Panathinaikos had a hard time, failed to avoid turnovers (23 overall), had bad range (19/30 twos and 5/25 threes),but ultimately managed to get to an away win versus KAOD, final score 60-63 at the “D.Krachtidis” arena in Basket League OPAP game 6.
The Greens tried in the first few minutes to feed the ball into the paint, where Sofoklis Schortsanitis got game (4-5, 2’40’’). The torch was passed mainly offensively to Dimitris Diamantidis who undertook the assignment either shooting from beyond the arc or driving to the basket. Result was Panathinaikos to get up by 7 (17-24, 11’20’’) and then to 19-30 (13’) Panko and Bramos to score at the time. KAOD however, enforced pressure, got to second chances praise to offensive boards and managed to pick up the trail to 5 points at half time (27-32).
Lasme at first (27-34, 20’30’’), then Kitchen (21’37’’) expanded the gap once more to 7 points, the prior though to be charged with 2 personal fouls in under two minutes in the second half, not taking all that long to get to four personals in the encounter. KAOD exploited Panathinaikos’ every mistake, closed the gap to two points (34-36, 22’) slightly prior to Diamantidis getting the score board reading 34-41 (24’25’’) going for 5 consecutive points of his own. Hosts’team game and the passion they input in every play brought them to the driver’s seat with the score at 42-41 (26’40’’) and only slightly later at 44-43 (28’).Panathinaikos attempted and managed to get back to a three point distance (44-47, 28’53’’) behind Schortsanitis but at the end of the third quarter the lead was a KAOD matter once again (48-47).
The game had turned into a derby, going all the way down the stretch into the clutch. Home team climbed to a +5 edge (54-49, 34’), Bramos cut back to 2 (54-52, 34’20’’),Diamantidis tied (54-54, 35’), a Maciulis three got the score to 56-57 (37’20’’).Kakaroudis was the one to offer Giorgos Kalafatakis’ team the lead for the last time in the game (58-57, 37’45’’). Kitchen made 58-59 (38’), Ioannou went for 1-out of-2 shots from the line to tie (59-59, 39’20’’), Schortsanitis gave a 2 point lead (59-61, 39’40’’).Kakaroudis was awarded free throws, 15’’ pending on the game clock, made only one though out of two shots (60-61) when at the other end of the court and with 3’’left on the clock Panko was perfect with 2-out of-2 from the charity line, score now 60-63. KAOD gave the game its last shot to go into overtime but Kitchen’s blocked shot on Zarras marked the end of the clash and offered Panathinaikos the win. Sidelined for the Greens were injured Tsartsaris (ankle sprain) and Ukic (rupture muscle) who did not travel with the team.
Derwin Kitchen: “KAOD is a great team and congratulations are in order for its attempt. We made many turnovers, allowed them to pick up many offensive rebounds, we were not focused. Now we must look ahead on to what’s up next. Every game is of dire importance and this goes for the game versus Cantu. I hope we win in Italy and return to Greece with a positive result”.
Referees: Gontas, Poursanidis, Kaldiris
Quarters: 17-19, 27-32, 48-47, 60-63
KAOD (Kalafatakis): Slaftsakis 2, Knowles 13, Kalaitsidis, Akipsimaidis, Benas 2, Michel 6, Carter 3, Kakaroudis 16, Dale 6, Zarras, Ioannou 3, Palmer 3
Panathinaikos (Pedoulakis): Schortsanitis 12 (6rbs), Bramos 5, Panko 10, Maciulis 9 (8rbs), Lasme 2, Diamantidis 17, Kitchen 4, Xanthopoulos 2, Giannopoulos, Skordilis 2
