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Turkish coach Ergin Ataman and Valencia head coach Pedro Martinez were both ejected during a tense EuroLeague playoff game in Athens, as Valencia beat Panathinaikos 91 to 87 and cut the quarterfinal series deficit to two games to one.
The incident came in the third quarter at the Telekom Center in Athens, also known as OAKA, where Panathinaikos had the chance to close the series and reach the Final Four after winning the first two games in Spain.
Instead, Valencia kept the series alive with its first win of the matchup, while the confrontation between the two coaches became the main talking point of the night.
Tension rose in the third quarter after Ataman reacted angrily to a refereeing decision.
Greek reports said the sequence began after officials called an offensive foul on Panathinaikos forward Nikos Rogkavopoulos with about three minutes left in the period.
As Ataman protested, Martinez also became involved in the exchange from the Valencia bench. Ataman then moved toward the Spanish coach, prompting officials, staff, and players to intervene before the confrontation could turn into physical contact.
The two coaches exchanged words for several seconds near the court before referees stepped in.
Both Ataman and Martinez received their second technical fouls and were disqualified, forcing Panathinaikos and Valencia to play the final stretch of the game without their head coaches.
The incident followed earlier tension between Ataman and Martinez during the series, which had already drawn attention before Game 3.
Valencia controlled large parts of the game before surviving Panathinaikos’ late push. The Spanish side led 24 to 18 after the first quarter and went into halftime with a 52 to 39 advantage.
The visitors remained ahead 75 to 66 at the end of the third quarter and held on for a 91 to 87 win, despite Panathinaikos reducing the gap late in the game.
Brancou Badio and Jean Montero led Valencia with 16 points each. For Panathinaikos, TJ Shorts scored 17 points, while Turkish national team player Cedi Osman finished with 10 points and five rebounds.
The result denied Panathinaikos a three-game sweep after the Greek side won the first game in Spain 68 to 67 and the second game 107 to 105 after overtime.
Panathinaikos still leads the series two games to one and can qualify for the Final Four with a win in Game 4, which will also be played in Athens on Friday.
Valencia, meanwhile, needs another away win to send the series back to Spain.
Because Martinez was ejected, his assistant appeared at the postgame news conference and defended Valencia’s response to the pressure inside the arena.
“It was a great game. We played very well and followed our plan,” he said, according to Newsit. “In the first half, we played at our rhythm. In the second half, it was a different kind of basketball, but we were ready for everything.”
He also accused Ataman of trying to shift the direction of the series through his reactions on the sideline.
“Coach Ataman has tried to change the course of the last two games,” Albert said. “We will not allow him to change the situation without playing better basketball.”
Valencia assistant Javier Albert said the ejections did not unsettle his team.
“There were technical fouls against the coaches. Coach Ataman tried to influence the game, but we were ready to respond, and we did not lose our rhythm,” Albert said.
Valencia’s win means the series now carries a sharper edge into Game 4, with Panathinaikos still one victory away from the Final Four and Valencia trying to turn one away win into a full comeback.
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