Yurtseven: “When some are missing, we all have to take more responsibility – This means teamwork”

THE Panathinaikosjust a few hours after his return from Italy and the defeat by Virtus Bolognashowed a reaction and broke out in Prometheus, winning 91-70 at “Telekom Center Athens” for the fourth game of the Stoiximan Basket League.

Protagonist for the “greens” was Omer Yurtsevenwho dominated the racket and spoke after the match about the team’s mental and physical strength, but also about the importance of unity and competitive mentality that characterizes them.

The international center sent a message of continuity and faith ahead of the demanding “double week” in Euroleagueemphasizing that the Panathinaikos he must remain united and focused on the goal of victories.

The statements of the Turkish center in detail:

For today’s game:

“Today’s game was difficult, both mentally and physically. That’s why I’m proud of my team, because everyone found energy and a reason to fight, to properly represent Panathinaikos and to continue with this momentum in the “double week” of the EuroLeague. These matches count a lot for us — also in the Greek league, but especially in the Euroleague, where after the defeat we have to react and bring victories.”

On the team effort and the way the team stepped up after the first quarter:

“Like I said, everyone gave it their all. We didn’t start well in the first quarter, but in the second quarter we woke up, played aggressively and that gave us an 11-15 point difference at halftime. From there, things got easier because we started strong and knew how to attack.”

For the fatigue of constant games and supporting people:

“That’s our job at the end of the day. But the fans and all the kids who support us make things easier for us. Once you find that energy and the joy of the game, everything becomes easier.”

For the competitive mentality within the team:

“We are competitors. We all want to play and win. This is our identity. It doesn’t matter if we’re leading or losing by 10 or 20 points — we always want to fight. I trust my teammates and their characters more than anything else. That’s what it takes to be a real competitor.”

On the loss to Virtus Bologna and the mistakes they tried to correct:

“We let a lot of players get to the basket easily, which shouldn’t have happened. We focused there — closeouts, rebounds, one-on-ones, pick and rolls. It wasn’t the three-pointers that hurt us, it was the efforts close to the racket. Today’s match helped us to correct these points.”

On his absences and role in the team:

“When some are missing, we all have to take more responsibility. Today, key scorers were missing, such as Huatso, and there will be injuries during the year. We have to cover each other, carry the burden together. This means teamwork. Matias is out, Risson is out too, and that means more responsibility for me — which will be true this week as well.”