PANA Playoffs: The Calm Before The Storm...

Previously on The Playoffs. Hey guys, we're back in Istanbul for Games 3 and 4 against Atlanta in this intense playoff series. We had some days to rest, but we're already back to it and getting ready for this crucial game in front of our home crowd. Say, gang, what's up, man? Straight, straight. As long as it's attached, we're good. It's game day, and the routine is more or less the same as all year. We're all here dialing in our systems as a team during shootaround and team practice. There were a few things I wanted to smooth out from watching my film, so I put in extra reps. But the most important thing is keeping your mind in the right state. After the work on the court, we spent some time in the weight room to activate the muscles early on and help get our bodies primed for the big game. We're not here to do anything crazy or push ourselves too hard, but it's good to activate early. And of course, we spend time in the ice bath for recovery. 15 minutes to get the body feeling right. Ain't that right, Theo? So after 2 hard-fought games in Athens, we managed to steal one, and now we have the opportunity to punch our ticket to the Final Four in front of our home fans. Being that there's so many emotions involved in these playoff games, it's important to reset your mental after two hard-fought games. And I feel quite bad, honestly, because I led you guys astray in our last video. I said I played like— but the correct response and how you should think about your performances is just as if a baby would think when they're learning to walk. When you're walking, or when they're walking, they fall, they get up. They don't judge it by positive or negative, because when we judge our our performances in basketball, in our career, in our life, by positive or negative, that's our ego getting involved. And when our ego gets involved, you know what happens there. And that's enough talking about me. There's been multiple X-Factors in this series thus far. I mean, you're playing for Kendrick Nunez, and then you have Wancho who goes 40 PRR, and you have Jetty who plays extremely well and actually a former FS player. So there's a lot of changes that will happen this game from the coaches, from the players. But before that, let's take care of our recovery. You know what time it is. Another game, another experiment. Man, I'm so grateful to be here. A lot of people might say, oh, this is pressure. Well, pressure is a privilege to be in a situation where you have the opportunity to play a game for a living. It's obviously an immense amount of gratitude in that, but but to also play like meaningful games that actually matter. And you have to unify as a team to get to victory, and I'm just super grateful. So let's get it.

Istanbul will be keen to wrap this up here in Turkey by taking both— by taking games 3 and 4, ensuring that they don't have to go back to Athens But of course, Panathinaikos, as reigning champions, that is exactly what they're seeking to accomplish by stealing a game here tonight. Slarkin pounding the rock down to the dots with the quickness, out to PJ Dozier. 3-pointer from the wing is nothing but net. Deep ball is a bucket to bring his team back within one. To beat the shot clock buzzer. The ball must have grazed the iron. Quick 3-pointer in response, and Shane Larkin— Darius Thompson off the mark. Magnificent offensive rebound by Danuturu. Ball falls fortuitously to Elijah Bryant, and he gets the shot to fall from just above the dot. So Elijah Bryant initiating contact. Now it's been called as an offensive foul, and Elijah Bryant can't believe it. Let's take another look. Well, that looks like a pretty basket— normal basketball move to me. Roland Smith hedging out to help. Hernán Gómez, corner 3-pointer is nothing but net as Jarron Grant continues to leave his gambling. And getting the deflection for the steal is Jordan Warra. Done a 2-room— my goodness, elevating from the dots! It's Lucas putting Jordan Warra on his heels and hitting the pull-up 3-pointer. Coming back with a terrific score and then answering from downtown is Darius Thompson. So driving, initiating the contact, and getting the foundation for a 3-point play is Elijah Bryant. Fantastic work from him. Dealing, dealing, Anadolu Efes Istanbul. Bryant off the mark, Darius Thompson with the offensive board, it's a recycled 14, and Bryant drills it from downtown. Larkin stopping on a dime, pulls it back out towards the halfway line, putting Dinos Mitoglou on skates. Pull-up 3-pointer is dropped as Shane Larkin dancing with the dribble. One-on-one with Kostas Lucas, pull-up 3 off the dribble, Bryant drills it from downtown. Elijah Elijah Bryant with a bucket that brings his team back to within 1. Larkin recovers his dribble, drives, dishes, and the rim-rocking jam! Huge mismatch against Juancho Hernán Gómez, beats him with the show-and-go dribble, the hesitation. Oh, the home team. Sloukas picks up his dribble, Dinos Matoglu steps into a 3 and lands it! Impeccable execution in the face of swarming, trapping defensive pressure. But they need a quick shot and then the basketball back. Roland Schmitz gives it back to the inbounder, Darius Thompson for 3, and he connects from long range. 3-ball off the one leg doesn't go, and Panathinaikos bounce back in brilliant fashion, having ceded home court advantage after they were edged out 76-79 at the OAKA. They bounce back immediately to take a hard-fought 4-point victory over Anadolu Efes Istanbul.

Well, as you guys saw, we lost the match against Panathinaikos, and that's life. You win some, you lose some. As for me, there's a bunch of things I can correct, which is very satisfying. And as painful as it is to watch the film when you feel like you'd have played so much better, it's painful. But like we talked about before in the last video, everything's about growth. There's no such thing as failure. You only fail when you stop trying and don't show up the next day. So you only learn, you never lose. You're the one that switches, okay? I'm the one—

how many times?

Tell them what you made. Go! YouTube family, so Elijah Bryant had a game for playoffs last night, and then today is like a little break, and then he has a game tomorrow. So I made my famous Beet salad for recovery.

No!

What? I don't want beet juice in my t-shirt.

Really though?

