This team deserves applause and nothing less… Qualification to the Euroleague Final Four was lost in game 5 versus Barcelona at the Palau Blaugrana, final score 64-53, but this Panathinaikos deserves nothing but a warm round of applause. Rebooting, having changed almost 100%, it proved to be present; to be here to stay and continue to gaze high…
The game began with both teams balancing (4-4, 2’26’’) but Barcelona swiftly took the reins. It enforced its pace and its game, dominated in rebounds, got good three-point range result being it to get the gap to double digits (20-10, 7’). The Greens having to overcome a significant issue, Dimitris Diamantidis getting into fouling trouble early, third foul to be called on him already at 4’37’’, tried to pick up the trail (20-14, 7’55’’), but the Catalans double scored their guests at the end of the first quarter (28-14), getting 10-4 in rebounds and 4-for-6 three pointers, the same time Panathinaikos was getting 0-for-1.
Second quarter failed to begin behind the best possible conditions for the clover. Pressure Barcelona enforced created issues while in offense it was unable to get to the solutions which might allow it to threaten its hosts. Result was the gap to reach 19 points for the home team (37-18, 13’40’’). Three substitutions committed all together by Argyris Pedoulakis (Diamantidis, Tsartsaris, Lasme) and later one more, Maciulis to get into action seemed to shift the game image. Panathinaikos started to pick up the slack gradually, crept up to 9 points (42-33, 18’30’’), first half to reach, score at 44-33.
The Greens through tough defense and better options in offense trying to solve their rebound problem, attempted to get up on their opponents even closer. The gap remained at almost 10 points, Diamantidis to close the gap to 8 (51-43) at the ending of the third quarter and even though earlier he had been charged with personal No 4 (25’15’’). The captain took over matters on the floor game recommencing. A pull-up jumper of his got the gap to six points (51-45, 30’45’’), only to be answered and then some by Navarro (56-45, 34’). Panathinaikos reduced its deficit once more, Maciulis go-to-guy now in offense to bring the distance back to six points (59-53, 37’40’’). Ukic’s uncontested shot failed to nail its target, Huertas made his shot at the other end of the court to 62-53 (38’22’’).Diamantidis copied his Croatian teammate, the Greens picked up a pair of offensive boards but were unable to make a basket. Final 64-53 score was formed by 2-for-2 from the line off Sarunas Jasikevicius.
Referees: Lamonica (ITA), Zamojski (POL), Latisevs (LAT)
Quarters: 28-14, 44-33, 51-43, 64-53
Barcelona (Pascual): Sada, Huertas 10, Abrines 2, Navarro 15, Jasikevicius 6, Todorovic 3, Wallace, Ingles 8, Lorbek 6, Jawai 9, Tomic 5
Panathinaikos (Pedoulakis): Bramos 3, Maciulis 9, Ukic 7, Lasme 16 (7rb), Tsartsaris 4, Diamantidis 6, Gist 6, Banks 2, Schortsanitis
Pedoulakis: "Proud!"The Panathinaikos head coach, Argyris Pedoulakis, stated slightly after the end of the game: “I believe that it was a high intensity game, with emphasis on defense. We were knocked off our game with Diamantidis’ third personal foul and suffered 28 points only in the first quarter as the game started to slip away. During the second quarter every one of the guys tried but all this “wanting to achieve” led us to hasty options. We played better defense through the second half, we tried to get Navarro out of the game, player with the according personally for such encounters. We performed a switch on screens set up for him, either with or without him having the ball. We view a nodal part in the game to be our 1-for-16 three point shooting range, most of which shots were unguarded attempts, but also the 19 rebounds. Most of the guys lack the experience. Even though we performed exceptionally in backcourt, they got second chance baskets and this can run you down. Congratulations to Barcelona. We are proud for our team’s stride. It honored Panathinaikos’ history through Euroleague, in a new season and we believe that next season we will be even better”.
The Panathinaikos president, Dimitris Giannakopoulos congratulated the players slightly after the game in the locker rooms: “Congratulations for your huge effort, Panathinaikos was, is and will become even greater!”
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