Panathinaikos sending its performance to an entirely different dimension in the second half prevailed over Panionios 94-69, in the game that closed the “Petros Ikonomakis”tournament at Rethymno. The greens were named champion of the tourney behind their three wins.
Panionios was the team in control of the game during its first half, Argyris Pedoulakis jumbling his players many times and trying out quite a few layouts. Panathinaikos led (6-1, 2’10’’), held on to the lead (11-6, 3’20’’), gave over the reigns for a slight period of time (17-18, 7’40’’), only to go up by 3 (21-18), Bogris and Pappas though to go for an 11-0 run for Panionios, flexing the score to 21-29 (12’13’’). Substitutions continued for both teams, as the two coaches experienced big-men department issues in the first two minutes of the clash, Armstrong getting charged rapidly with 3 personal fouls, while Bogris committed two for opposing team. The greens reacted to cut their trail down to 1 (28-29, 13’30’’) off attempts by Maciulis, Ukic and Panko. Panionios too found solutions only to manage to maintain a lead in the game, climbing all the way up to a 6 point advantage (33-39, 18’), game to go into recess, score board resting at 37-41.
Third quarter had Panathinaikos written all over it. A partial 33-9 run, greens competing behind 6-out of-9 threes is ample proof of all that took place on court based on numbers. 37-41 half time score became 53-43 (24’50’’), Diamantidis leading with the precision of a conductor, also getting game for himself however. The gap was established to a higher standing, Mike Bramos to send in a basket all the way form down town, edge now at +20 (68-48, 29’), Ukic to copy his teammate to 70-50 (30’). At the beginning of the fourth quarter the ante was upped to +22, praise to Andy Panko (30’30’’), then on to +24, Armstrong to dunk the ball dominantly (34’), all the way up to +25, Mike Bramos revisiting the three-point marker successfully (36’), finally to +26, Skordilis to run the open field for a fast break (89-63, 38’), final game buzzer to find the score board reading 94-69.
Quarters: 21-22, 37-41, 70-50, 94-69
Panathinaikos (Pedoulakis): Bramos 10, Panko 8, Maciulis 17, Armstrong 8, Ukic 11, Tsartsaris 11, Diamantidis 13, Kitchen, Xanthopoulos, Giannopoulos, Skordilis 8, Kommatos 6, Schortsanitis 2, Charalampopoulos
Panionios (Skourtopoulos): Bogris 5, Payne 2, Athinaiou 6, Gibbs 9, Milbourne 6, Athanasoulas 2, Batis, Jankovic 8, Kavvadas 6, Pappas 10, Dragicevic 6, Booker 9, Motsenigos
Argyris Pedoulakis stressed after the game: “During the first half, as we had stated, we tried out certain parts of our defense which we want to check out, without really working to counteract elements of our opponent. It is mainly for personal training, in order for as to see it recorded, so as for as to be able to work on it and improve it. For third quarter we stepped out dominantly in backcourt and played to win. It was an encounter with a double character for us. We tried out parts of our defense in the first half and said that in the second half we are off to win the game. It has nothing to do with the game’s image. We had more of an appetite in the second half. When defense begins to roll you also manage to become more aggressive in offense. We do have certain points which we must examine and improve ourselves on. We had said to the guys that we will get to make observations playing against Rethymno and Panionios”.
In reference to the Ukic-Diamantidis collaboration he stressed: “We, as do they themselves, see details of many players, that they prefer to play left or right, what it is that suites them the most. Ukic has been with us for 5 days and has no knowledge of the players’characteristics yet. If someone is a shooter or prefers to go to the drive, if the big man can catch the ball or not and if so does he catch it high or low…We are very loaded as far as the players feet are concerned for example. We have to get them decompressed gradually because official games are coming up. Tomorrow we have the day-off and come Tuesday we will from then on be working in views of our official obligations. Let it be noted here that Sofoklis experienced a muscle spasm and Kitchen twisted his arm in a fall. And we were set off plan after Armstrong’s three swift personal fouls. That is when Tsartsaris played in center position and Skordilis helped out too”.
