Panathinaikos players and coach rallied around Mathias Lessort after his severe injury, emphasizing their support and prayers for his recovery.
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens claimed a dominant 104-69 victory over Baskonia in EuroLeague Round 17 on Tuesday night. However, basketball took a backseat as the aftermath of a gruesome injury and a series of fan emergencies overshadowed the game.
| Player of the Game | |
|
EFF
28
|
| Kendrick Nunn | |
| Points | 26 |
| Accuracy | 10-18 |
| Rebounds | 1 |
| Assists | 9 |
In the early third quarter, Mathias Lessort suffered a severe leg injury, silencing the arena and leaving players and fans visibly shaken.
"Just prayers up for him," teammate Kendrick Nunn said post-game. "We pray that he's healthy and that the injury is not as serious as it looks. We just need everybody to keep him in their prayers. It's an emotional game for us, the second half. We're with him all the way. That's our brother, and we're going to have his back for sure."
The distress extended beyond the court, as several fans lost consciousness following the injury incident. First aid teams intervened while the game was halted.
"We have nothing to celebrate tonight. It was a very bad luck," coach Ergin Ataman commented. "I think that he broke his leg. Our team was very shocked after that. And also, I think in the stands that some people had serious health problems. A heart attack, the game stopped 10 minutes. So I hope that both Mathias and this guy will be healthy soon."
"It's tough. We all know how hard Mathias works. That's my brother," Lorenzo Brown added. "It sucks to see him down like that. I'm lost for words. I just hope he's okay and that he has a speedy recovery, whatever injury it is. It's gonna be tough for us to move on but try to figure it out."
