Dwayne Bacon discusses questionable call and PAO's playoff chances / News - Basketnews.com

Dwayne Bacon: "We still have hopes of being in the EuroLeague playoffs."

Credit: Vangelis Stolis Credit Vangelis Stolis

Dwayne Bacon has proved his leadership qualities already in his debut match with Panathinaikos Athens jersey.

Dwayne Bacon

MIN:27.97PTS:17 (50%)REB:1As:0ST:3BL:0TO:2GM:1ProfileEuroLeague2022/2023

Former NBA and Monaco forward dropped 17 points in 29 minutes and was one of the stars throughout the match against Zeljko Obradovic's Partizan Belgrade.

He was also involved in the important episode that contributed to the final outcome of the match and further complains about officiating from the PAO side.

The American player had a clear statement: "It was a foul" when asked about Dante Exum's efforts to block his dunk in the fourth quarter.

"They [referees] didn't give it. I think it was a foul. From what I understand and from the reactions of the crowd during the match, it was a foul and it would be good for the referees to make better decisions," Bacon told SDNA.gr.

Credit Vassilis Stolis

Still, Panathinaikos suffered their fifth defeat in the new EuroLeague season. The Greens rank 17th in the standings with a 1-5 record.

PAO have 28 rounds to turn the tables. Bacon believes the Greek powerhouse is capable of advancing to the EuroLeague playoffs this season.

"It will take some time for the guys to get used to me and for me to understand my teammates. But when we all get together we'll be fine. It's a very long season. We are only 6 games into the EuroLeague, it was just my first game. We still have hopes of being in the playoffs and we have to go day by day," the 27-year-old said.

"Everybody should also understand that you can't take a player and put him directly on the court and have high expectations. For example, I played almost 29 minutes and I know that people expected everything from me. I just need some time to adjust," PAO's newcomer added.

Bacon arrived in Athens on a two-year deal. Second-year EuroLeague player says he is set to stay in the Greek capital for an entire period of time.

"I spoke to my teammates and told them that I will stay here for two years," he assured.

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