Panathinaikos downed PAOK 83-78 for game 6 of the Greek League at home, in a game which unraveled with numerous ups and downs.
PAOK opted first at leading in the clash (0-3 at 1’, 2-5 at 2’), Panathinaikos drawing at 4’15’’ (5-5) and flying ahead for the first time behind a bucket by Drew Nicholas. The greens got some speed under their feet, nailed a trio of defining triples, a couple off captain Diamantidis plus one added by Stratos Perperoglou to bring their guests within 9 points (14-5 at 7, 16-7 at 8’). However they proved unable to sustain the lead. Turnovers in frontcourt cost dearly and PAOK steadily reestablished its root towards the hole cutting its trail down to a single point (18-17, 9’45’’), leading again based on an attempt by Lazaros Papadopoulos (24-26, 12’15’’). And it did not rest at this, proving valid from beyond the arc to fly ahead even up to +7 a distance (25-32, 13’45’’), culprit of the moment a feisty Monroe who was making his shot “all-day” shooting 5-for-7 from down town. Add to all this, a rebounding outshine (6-to-13 in favor of the visitor).
Panathinaikos try though it did, just couldn’t pick up the pace, PAOK insisting on a rather asphyxiating defense formation leading the greens to mistake upon mistake not to mention a quite unusual for its stature low two-pointer validity (8/17 up to 17’). The result was ball-game tilting in favor of the away-team at intermission, standings resting at 37-43, PAOK clinging on to a half-time 6 point edge.
Kostas Tsartsaris cut the trail down to a triple (42-45, 21’20’’), was copied by Vspan who sunk the tie-breaker (45-45, 22’45’’). PAOK muscled its way back up, capitalizing on a mini 4-0 run (45-49, 24’40’’), as Todor Gecevski got called on a technical (25’20’’). Antonis Fotsis drilled a nothing-but-net trifecta to close the gap, seeing on to Panathinaikos’s first lead since 11’25’’ produced by Stratos Perperoglou (52-51, 26’55’’). The guests took the lead by 1 next (52-53, 27’35’’) but an unanswered 8-0 hall provided by Diamantidis, Spanoulis and big man Pekovic cruised the clover to a +7 cushion (60-53, 29’), quarter 3 resting at 62-57.
Diamantidis drained a three and set the tone for the high-light play of the clash as Spanoulis snatched the ball in the succeeding defense, galloped down the lain in his unstoppable stride to a cheeky behind the back pass towards trailing Batiste who flushed notoriously turning his back on the board to tomahawk his two-pointer with both hands in the bucket, all this concluding in the encounter’s first green double digit prevalence (68-57, 32’). PAOK nevertheless did not fail to input an immediate response managing essentially to fall in with the residents for yet another time (70-70, 36’). The team from Thessaloniki led once more (72-74, 37’05’’) only for Spanoulis to step up late in the match-up chipping in 5 very defining unanswered points to step 3 points apart of PAOK (77-74, 38’). Monroe scored from the line to 77-76 (38’45’’), Nikola Pekovic at the other end got 1 for 2 charity shots (78-76, 39’), Papdopoulos for PAOK missed the equalizer, Diamantidis proved perfect at awarded free throws to jog the score to 80-76 (39’45’’). Though, it was not yet decided on the floor. Monroe laid-in a hasty hoop under the greens noses to 80-78, Diamantidis marked 81-78, Drew Nicholas defended his backcourt exquisitely to send both opponent and game-ball out of bounds 8’’ left on the clock till the buzzer, as Antonis Fotsis sealed the deal with 2 for 2 shots from the line, final score in the down-to-the-wire encounter 83-78, clover game.
Referees: Schinas, Tavoulareas, Kaldiris
Quarters: 20-17, 37-43, 62-57, 83-78
Panathinaikos (Obradovic): Tepic 2, Spanoulis 11, Perperoglou 5, Batiste 10, Fotsis 7, Nicholas 6, Tsartsaris 5, Diamantidis 22, Pekovic 11, Jasikevicius 4
PAOK (Markopoulos): Monroe 20, Kafkis, Gregory 21, Taputos 8, Kalaitzidis, Papadopoulos 9, Drobnjak, Gecevski 9, Helliwell 2, Demetzidis 9
*Yorgos Bogris, Dimitris Verginis and Jurica Golemac were absent from the official line-up.
*The team will be back to training tomorrow morning and will depart for Russia to face Khimki (Wednesday 9/12), come noon Tuesday (8/12).
