EuroLeague and EuroCup referees will officiate this week’s games with gold laces in a special move to support children battling leukaemia.

Gold has been dubbed the color of childhood cancer, with EuroLeague Basketball wanting to focus on efforts to improve treatments and outcomes for victims of the disease.

Referee Carlos Peruga’s son Lucas is one of 350 diagnosed each year in Spain with acute myeloid or acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a type of cancer that attacks the immune system.

The Golden Cords symbolize the efforts of the Spanish foundation Unoentrecienmil, which launched the ALLTogether program in Spain, a treatment protocol aimed at improving the quality of life of sick children.

The EuroLeague encourages people to donate to togetheragainstleukemia.org

Matt Thomas spoke publicly for the first time after Panathinaikos decided to pick Marius Grigonis for the Basketball League roster in his place, and he was – as Giorgos Serelis pointed out – the absolute pro in his ranking.

The American guard admitted he would like to play but stressed that he accepted the situation as it couldn’t happen due to restrictions on foreign transfers as he learned to only control what he could control.

The American guard spoke at length before the game against Barcelona (23/3, 20:30, Novasports 4 And LIVE from Sportish) for the 30th matchday EuroLeague:

For the game against the Catalans: “They are a very good team with a wealth of talent. We have to prepare properly. We have the momentum, we’ve been playing well and in the right direction for a long time and we’re hoping to win, we’re giving everything.”.

For the keys to the game: “They are talented and we have to match their intensity. But we’re playing at home and we have to lay the foundations for the game early in the first half. Let’s play like we’ve shown over the past few weeks.”.

For being left out of the Greece squad: “It’s important, but I take things as they happen, day by day. I try to control everything I can and be professional. To be the best player I can be and a good teammate for the team. I’m concentrating on training and tomorrow we have an important game against Barcelona.”

About the fact that the season ends for him when the EuroLeague is over: “I’m competitive and I want to play. I came here with that thought and to do what I love. But at the same time things happened that I have no control over. What I’ve learned in my career is to control what I can. I do everything I can to take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way and I think since I’ve been here I’ve managed to do that.”.

Dwayne Bacon and Mateus Ponitka will not be available for Christos Serelis in tomorrow’s (March 23) Panathinaikos game against Barcelona (8.30 p.m., Novasports 4 and LIVE from Sportish) on matchday 30 of the EuroLeague.

Both are still on the mend and have been extremely difficult to play after spraining, with Ponitka racing to catch Olympiakos (31/3) for the EuroLeague.

With the two guards/forwards out of action, the responsibilities of the team’s other peripherals are expected to increase.