One step prior to champion title for Panathinaikos. 78-66 score versus arch rival Olympiakos this evening at the OAKA arena, for game 2 in the 2010-2011 HEBA League play-off finals, produces defending champ to a single win away from yet another prize. 2-0 is as of now a fact and teams will re-meet on Wednesday 1st of June, 2200h (LT) at the SEF arena.
The guests were the opponent to go for a pleasing start after tip-off, as they had done in the first final. They took the lead to get up by 7 (2-9, 4’30’’), maintaining a safety distance, gap actually reaching +9 (10-19, 9’20’’), seeing that Panathinaikos was unable to establish any kind of a pace, losing rebounding challenges (3-7 during the first 6 minutes), unfruitful when attempting to get to the correct connections on the floor (0-5 in assists).
Matters on court begun to balance out resulting in a 2 point shadow for the greens at 11’25’’ (17-19) behind a three by Drew Nicholas, the hosts only to draw slightly later praise to Tsartsaris’s efforts (22-22, 12’). Bad free throw range in the succeeding period of time was one of the defining elements thanks to which the visitors managed to lead again, even behind an 8 point cushion (33-41, 17’55’’).
Panathinaikos as was assumed counteracted. From 22’ all the way up to 25’35’’ teams played it out in a single point gap game. The clover in a packed to the rim OAKA to provide with the aspired boost, managed to lead for the first time at 22’10’’ (46-45). The first outbreak took place during the last few minutes of the third quarter, Nicholas being joined by Fotsis in a three point drilling session to a 5 point lead (58-53, 28’25’’). All this slightly before the quarter would end, score board reading 60-58.
The reds tied game recommencing (60-60) but Mike Batiste in addition to an unsportsmanlike foul called on Vassilis Spanoulis on Tsartsaris provided the home-team with a new +4 advantage (64-60, 31’15’’), the American big man chipping in even further to +5, having gone 1-for-2 from the charity line (65-60, 31’30’’). And then some behind a notorious ”Batisteque” dunk to 67-60 (33’). Sato to fire for three, good and the score flexes to 70-62 (35’30’’). The ante was upped to a double digit figure praise to a pair of good shots from the line, signed by captain Diamantidis (72-62, 36’). Kostas Tsartsaris joined forces with Antonis Fotsis to win the superlative under both buckets, Calathes Nick… nick-ed the ball, snatched a creepy board from a party of tall bodies, the entire stadium soared to its feet with joy as the score board red 74-62 (36’40’’), only for curtains to fall at final 78-66.
Referees: Christodoulou, Foufis, Psarianos
Quarters: 12-19, 37-43, 60-58, 78-66
Panathinaikos (Obradovic): Tepic, Maric 4, Batiste 19, Fotsis 5(8rbs), Sato 7, Nicholas 9, Tsartsaris 6, Diamantidis 15, Vougioukas 2, Calathes 9, Bogris, Kaimakoglou 2
Olympiakos (Ivkovic): Papaloukas 3, Gordon 11, Spanoulis 14, Printezis, Bououssis 12, Keselj, Mavrokefalidis 14, Halperin, Glyniadakis 5, Papanikolaou 2, Erceg 3, Teodosic 2
