By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Turkey coach Ergin Ataman and swingman Cedi Osman both missed the EuroLeague game of their club Panathinaikos Athens against Zalgiris Kaunas in Lithuania due to overlapping schedule with the EuroBasket Qualifiers.
After grabbing a blowout win over Hungary, Ataman thanked Panathinaikos for allowing Osman to play in the game and what it meant for their national team.
“My team (Panathinaikos) is currently playing a very critical EuroLeague match. I don’t know the score, there are probably 4-5 minutes left in the match,” Ataman mentioned during the post-game presser. Panathinaikos ultimately lost to Zalgiris 77 – 84.
“Panathinaikos is the only club that sends a foreign player to the national team while there is a EuroLeague match. From here, I would like to thank our president mr. Giannakopoulos and our club once again. Cedi is very important for the national team.”
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Osman finished the game with 21 points and four rebounds in 24:24 minutes. Turkey is now 2-1 in Group B and will be facing Hungary once more on Monday (25/11) in Szombathely.
“This is the national team, I know that all our clubs support the national team,” Ataman added. “Therefore, I would like to thank all our clubs that sent players. The national jersey is completely different, it is above everything. I think that we made the national spirit live in all of Turkey today, both with our children on the field and with our fans who filled the hall. I would like to thank them all.”
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