Panathinaikos went for a Euroleague premier road game victory. Victory sealed by final score 72-56 across from Valencia in Spain .
Rather numb to start off, nevertheless Panathinaikos found the way not to stay confined. Obradovic’s yelling was quite intense, however it did the job, as his boys proved to have needed exactly that to be able to finally pace themselves on court. It was the missing element in the three minutes breaking away from tip-off, when Valencia managed to go for a 5-0 run (1’20’’) on its guest. The matter was not left unanswered as the greens input a 10-0 response (5-10, 4’40’’). The Spaniards fought their way into balancing things out on the court, gathering boards and exploiting every opportunity to run. All this resulted in the first quarter ending with opponents a two-pointer apart (15-17).
First minutes in the second quarter seemed to bare proof of an equivalent continuance. Valencia led (21-20 at 12’10’’, 23-22 at 13’). At this point though, something changed in Panathinaikos’s game. Everything begun in rebounding, category in which clover stats went up rapidly (13-8 in the quarter, 17-20 at half time), but also in defense (8 steals in the first half of the game), which only got even more condense and allowed room to no easy pass, no easy movement with our without ball possession. 23-22 flexed to 23-29 (14’30’’). The hosts crept up on the greens (26-29, 15’20’’) but the last five minutes were entirely clover game. A partial 13-1 for Panathinaikos that found solutions so much against zone defense as in man-to-man enforced by Valencia , presented it with a +15 edge as it headed to the locker rooms (27-42).
The clover went up even by 16 (29-45 at 21’15’’, 33-49 at 22’10’’) but Valencia found its own way to fight back, going at it at every play, clearly enjoying better range than its guest. It cut the trail down to 6 (45-51, 28’30’’), praise to a partial 13-2 run, three green players currently playing with three charged fouls a piece (Perperoglou, Batiste, Nicholas). A pair of free-throws off Kostas Tsartsaris marked 45-53 (29’15’’), Dimitris Diamantidis copying his actions next at 39’42’’ (45-55), slightly before the quarter concluded at 47-55. A nothing but productive quarter for the greens, who found their way to the basket only thrice since 22’10’’ and all the way down the stride to minute 30, from 33-49 up to 47-55. All three times let it be noted, from the charity line. Panathinaikos had no field goal for 7’50’’. Finally one came behind Mike Batiste at 31’10’’ (47-57), Tsartsaris chipping in to 47-59 (31’45’’) and Sato adding to 47-61 with a tip-in at 32’30’’. Valencia had not yet decided to throw in the white towel (53-61, 33’30’’). Sato nevertheless was also in the mood for ball playing and stepped up for the greens draining a pair of three-pointers (53-64, 33’50’’ and 53-67 at 35’20’’). Batiste was the perfect executor from the line as he sunk a pair of free-throws to jog his team to 53-69 (36’40’’), only to lead in a fast-break flush to +18 an advantage (53-71, 38’10’’). Shortly after the curtain fell in Panathinaikos’s European opening game behind final score 56-72 at La Fonteta.
Referees: Jungebarnd (FIN), Taurino (ITA), Herceg (CRO)
Quarters: 15-17, 27-42, 47-55, 56-72
Valencia (Hussein): Cook 9, Claver 15, Simeon 2, Lishchuk 4, Martinez 16, Pietrus 1, Savanovic 4, Fernandez 2, Javtokas 3
Panathinaikos (Obradovic): Tepic 3, Maric 5, Perperoglou 10, Batiste 13, Fotsis 3, Sato 8, Nicholas 8, Tsartsaris 8, Diamantidis 8, Vougioukas 4, Calathes 2, Kaimakoglou