It's time to head to the facility for team practice. As always, I got my bags packed because my team and I are going to spend the rest of the day in our hotel afterwards. Even on game 4 of the series, we stick to our systems, getting our reps in, enjoying our time together on the court, and dialing in everything before game time. We have to give it our all to keep the series alive, and we intend to fight with everything we got. Elijah, good morning, Elijah.

Oh, what's up, Elijah? You too fresh. So happy.

Hello, Elijah.

Good morning, baby. What's up, Papa? Hey, let me see yours. You keep talking, let me see yours. Come on, coach, why are you kicking your leg like that? After practice, I'm hitting the ice bath and heading back to the hotel to go through my normal game day routine again. We stick to our systems no matter the situation— recovery, pregame journal, watching film, And of course, the most important— prayer. Locked in, it's time for Game 4.

Panathinaikos in the white uniforms, Anadolu Efes in the blue. The ball's in the air and we are underway.

First possession straight away. Efes has gone to the same strategy of guarding Kendrick Nunn, forcing him to his right hand. They do not want to let him dribble with his left hand.

Finds the hands of Thompson. Yilmaz lets fly. Well, he's justified his selection in the starting lineup. And for the first time ever, the EuroLeague's gonna take its brand outside the continent of Europe. Larkin from distance! Larkin's played every minute so far. Yeah, great pass to Otoru, who lays it up and in. Easy deuce.

Playing banky ball? No, we need points.

Speaking of points— Ouch! What a great feed from Jetty Osmond to Yurtsevin, who flushes. 8-something. Bryant lets fly. Got it. Strings it. Elijah Bryant. What's he got for us tonight? Couldn't convert. Bryant, tough pass and one. He had that great year with Baskonia. Bryant converts. Well, Hernán Gómez with the stuff off the nifty feed from Nunn.

Here's Larkin. Oh, beautiful play!

And the finish!

Oh!

And Thompson picked up his dribble early. Shot clock running down right now. FS are all out of sorts. Big man's union. Nice pass here. Osmani spreads it out. Bryant. Yeah, great spacing by FS and good vision by Osmani.

You know what Chetty's doing? Going straight to the basket.

Wancho rises on a cross-court pass from Sloukas, and that is as sweet as it comes. Larkin, what a great kick. Can Thompson convert? He can. What a great pass from Shane Larkin. Smith kicks, and Ausbon knocks down a 3. Little rhythm dribble to set the shot up.

Put on his game jersey, but the second— this third period, he has been a superstar. 5 points, 5 assists.

Well, that assist moves him into second all-time. Tough bucket. Great drive by Bryant. Bryant, little Euro step and converts over Jerry Ingram.

Going to be talking to none that make the plays that decide the outcome of this one.

That's a bomb from Kendrick Nunn, and he banks it home!

Oh, Larkin could get away with shooting that one.

Smith rises, rattles home the 3. Rolon Smith off the assist from Shane Larkin. Good ding-dong here between Nunn and Larkin. Bryant, I love it. Pass from Shane Larkin, just like skipping a stone on a pond. Little bounce pass to Bryant, who knocks down the corner 3-pointer.

Tight as you like. It's just been a game of runs.

Look how hard Kendrick Nunn's working on defense. Oh, the 3 is up and good! Wow, can Panathinaikos respond? Of course they can.

FS up a point. Need points, they're not done yet. Their defense is not going to carry this over. They need points on the board.

Bryant lets fly. Elijah Bryant making a here in the Basketball Development Center in Istanbul. Non on the screen, corner 3-pointer on the way, got it! Kendrick Non knocks down a corner 3-pointer. FS trying to seal the win here with this possession. Inside to Smiths. Foul! Oh, and one!

I thought he didn't call the foul there. I was like, they mugged him.

Latvian international, too strong. Oh my word, Martin, I think that is not PJ Dozier. It is, it is.

Oh my goodness, don't touch my shooting hand!

Coach Ataman seriously annoyed, is leaving the building.

Boys, obviously they must have caught a technical foul on him for him to walk out of the stadium.

Now, this was honestly a super confusing moment for all of us. Honestly, I don't even know what was going on until I understood that Ataman was leaving the court and he didn't receive a technical. We honestly didn't know what happened until we saw the news later in the media. Coach Ademan is a huge part of not only European basketball but Anadolu Efes' rise to the highest level of European basketball, winning back-to-back EuroLeague championships. And I was there for one of them, so I can attest that not only is he a good coach, but he's a good person as well. I know our fans are passionate, loyal, and respectful, and honestly, this happens in the playoffs. Your emotions get the best of you sometimes, and that's what basically happened. All right, now let's jump back into the rest of the action and see how the game unfolds.

What I gotta get planning for Game 5, because this one is over.

Smith's going to punctuate the win for Anadolu Efes. Osman got it. Lucas will throw up a prayer, and the prayer is answered.

Well, that's good because it means that the biggest margin of victory stays at 4 points. These games are tighter than what the scores even say.

Well, the slogan in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague is "Every game matters." This one mattered for Efes. They force a Game 5, and the next one in Athens next week will certainly matter because whoever wins that one will book their passage to Abu Dhabi.

All right, so as you guys saw, we won the last game and we put ourselves in a position to be able to achieve all of our desired realities of making it to the Final Four, of winning EuroLeague Championship. And good game, bad game, however you want to classify it, the main thing is just continuing to have faith and focusing on your systems and being consistent in those systems. When you play bad, everyone's gonna have something to say. When you play good, everyone's gonna try to praise you. And never too high, never too low is something that I've seen the greats that I've been around always have. There's a bunch of noise. There's even noise in your locker rooms. There's noise on your phone. And you have to understand that you have to minimize that noise. Mm-hmm.