Panathinaikos is at the top spot of its group. Its mission in Kazan was a total success, as it grabbed victory right under from Unics’ feet by 68-63 and will now face Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Euroleague playoffs with a home advantage.
It was an exciting game from beginning to end, with both teams unable to break ahead from the other by much of a difference throughout the entire game. The lead kept changing hands in the first quarter, which ended with Sarunas Jasikevicius giving the lead to his team (21-22). When the game resumed, Panathinaikos seemed to have its feet firmer on court. Defense and good collaborations stretched the difference to a nine-point lead (21-30, 14’30’’) with Ian Vougioukas scoring and drawing a foul, but with Mike Batiste being the one to execute the extra throw. This happened because after the play that led the score to 21-29, Vougioukas seemed to feel leg pains and went to the bench. The reigns remained in the hands of the “Greens” (27-36 at 17’18’’ by a three-pointer by Jasikevicius, 29-40 at 18’40’’). However, the last two minutes was not what Zeljko Obradovic’s heart desired to see from his players, since Henry Domercant crunched the lead down to two points with three free throws on dead-time (38-40).
The European champions dominated thereafter too. Panathinaikos reached a +6 margin (38-44 at 23’30’’, 40-46 at 24’30’’, 46-52 at 29’), before the end of the third quarter by 48-52 (30’). The “Greens” had already begun registering better “figures” in assists, rebounds, and steals, leading the Russians to committing turnovers. The “clover” found itself leading by eight points (55-63, 35’), but Unics Kazan made a last ditch effort to return to the game and claim victory. It cut as close to the score as two points (61-63, 37’), but right then Panathinaikos started coming up with the answers: first, with Kostas Kaimakoglou marking a big three to turn the score 61-66 (38’46’’), and then with Jasikevicius just a bit later, who by means of two free throws led the score to 61-68 (39’40’’), before the final score of 63-68 was left shining on the scoreboard.
Referees: Lamonica, Boltauzer, Latisevs
By quarter: 21-22, 38-40, 48-52, 63-68
Unics Kazan (Pashutin): Samoylenko, Nachbar, Pashutin Z., Veremeenko 6, Greer 7, Savrashenko, McCarty 11, Jawai 10, Domercant 19, Wilkinson 10
Panathinaikos (Obradovic): Maric 8, Perperoglou, Batiste 12, Logan 7, Sato 4, Tsartsaris 2, Diamantidis 9, Vougioukas 2, Calathes N., Smith 3, Kaimakoglou 8, Jasikevicius 10
