Panathinaikos flies to Belgrade for the encounter against Red Star. The two teams will face each other tomorrow (1/11) at 21.30 at Hala Pionir, for the 3rd Euroleague Day.
The team departed without absentees. Argyris Pedoulakis stated before the departure at "Eleftherios Venizelos" airport: "It's a game with a lot of energy. We have to be focused in the game and our strategy from the beginning to the end. We cannot be disorientated. On the contrary, we have to be focused in our goal. This game will be a very special, really tough practice for the games to come later in the season. We know what kind of atmosphere we are going to face getting there, but our job is to keep our mind in basketball. Red Star is a team that represents the Serbian school of basketball. They know how to move on the floor and they have a player in Marjanovic in their roster that it's only rare to see in European Basketball".
Vladimir Jankovic, stated: "We are going to play in one of the toughest arenas in Europe and Euroleague. The gym will be packed and you won't be able to hear not even your teammates or your coach. Fans are really their 6th player. Hala Pionir and OAKA are the strongest home courts in Europe. We cannot let ourselves be carried away by atmosphere. It's a big challenge for us and we have to show that we are ready. We have to stay true to our game for 40 minutes. This game is really important for Red Star, since the team hasn't competed in this level for years".
When asked about the continuous trips the team has to make, Jankovic replied: "We are professionals, it's our job. Our schedule is like this. We have to be ready and to give 100% in every game".
History
Panathinaikos and Red Star have met six times in the past. Greens have won five times and lost only once, at the first encounter between the two teams back in 1969-70 for the Champions' Cup. Since then, the clover counts only positive results.
Panathinaikos-Red Star 5-1
Champions' Cup 1969-70 Quarterfinals Red Star-Panathinaikos 91-66
Champions' Cup 1969-70 Quarterfinals Panathinaikos-Red Star 83-75
Euroleague 1998-99 Α’ Phase Panathinaikos-Red Star 77-71
Εuroleague 1998-99 Α’ Phase Red Star-Panathinaikos 74-76
Εuroleague 1999-00 Β’ Phase Red Star-Panathinaikos 61-76
Εuroleague 1999-00 Β’ Phase Panathinaikos-Red Star 67-58
Numbers
Dimitris Diamantidis averages 8 assists per game in Euroleague. He is at the second place of the list. Omar Cook has 21 assists but has one more game.
Stephane Lasme has made 9 consecutive free throws in Euroleague action. Lasme is ranked 12th in Euroleague history in blocked shots with 109. He trails D’Or Fischer for 10th place with 3 blocks, though Darjus Lavrinovic (110) of Budivelnik is in front of him.
With his next free throw, Mike Batiste will break a tie with former teammate David Andersen and claim sole possession of 10th place on the competition’s career free throws made charts. They enter this week’s game tied with 468 made.
Batiste needs 26 points to catch Nikola Vujcic for fourth place on the competition’s career scoring charts. Batiste enters the game with 2,413 career points in the Euroleague.
Though he missed the first game of the season, Mike Bramos leads the league in three-pointers made through two games with 7.
"Family" affairs
James Gist and Rasko Katic played together in Partizan back in 2010-11. They celebrated three titles (Serbian League, Serbian Cup, Adriatic League).
Ramel Curry and Ivan Radenovic were teammates in Donetsk (Ukraine, 2011-13).
