By improving its performance from the second quarter onward, Panathinaikos got victory over Panionios by 89-69 in the OAKA indoors arena in the context of the OPAP BasketLeague 12th competition date.
In the first minutes the game was balanced for both teams, with Panionios being the first to get in the lead (4-7, 2’40’’). Panathinaikos reacted, reached a 3-point lead (12-9 at 4’40’’, 21-18 at 8’), with the visiting team making their presence felt again and getting back in the lead (22-23, 8’40’’). However, a 12-0 run helped the “greens” get to an 11-point lead βοήθησε τους «πράσινους» να φτάσουν στο +11 (34-23, 13’), stretching the gap up to 14 points (48-34, 16’48’’). Zeljko Obradovic was asking his players to press more in defense. In more cases than not, this pressure bore fruits leading to easy baskets in fast-breaks, with Stratos Perperoglou significantly helping on both ends of the court, same as Kostas Tsartsaris, both showing that they were both equally important “transfers”.
The two teams came back on court with the score-board at the end of the first half reading 50-37. Panathinaikos with Aleks Maric reached 57-42 (+15, 22’37’’). He also led to a 16-point difference (61-45, 25’) and Jasikevicius-Diamantidis pushed it to 65-47, before Steven Smith catapulted the score difference to 20 points for the first time (67-47, 28’20’’). This margin was maintained by the two teams until the end of the third quarter (69-49). An incredible assist by Diamantidis valuated by Kaimakoglou pushed to a 24-point lead (73-49, 32’). Who would prevail in the game was by now a foregone conclusion and Panathinaikos just sealed the victory with 89-69 being the final score.
Referees: Xristodoulou, Somos, Theonas
By quarter: 27-23, 50-37, 69-49, 89-69
Panathinaikos (Obradovic): Maric 8 (5 rebounds), Perperoglou 6, Batiste 16, Logan 6, Sato 6, Tsartsaris 5, Diamantidis 6 (5 assists), Vougioukas 14, Calathes Ν. 2, Smith 2 (6 rebounds), Kaimakoglou 7, Jasikevicius 11 (5 assists)
Panionios (Bartzokas): Xanthopoulos 8, Keys 9, Athanasoulas, Stephenson 13, Diebler 11, Jankovic 5, Kavvadas 4, Ioannou, Sarikopoulos 2, Nadjfeji 14, Paragios 3
