In a closely contested Round 29 EuroLeague Regular Season game at the Telekom Center Athens, Panathinaikos Aktor fell 16-13 to Paris, dropping further toward the bottom of the Play-In Showdown standings. The game featured a remarkable debut performance from Nigel Hayes-Davis, whose contribution could not prevent the Greek team’s tight loss.
Hayes-Davis, the 31-year-old current Final Four MVP with Fenerbahce Beko, made an immediate impact by scoring 27 points on 9-of-17 shooting, including four three-pointers. However, the game’s defining moment came in the closing seconds, when Hayes-Davis missed a potential go-ahead three-point shot. He later stated on social media that Leopold Cavaliere admitted to fouling him during that crucial attempt.
“He told me he fouled me,”
Nigel Hayes-Davis
Postgame Unrest and Coaching Ejections Follow Contentious Calls
The tension escalated shortly afterward when Hayes-Davis was called for a foul on Justin Robinson. Panathinaikos head coach Ergin Ataman strongly protested the referees’ decisions and was ejected from the game, leaving assistant coach Christos Serelis to handle postgame media sessions.
“It was perhaps a foul on Nigel,”
Christos Serelis
Team owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos voiced his dissatisfaction on social media, directly challenging the officiating and the EuroLeague, emphasizing that a clear foul could have altered the match’s result.
“Even though Paris was better than us for 39 minutes, a foul is a foul, and that would have changed the outcome.”
Dimitris Giannakopoulos
Paris Celebrates Resilience and Eyes Upcoming Matches
With the win, Paris improved to a 10-18 record. Head coach Francesco Tabellini praised his team’s perseverance and commitment to their game plan during the postmatch press conference.
“I’m very happy for my players,”
Francesco Tabellini
“It was important to stick to our identity.”
Francesco Tabellini
The upcoming fixtures set Paris to face Kosner Baskonia at Fernando Buesa Arena, while Panathinaikos prepares to host rival Olympiacos at the Peace and Friendship Stadium, both scheduled for next Friday.
Implications of the Controversial Ending for Panathinaikos
The disputed foul call and subsequent ejection have intensified frustrations around Panathinaikos amid a challenging season, signaling possible ongoing debates about officiating fairness in crucial moments. Nigel Hayes-Davis’s strong individual showing underlines the team’s potential, but the narrow loss highlights the urgency for Panathinaikos to capitalize on future games as they seek to climb out of the Play-In Showdown zone.
