series.
