Panathinaikos made a comeback from being 19 points behind in the score while the curtain was falling on the game against Olympiakos at SEF, with Mike Batiste making the scoreboard reading 78-77 right on the buzzer.
The first half did not start on the right foot for Panathinaikos. The home team was the one that got the reins of the game (4-0, 2’35’’) with the first points for the “Greens” coming from Perperoglou’s hands at 2’35’’ (4-3). The continuation was similar and therefore the score went to 9-3 (4’08’’) and later on to 12-5 (5’16’’), with the maximum lead being at 7 points during the first quarter that ended by 22-15.
Things did not change much for the “clover” during the second quarter. It tried to come up with solutions, but the rebounds lost along with the turnovers skyrocketed the lead margin to +17 points (35-18, 15’20’’), with the home team counting by the completion of the first half with 9/14 free throws, 67% successful 2-pointers and 40% successful 3-pointers. Panathinaikos tried to react and cut closer to the score, but the margin remained on the same levels two minutes before the two teams headed for the locker-rooms (43-26, 17’55’’). At this point, Batiste and Diamantidis provided the solution: the former by two free throws and the latter by a three-pointer brought the score difference down to 12 points (43-31) in the first half.
Upon returning on court, Panathinaikos’ comeback continued: with the defense being the frontline weapon in its armamentarium and providing easy points on the other end of the court, and with David Logan offering solutions, the score was led to 44-40 (23’30’’). Two ‘big threes’ by the home team turned the margin back to double digits (50-40, 24’50’’) only to shoot back to a 15-point lead (55-40, 26’40’’), with the third quarter ending by 59-42. Olympiakos broke even further away in the score, leading it to +19 points (61-42, 31’37’’).
Panathinaikos had no intention whatsoever of throwing in the towel. It came back into the game, closing in to five points by a 3-pointer from Stratos Perperoglou (68-63, 36’40’’), but also with Ian Vougioukas winning battles in paint. In the last minutes the game was led to free throws; and by 38’35’’ the score gap was back up to five points (74-69), with Diamantidis “having his say” and sinking a three-pointer to close in to four points (76-72, 39’). Romain Sato took over from him to turn the score 76-75 (39’38’’), two free throws from Sloukas led it to 78-75, before Mike Batiste made it 78-77 right on the buzzer, scoring from afar.
Referees: Sxinas, Anastopoulos, Gontas
By quarter: 22-15, 43-31, 59-42, 78-77
Olympiakos (Ivkovic): Hines 6, Law 6, Antic 7, Spanoulis 10, Dorsey 6, Keselj 6, Gecevicius 5, Glyniadakis, Printezis 13, Papanikolaou 1, Mantzaris 11, Sloukas 7
Panathinaikos (Obradovic): Perperoglou 10, Batiste 16, Logan 7, Sato 7, Tsartsaris 3, Diamantidis 11, Vougioukas 12, Calathes N. 3, Kaimakoglou 5, Jasikevicius 3
