Panathinaikos met up with its first defeat at the SEF arena in game 5 of the Greek League, losing 87-76 to arch rival Olympiakos.
Panathinaikos was deprived of wise choices in the moments following tip-off. Hence the home-team managed to gain the lead and run a 6-0 edge, as the greens got to a field goal only at minute 4 in the clash as Drew Nicholas drilled a triple. Spanoulis coming off the bench provided solutions, Panathinaikos cut the trail down to a single point (10-9, 6’10’’), thing seemed to even out on court but the scales dropped towards the hosts’ side at first quarter inning, score at 24-15, the greater part of the possession accumulation lying in their end of the pool as Zeljko Obradovic’s boys tallied 7 turnovers in a single quarter.
Panathinaikos came up with an entirely opposite image as game recommenced. A hasty 8-0 run got the clover within 1 point of the reds (24-23, 13’), to draw 26-26 behind a pair of free-throws by captain Diamantidis (14’30’’) sealing a partial 11-2 streak. The scenario was played out offensively once more next, this time by Spanoulis (28-28, 16’15’’) and also Mike Batiste who broke Panathinaikos into the offensive board gathering department as he snatch the first to put it back as a two-pointer at 16’35’’. Home-team struck back, marked 38-32 (18’30’’), Nicholas answered to 38-35 at 19’15’’ and Batiste chipped in to add to the “ USA rescue kit” by marking half-time score 40-37.
A 9-0 run on behalf of the hosts upped the ante to +12 before 2 minutes had bee played out in the match-up’s second half (49-37, 21’45’’) and then some to13 points a distance (52-39, 23’’). Nicholas spoke again on the floor to drain 5 unanswered points up to 52-46 (24’). Panathinaikos could not establish any kind of pace however, neither could keep tempo in backcourt transactions or even good could choice in offence in order to gain the reigns in the clash. Dimitris Diamantidis being charged with a technical and Nikola Pekovic getting into to fouling trouble, committing his fourth personal only added to the graveness of the situation. The greens stood briefly a two pointer gap behind (57-55, 28’) but the long haul triples they received continuously and their inability to get to the boards cost them direly (65-57, 29’30’’), third quarter resting at 65-59. Quadruple charity shots by Spanoulis led to 67-63 (31’50’’), Panathinaikos getting Pekovic fouled out in the next play. Things failed to improve or even shift much up to the finale, decided at 87-76 final game score.
Referees: Christodoulou, Gontas, Tanantzis
Quarters: 24-15, 40-37, 65-59, 87-76
Olympiakos (Yannakis): Papaloukas 20, Childress 19, Vujcic 2, Bourousis 10, Hlaperin 7, Kleiza 13, Vassilopoulos 2, Schortsanitis 5, Papanikolaou, Beverly, Teodocic 9
Panathinaikos (Obradovic): Spanoulis 17, Perperoglou, Batiste 10, Fotsis 8, Golemac, Nicholas 18, Tsartsaris 1, Diamantidis 14, Pekovic 6, Calathes 2
*Jurica Golemac left the Stadium of “Peace and Friendship” injured, as an object “landed” on his head.
