Next stop F4. Panathinaikos although being a two faced assembly in Thessaloniki managed to obtain the result it hoped for, prevailing finally over PAOK by 82-78 at the Pylea indoor stadium. It swept its opponent 2-0 in the first series of play-offs and has won a berth in the Greek League’s semifinals. What’s up next on Panathinaikos’ competing schedule is all Berlin Euroleague F4 obligations.
PAOK was the most dominant team to face tip-off, the encounter resembling immensely that between the two opponents at Pylea during the League’s regular season. It cruised to a cozy 10-0 run (4’), Panathinaikos opening a tab in the game from the line only when Vassilis Spanoulis made two good shots and getting to its first field goal after 5,5 whole minutes had elapsed in the game Diamantidis unleashing a determent three beyond the arc at the top of the key. Giorgos Kalafatakis watched closely as his players left the Greens trailing even by 14 (26-12, 11’30’’). Round about here is where Panathinaikos eventually decided to get its game together by playing more focused defense at which point triples started to kick in, a factor that was missing until now. From its ghastly 1/7 opening threes stats, Jasikevicius, Fotsis and Diamantidis all chipped in from down town so as to remedy the matter moreover pacing a partial 18-2 streak thus providing the “clover” with its first lead of the evening (28-30, 16’40’’). Side scores such as 11-30 accomplished through second period, 7-37 from 11’30’’, 12-26 up to 22’50’’ and 33-49 liked Panathinaikos as the winner. Though let it be noted that whenever Zeljko Obradovic’ boys loosened their attack, PAOK exploited the situation to its favor. This resulted in the hosts managing to creep up on their guests to a 3 point distance (74-77, 38’40’’) thanks to 7 unanswered points and then further down to 2 (78-80, 39’25’’) only for the game to be sealed by two charity shots nailed by Dimitris Diamantidis, final score 78-82.
Referees: Papadimitriou – Georgiadis -Ksenikakis
Quarters: 22-9, 33-39, 56-62, 78-82
PAOK (Kalafatakis): Jhonsen 23, Kalabakas, Simcak 5, Kiritsis 23, Tsiaras 6, Demertzis 13, Kesisoglou, Giannakidis 2, Tomasevic 6, Papadopoulos
Panathinaikos (Obradovic): Kecman 5, Spanoulis 13 (7/7 fs), Perperoglou 2, Batiste 12, Fotsis 12 (8rbs), Hatzivrettas, Nicholas, Tsartsaris 2, Diamantidis 11 (3/3threes, 6rbs, 4as), Pekovic 9, Sakota, Jasikevicius 16(5as)
