Panathinaikos will have a practice sessions at the OAKA indoors arena today and will then travel to Thessaloniki for tomorrow’s game against PAOK (10/12, 20:30, ΕΤ3), in the context of the OPAP BasketLeague 8th competition date.
The “Greens” are leaving this afternoon, prepared for a difficult game, as underlined by Dimitris Itoudis – Zeljko Obradovic’s collaborator – when referring to PAOK: “It is always tough to face PAOK, especially in Thessaloniki. They have a very athletic team. Its players in positions 4 and 5, that is to say Dikoudis and Goree, run the court very well. Its guards, Stiggers, Wright, Kalampokis, Giddens, but also Giannakidis, who get more participation time, are very good in open court, as well as in one-on-one situations. PAOK has players that can create situations of their own; all these guards as well as the big guys. Apart from that, there are other players too who come from the bench such as Kalles, Kalampakas and others. PAOK will spread throughout the entire court, play some zone-press as well as math-up defenses. We have to be prepared for each and every detail of this game and it is important that we have had two practice sessions for this game. It is a whole different ballgame when you have two practice sessions and two videos plus analysis and clarification of the situations. What we want is a positive outcome and yet another good performance, by keeping our concentration high from the beginning until the end of the game.”
The numbers
The two teams have met on court a total of 77 times in the A1 division championship. Past history gives Panathinaikos the absolute lead in victories by a 47-30 record. The “Greens” have a 7-0 run in their most recent games against PAOK.
Dimitris Diamantidis is just one assist away from the 1.000-assists mark in the HEBA championship (from 1992 onward) wearing the Panathinaikos jersey. He is also 12 points away from the 3.200-points mark scored throughout his career. Two more rebounds will bring him to the all-time top-10 rebounders in the history of the HEBA championship.
