The obvious for Panathinaikos is not self-evident

As of tonight, the cup final for Panathinaikos turned 26. What is more common and predictable in Greek basketball than the almost constant presence of Trifyllio in the annual battle for the second hierarchical national trophy of each season. An etiquette that was rarely not observed.

46 finals have been played since 1976 and the Greens have managed to be finalists in more than half. Their terrifying success rate matches that of the most reliable shooters from the foul line, as the collection counts 20 cups on 25 attempts (80%). 9 of them in fact in the last ten years without wasting a single drop of opportunity.

One would say Panathinaikos was lucky in not always playing against evenly matched opponents. When with Rethymno and when with the lighthouse of A2. Or he could not find Apollo of Patras opposite him. So he was preferred. Could be. It’s just that everyone is responsible for what they did or didn’t do, and not what happened somewhere else at the same time that turned out to be beneficial afterwards.

In the victorious semi-final of the Final Four against Prometheus, the defending champion didn’t wait for a butterfly to flap its wings in Chania to go with the current created in Heraklion. He had to and finally managed to become the driving force behind activating the qualifying formula for the big event on Sunday (February 20, 5:00 p.m.) in the same stadium.

The truth is there was a delay. A delay that would not be surprising if it turned out to be disastrous in the process. Panathinaikos is not far from being ruled out, especially in the first third. The -14 after ten minutes of play was like an insurmountable obstacle for a team that had no well-aimed shot from the outside (0/7) and was constantly in a hurry to squander most of their possession. Without at the same time having secured their self-protection in the defense.

His picture referred to the emptiness of the past few months. As if Priftis knew…his players yesterday, as if they didn’t know each other at all, as if Jovic never came.

However, that Panathinaikos is ‘living’ a relatively good moon, half full one might say compared to the… turbulence of the first half of the season, undeniably helped him to have reduced the empty intervals on the floor. The light seemed to him to find his way.

Last but not least, the ‘clearing’ of the… Lunar Nedovic with 12 personal points from 13′ to the break set the stage for the fall, but Prometheus is a good and hard-working team that you can lose, as they say Larissa , only from a player’s score. As good as it is.

It took the Greens a lot more to dominate the game and take control of the game. Above all, they needed an extra effort for their personal defense, either on the ball itself or off screen. Defensive use was a prerequisite for the balance on both sides of the floor.

Passport Sant-Ross, the key Evans and the invincible Papagiannis worked in this part, the consistent White and of course Nedovic lent a hand and Panathinaikos, raising the level of his toughness, quickly reaped the rewards, regaining calm, confident confidence and above all the sense of security that he avoids every danger. He had +8 in 30′. With sub 45-23 in the meantime.

Prometheus didn’t want to leave the match at all, nor did he show any willingness to compromise with a double-digit difference. Ray and Agravanis had many hearts within them. But it was beyond her power. The solutions were missing. With a superior opponent found and a coronavirus shattering any ambition, Zouros’ players ran out of breath in the final and -17 smeared, making the effort unjustified.

What was taken for granted was in fact the qualification of Panathinaikos. But the obvious is not always given. Especially in this case. It took physical effort and mental validation to turn the page. That means complete clarity. It’s no coincidence that despite a bad start, the Greens finished with 57% in twos and 29% in threes. With 18 assists, from correct reading, for 11 errors!

Of course, Sunday’s final requires similar data to the highest degree. Of course, if Panathinaikos wants blackjack trophies by drawing without burning from … 26!