Tel Aviv is Panathinaikos’ next stop. The Greens depart tomorrow morning (10.05) with final destination Israel, where on Thursday (November 14, 21.05) they will be facing Maccabi in Euroleague game 5.
History
The two teams have come up against each other quite a few times and on certain occasions to define the European Champion. Overall Panathinaikos and Maccabi Tel Aviv have faced each other 30 times. Thrice they have met up at the league’s final, regardless of each current name upon occasion: In 2000, 2001 and 2011. The Greens broke away with the title in Thessaloniki 2000 and in Barcelona 2011.
Maccabi Tel Aviv-Panathinaikos 15-15
Champions Cup 1971-72 Quarterfinals Panathinaikos-Maccabi Tel Aviv 81-73
Champions Cup 1971-72 Quarterfinals Maccabi Tel Aviv-Panathinaikos 81-80
Champions Cup 1974-75 Β’ Φάση Panathinaikos-Maccabi Tel Aviv 76-90
Champions Cup 1974-75 Β’ Φάση Maccabi Tel Aviv-Panathinaikos 113-80
Champions Cup 1980-81 Quarterfinals Maccabi Tel Aviv-Panathinaikos 76-81
Champions Cup 1980-81 Quarterfinals Panathinaikos-Maccabi Tel Aviv 73-81
Champions Cup 1981-82 Semifinals Maccabi Tel Aviv-Panathinaikos 112-91
Champions Cup 1981-82 Semifinals Panathinaikos-Maccabi Tel Aviv 78-86
Champions Cup 1994-95 Quarterfinals Panathinaikos-Maccabi Tel Aviv 63-62
Champions Cup 1994-95 Quarterfinals Maccabi Tel Aviv-Panathinaikos 92-91
Champions Cup 1995-96 Quarterfinals Panathinaikos-Maccabi Tel Aviv 67-62
Champions Cup 1995-96 Quarterfinals Maccabi Tel Aviv-Panathinaikos 79-86
Champions Cup 1998-99 1st round Maccabi Tel Aviv-Panathinaikos 62-84
Champions Cup 1998-99 1st round Panathinaikos-Maccabi Tel Aviv 67-58
European Championship 1999-00 Final Panathinaikos-Maccabi Tel Aviv 73-67
Suproleague 2000-01 Final Maccabi Tel Aviv-Panathinaikos 81-67
Euroleague 2001-02 Semifinal Panathinaikos-Maccabi Tel Aviv 83-75
Euroleague 2002-03 Regular Season Panathinaikos-Maccabi Tel Aviv 64-77
Euroleague 2002-03 Regular Season Maccabi Tel Aviv-Panathinaikos 79-86
Euroleague 2003-04 Regular Season Maccabi Tel Aviv-Panathinaikos 97-75
Euroleague 2003-04 Regular Season Panathinaikos-Maccabi Tel Aviv 84-91
Euroleague 2004-05 Semifinal Maccabi Tel Aviv-Panathinaikos 91-82
Euroleague 2006-07 Regular Season Panathinaikos-Maccabi Tel Aviv 90-88
Euroleague 2006-07 Regular Season Maccabi Tel Aviv-Panathinaikos 76-73
Euroleague 2010-11 Final Maccabi Tel Aviv-Panathinaikos 78-70
Euroleague 2011-12 Play Offs Panathinaikos-Maccabi Tel Aviv 93-73
Euroleague 2011-12 Play Offs Panathinaikos-Maccabi Tel Aviv 92-94
Euroleague 2011-12 Play Offs Maccabi Tel Aviv-Panathinaikos 65-62
Euroleague 2011-12 Play Offs Maccabi Tel Aviv-Panathinaikos 69-78
Euroleague 2011-12 Play Offs Panathinaikos-Maccabi Tel Aviv 86-85
Numbers
Mike Batiste and Dimitris Diamantidis are the two players in the center spot as far as this week’s numbers for Panathinaikos.
Diamantidis has had one of his best games versus Maccabi Tel Aviv, when in 2012 in playoffs game 5 he scored 25 points and mounted to a ranking of 34. He also had a great performance in the 2011 final when he tallied 15 points, also sharing out 9 perfect passes. The Panathinaikos leader is first in three point shot attempts this season (30) as also in assist, dishing 8.3 per game.
Batiste too committed a great performance in the 2011 final, drilling 18 points and grabbing 6 boards in 23’ played, while his personal best in assist (6) was also recorded versus Maccabi Tel Aviv (2012 playoffs game 2). “Michalis” needs 11 points in order to catch up with Nikola Vujcic, who coincidently is the Israeli team’s manager this season, in fourth place of the Euroleague all time scorers. Batiste has 2,433 points up to date.
And a statistical element for this season’s Euroleague concerning Batiste, the league’ old-timer, but also a new kid on the block, Nikos Pappas. The Panathinaikos Center is first in points per minute this season (30.9 in 40’), while in third place the Greek guard follows (28.7).
Loukas Mavrokefalidis has recorded a personal best against Maccabi when back in the 2007-08 campaign he picked up 11 rebounds.
Relations
Sofoklis Schortsanitis and Stephane Lasme are the links for the two teams. Schortsanitis competed for Panathinaikos last season. He will be meeting up with 7 of his old teammates, this time round as opponents. Lasme competed for Maccabi Tel Aviv in the 2009-10 season. Only two of the players he had played alongside with are still with Maccabi Tel Aviv: Guy Pnini and David Blu.
