Panathinaikos AKTOR continued its undefeated run in the Stoiximan GBL, securing a home victory against Panionios Xymoi Viva (97-66) in the 20th round of the Championship.
Panionios Xymoi Viva had the early advantage in the opening minutes (10-13 at 6’), but Panathinaikos AKTOR quickly stepped up the pace. A short scoring run immediately turned the game around, pushing the lead to +11 (27-16) by the end of the first quarter, which soon expanded even further (37-16 at 13’).
With exemplary defensive execution and fast breaks as their primary weapon, Panathinaikos AKTOR stretched the lead to +26 (47-21 at 17’). The first half ended with the margin remaining above twenty points (50-28).
At the start of the third quarter, the Greens continued to capitalize on their energy and fast-paced game, reaching a +24 lead (62-38) at the 25th minute. From that point on, Panathinaikos AKTOR maintained full control, never allowing Panionios Chymoi Viva to come close to challenging their dominance.
In the end, Panathinaikos AKTOR secured a convincing victory with +31 (97-66) and achieved a perfect 20/20 record in the Stoiximan GBL.
QUARTERS: 27-16, 50-28, 75-49, 97-66.
PANATHINAIKOS AKTOR (Ataman): Kalaitzakis 16 (1), Brown 7 (2), Papapetrou 11 (2), Nunn 7 (1), Mitoglou 13 (1), Sloukas 3 (1), Osman 23 (4), Samodurov 9 (1), Grant 8 (2).
PANIONIOS ΧΥΜΟΙ VIVA (Lykogiannis): Woolrdige (10, Ray 2, Tsalbouris 6 (1), Brown 15 (1), Nnoko 14, Milentijevic, Kaklamanakis 12, Saloustros, Dimitrakopoulos 2, Gikas 5.
Ataman: "Ι'm very satisfied with our performance"
Ergin Ataman spoke to reporters following Panathinaikos AKTOR’s home victory over Panionios Chymoi Viva in the 20th round of the Stoiximan GBL.
His statements in detail:
"I am very satisfied with the way we played. We won and performed exceptionally well. We also had the opportunity to rest some of our key players who log heavy minutes in the EuroLeague. The players coming off the bench did a great job, especially Alexandros Samontourov, who showed great potential. Every time he gets playing time, he delivers and proves he is ready. He is very important for us. Of course, it’s difficult to give him minutes in the EuroLeague, but in the Stoiximan GBL, he gets his opportunities and plays well.
Additionally, I am pleased because, with two games remaining in the regular season, we have already secured first place and remain the only EuroLeague team undefeated in its domestic league.
Last week’s game at Marousi was very challenging, but we played well. Now, we have five days ahead to prepare for our next game at SEF. It was great for our fans to enjoy tonight’s performance. We had around six to seven thousand supporters in attendance, and it was important to put on a great show for them."
On the derby against Olympiacos: "I have great respect for Olympiacos’ basketball. They have proven to be one of the best teams in the EuroLeague. At the same time, we are also playing very well, especially in our last ten games. We will go there to play our game. Of course, this is a derby, so it is important for both teams to win. It will be a demanding game. We have beaten them in the last two encounters—both in the league and the Cup final. When you face Olympiacos, it doesn’t matter what the competition is—both teams are going for the win. I don’t believe we will have any additions to our rotation for this game."
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