Pitino's team reaches Greek Cup final after opponent walks out at halftime
Former Louisville head coach Rick Pitino and his new squad, Panathinaikos, advanced to the Greek Cup final following a bizarre semifinal matchup against David Blatt's Olympiacos on Wednesday.
After getting called for three fouls in the first 28 seconds, Olympiacos decided to forfeit the game at halftime while trailing Panathinaikos 40-25, according to Antonis Stroggylakis of EuroHoops.
"We are disgusted," Olympiacos general manager Christos Stavropoulos said on live television after the forfeit. "We can't participate in this farce. We can take it any more, the sports authorities should do something."
NEVER IN MY LIFE...CRAZY GAME AT OAKA. 20 MINUTES CUP SEMIS, OLYMPIACOS FORFEITS VS PANATHINAKOS AND LEAVES THE GYM. pic.twitter.com/jZbuExFQEW
— David Pick (@IAmDPick) February 13, 2019
Giorgos Vassiliadis, Greece's deputy minister of sport, told the Associated Press the game was a "blow to the sport," but said he couldn't interfere with the referee selection process.
Adding to the bizarreness, Panathinaikos owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos was spotted placing a pair of women's underwear on Olympiacos' empty bench.
Basketball:
— When Sunday Comes (@WSCsupporters) February 13, 2019
Panathinaikos - Olympiacos 13.02.2019.
Olympiacos left the game at halftime while complaining about the referees.
After that Panathinaikos owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos put a pair of woman’s underwear on the empty bench of Olympiacos. pic.twitter.com/NVXNWF8wg1
Pitino wrote on Twitter afterward that he'd never experienced anything like the forfeit in his coaching career.
Well in 42 years of coaching I, thought I had seen it all. Up 15 at halftime. Motivating my team to come out with great intensity the first 5 minutes. We were fired up except Olympiakos never came back out. Game over. Onto the Greek Cup finals in Crete on Sunday #paobc
— Rick Pitino (@RealPitino) February 13, 2019
Panathinaikos will face PAOK in Sunday's final.