Day 1 in the “Petros Ikonomakis”tournament at Rethymno, Panathinaikos to edge its opponent Apollon Patras behind a 69-51 win, performing a mature game to get to the aspired result.
After a first quarter, mainly defined by both sides’ inability to score, Panathinaikos managed to establish the pace it was after in order to dominate the floor; 6-3 (5’), flexed to 13-7 at the end of the first 10 minutes of the clash, seeing on to a much improved quarter. The greens went up by 10 (17-7, 10’50’’) never to look back. Notable aspects of the encounter, the many different schemes Argyris Pedoulakis laid out, everyone’s passion in backcourt and their intention to help each other out at both ends of the court. Result was 27-9, 15’ score only for teams to head to the locker rooms, score to rest at 36-20.
Panathinaikos kept up the same act in the second half of the battle also. Both teams kept growing further apart, gap to be re-priced at a 20 point distance (40-20, 21’20’’) only for the ante to be upped, Sofoklis Schortsanitis to mark 52-28 (27’). At the beginning of the fourth period Derwin Kitchen drilled a three to award his team with a 26 point advantage (59-33, 30’15’’). The greens’ rival’s trail remained quite the same all the way down the stretch, clash to end at 69-51.
Panathinaikos will be facing Rethymno tomorrow at 19.30, while Panionios will be going across from Apollon Patras at 17.00.
Quarters: 13-7, 36-20, 56-33, 69-51
Panathinaikos (Pedoulakis): Schortsanitis 17, Bramos 6, Panko 4, Maciulis 6, Armstrong 12, Ukic 5, Tsartsaris 7, Diamantidis, Kitchen 7, Kommatos 1, Xanthopoulos 2, Giannopoulos 2, Skordilis
Apollon P. (Vetoulas): McCollum 2, Argyropoulos 9, Kaperonis, Grant 2, Walker, Lianos 2, Daniil, Petrovic 12, Pelekoudas, Gordon 20, Molfetas, Turner 4
*Present at the “Melina Merkouri”indoor stadium was Panathinaikos BC President, Mr. Dimitris Giannakopoulos.
*Panathinaikos BC made out a written complaint towards the airlines company with which it flew to Chania and from there to Rethymno and the “Petros Ikonomakis” tournament, in reference to Panathinaikos emblems having been ripped off from the delegation’s luggage.
Pedoulakis: “Negative element, 19 turnovers”
Argyris Pedoulakis stressed at the Press Conference after the encounter versus Apollon P.: “We had stated that we wanted to have rhythm in offense and not to lose it when in backcourt. And that we wanted to share out the time. We do have one negative, that being 19 turnovers, too many for a team of out stature. The last two and a half minutes we suffered a 2-12 run. We had requested not to loosen up at the end. We must win at every minute, not slow down during our preparation period. Ukic has been with us for 4-5 practices. He is clever both due to position and as a human being. We slowed down in order for all the guys to be able to play. We have had quite a hectic schedule all this week, but the guys have started to get together in a sense. In frontcourt the percentage is small. It is only natural. We must become one. Become an assembly. The thing is to establish a pace. In defense it is easier to find automations, to “hide”certain elements”.
Mike Bramos stated: “We begun the game without concentration and missed some easy shots. In the second quarter we picked up the pace in defense. Each day we learn something new, in order to be better the next day”.
Apollon Patras’ Head Coach, Nikos Vetoulas, stressed: “The difference in dynamics of both teams was more than obvious. Panathinaikos missed a few easy shots in the beginning. We wanted to keep a pace in defense. The final score presents a plasmatic gap, since in the end we got to easy baskets. Our main is goal is official games”.
