Katas: “We are a team that wants more respect from those on the court, the players deserved qualification”

Odet Katas called the players of Maccabi Tel Aviv champions, even if they did not qualify for the Final 4 of the Euroleague, he spoke about the away games that decided the fifth quarter-final with Panathinaikos and believes that the fact that they were never referred to the referee throughout the match turned out to be a weakness series, as opposed to the Greens, he went 35-6 in shots, feels proud of his players, talked about how much Baldwin’s injury affected them throughout the series and emphasized that they showed their worth with a home-field disadvantage and on a neutral field.

Analytically: “My players are champions, even if they didn’t qualify for the Final Four. We were coming into this match knowing that it won’t be easy. Things happened beyond basketball. I was hoping that the series would be decided by the players and the sport itself. We never talk about the referees, we didn’t in the series, although our opponents did. Maybe we should have.

This is what I have to say. It is not possible in such a strong Game 5 that the shots are 35-6 just before the final. Maybe it’s a coincidence, but it’s a crazy number. I feel ashamed, I feel sorry for the players because they really deserved it. We as a team, the coaches, the players, want more respect for basketball and for the Euroleague than some people who were on the floor tonight. And I’ll stop here.

I’m very proud of my players, Baldwin’s injury changed the series. We proved that we are a very good team, that we have character even if we are not playing at home. If we played in Tel Aviv, we could have a similar atmosphere.”