It took Panathinaikos a quarter to get into pace, but from that point on it was the absolute master of the game, reaching a score of 103-67 against Kolossos Rhodes in the first OPAP BasketLeague semifinal at the OAKA indoors arena.
The first quarter proved to be a warm-up for Panathinaikos. Kolossos Rhodes was feisty, the “Greens” could not find their tempo, and as a result the visiting team was in the lead for the better part of the first quarter. They reached a lead of up to five points (11-16, 6’10’’), before Zeljko Obradovic saw his players react, turn the score into 23-18 (9’30’’) and keeping up the same tempo in the second quarter too. A 19-5 run led the score from 19-18 (9’) to 38-23 (13’50’’) by back-to-back three-pointers sunk in by Kaimakoglou, Jasikevicius, Diamantidis, and the lead kept gradually increasing until it stretched up to 22 points (51-29, 18’), and halftime ended by 53-32.
Panathinaikos had solutions in offense, was particularly successful in three-point shots (6/13 at halftime, 10/19 at 30’). As a result, it sent the lead sky-rocketing to +34 points (76-42, 27’), thus putting a definitive and irrevocable premature end to the game, at least as far as it concerned who the final winner would be. The third quarter ended by 82-50, Aleks Maric broke the margin wider to +37 points (87-50, 32’), and then Smith to +39 points (89-50, 32’40’’). This was the maximum lead in the game, which was repeated once again a little before the final buzzer (102-63, 39’10’’) and the final score of 103-67.
The next game will again take place at the OAKA indoors arena, with Panathinaikos hosting Kolossos Rhodes on Thursday (26/4) at 19:00.
Referees: Gontas, Somos, Mitsopoulos
By quarter: 23-20, 53-32, 82-50, 103-67
Panathinaikos (Obradovic): Maric 6, Perperoglou 9, Batiste 2, Logan 11, Sato 6, Tsartsaris 8, Diamantidis 6 (8 assists), Vougioukas 13, Calathes N. 8 (6 assists), Smith 9, Kaimakoglou 13, Jasikevicius 12
Kolossos Rhodes (Fragkias): Liakopoulos 3, Hatten 4, Kalaitzis, Panos 9, Georgalis, Asimakopoulos 12, Boykin 6, Harissis 2, Tsamis 10, Hopson 19, Kobodietas 2
