Opening games of the Finals series took place yesterday (22/5). Both games were close with Panathinaikos and PAOK making their first step. Read full reviews below:
Panionios- P.A.O.K. 60-65
PAOK managed to get an important win against Panionios, making the break and taking advantage for the series between them. The team from Thessaloniki got in front from early on, Panionios recovered and after a quick paced game the score was 18-19 at the end of the 1st period. Both team emphasized more on their defense at the beginning of the second, PAOK scored important shots, overcame their deficit of the first 5 minutes of the period, and got to the locker rooms leading 30-33.
The away side kept their narrow lead after the break, dominating the rebounds and having Mark Payne in great shape. On the other side, Milbourne was the most reliable offensive solution alongside McCollum. However that was not enough for Panionios since they were trailing 46-49 with 10 minutes left in the game. Eric McCollum stepped up, and with 9 points in a row, got his team in front 57-52, but PAOK players fought hard, turned the game around and a Tsairelis made shot some seconds before the end, sealed the deal for his team. Mark Payne shined against his old team with 21 points and 4 rebounds, while McCollum had 23 with 3 assists and 3 steals. Now the two teams will meet again the upcoming Monday, in PAOK Sports Arena.
Panathinaikos- Olympiacos 59-56
After the warm up in Nea Smirni, it was time for the two Greek rivals to step on the court, to see which team will make the first step towards the title of the Greek Basket League. Panathinaikos started the game very well, managing to catch Olympiacos off-guard. The “Reds” could not score, they seemed to be unable to control the rhythm of the game and the score after 10 minutes was 19-6. Despite their great start, Panathinaikos got their weaknesses in front again, being unable to hold on to their lead in yet another important game. As a result, the score of halftime was 35-26, with the away side gaining the momentum they needed to apply pressure on the home team.
Olympiacos did not cut the lead any more during the 3rd period since coach Alvertis’ team defended effectively wasting most of their energy on that, and being unable to take advantage of some fast break chances. The score after 30’ was 51-41. The home team needed 7,5 minutes to score in the closing quarter, allowing Olympiacos to overtake 51-53. However Panathinaikos found the strength to score 8 consecutive points, get the win and take control of the series.
