Ergin Ataman shared an update on the status of Lucas Vildoza and Kostas Antetokounmpo ahead of Panathinaikos’ coming EuroLeague games. Both players are dealing with injuries to their knees and missed last week’s triumph over Real Madrid at Wizink Center (86-97).
“Both will not be ready for the match against Villeurbanne. Maybe they will be ready for the game against Olympiacos [next week],” Ergin Ataman told media on Sunday, via SDNA.
Luca Vildoza has been out for a couple of weeks, as he re-aggravated a knee injury before the Greek Cup Final vs Olympiacos on February 18. For his part, Kostas Antetokoumpo got injured during Greece’s road game vs the Netherlands for the 2025 EuroBasket Qualifiers, which took place last Monday.
Luca Vildoza has been struggling all season long, amid injury woes and difficulty in finding his role in the team. Meanwhile, Kostas Antetokounmpo’s absence means that Mathias Lessort, who was the MVP of Round 27 in the EuroLeague, will be forced to play more than 30 minutes vs ASVEL Villeurbanne.
Ergin Ataman, Panathinaikos aim to build momentum before must-win game vs Olympiacos
As we are heading into the regular-season finale in the EuroLeague, Ergin Ataman wants to see his team stay on track for the home-court advantage in the playoffs.
The “Greens” are third in the standings with a 17-10 record, tied with Virtus Bologna and Monaco. Olympiacos and Fenerbahce are a game behind, at 16-11. Following the triumph over Real Madrid last week, Panathinaikos now wants to build some momentum and defeat ASVEL Villeurbanne, which has the second-worst record in the league with six wins and 21 losses.
If this happens, they will maintain their top-four push for another week, heading into the clash with Olympiacos at Peace and Friendship Stadium on March 14th. The “Reds” host Virtus Bologna this week and will look to extend their winning streak to five games and claim the tiebreaker over the Italians.
Should this happen, another win over the “Greens” in the coming week will help Olympiacos enter the Top-4 zone, as they will have the tiebreaker over both Panathinaikos and Virtus. That said, this is a must-win game for both Greek giants, who have emerged as frontrunners to reach the EuroLeague Final Four and challenge for the championship.
