Panathinaikos found its tempo in the second half and clinched victory from PAOK by 85-65 in the OAKA indoors arena in the context of the OPAP BasketLeague 21st competition date.
Panathinaikos was unable to get into pace in the first half of the game against PAOK. Both teams had difficulty getting to the basket. The scoreboard read 2-0 at 1’40’’, with the guest team managing to get to a three-point lead (6-9, 6’20’’). The last time PAOK had the lead was at 15’ (24-25), whereas the last time it stared Panathinaikos…in the eye was at 18’30’’ (32-32). A three-pointer from downtown by Kostas Kaimakoglou made the score 37-32 and the two teams went to the locker-rooms for halftime.
Returning on court, the “Greens” were more determined, put their foot a bit stronger on the gas pedal and reached a ten-point lead by 21’30’’ (42-32). The efforts made by Soulis Markopoulos’ players were not long-lasting. Panathinaikos had by now the first say in the game. It built on a score difference that was maintained to double-digit levels, reaching a fourteen-point lead (64-50, 32’45’’) and later on a seventeen-point lead (80-63, 38’40’’) by means of 2/2 three-pointers by Kostas Tsartsaris and Nic Calathes slum-danking in the fast-break. The same player sent the margin soaring to a twenty-point lead to make the score 85-65, at 39’30’’, score by which the game ended.
The only dark spot in the game was Mike Batiste’s injury that left the court at 33’15’’ with ankle-trouble. Let it be noted that Ian Vougioukas and Stratos Perperoglou are already out of commission due to injuries.
Referees: Tavoulareas, Theonas, Pagonis
By quarter: 15-18, 37-32, 58-47,
Panathinaikos (Obradovic): Maric 9 (11 rebounds), Batiste 3, Logan 16, Sato 2, Calathes P., Tsartsaris 9, Diamantidis 9, Calathes N. 13 (5 steals), Smith, Kaimakoglou 18, Jasikevicius 6
PAOK (Markopoulos): Bojovic 2, Stiggers 6, Arapis, Aleksic 5, Duvnjak 6, Dikoudis 19, Pettway, Pappas 18, Giannakidis 4, Kalles 2, Amparas, Tsakaleris 3
