The first step was made for Panathinaikos OPAP, they got their ticket to the final of the Greek Cup Final Four, now forty (40) minutes away from lifting the trophy. can he do it On a theoretical level yes, but for this scenario to become a reality, the shamrock (in itself) has to present itself much better in relation to the semi-final against Prometheus Patras.

As so often this year, the most important thing for Dimitris Priftis has to do with the start of his team. For the umpteenth time he had to call a time-out in the first three minutes to change the game early. He failed to do that in his freshman year, resulting in a -14 (27-13) in the first ten minutes of the final.

In the two Stoiximan Basket League games that preceded the semifinals in “Dyo Aorakia”, Panathinaikos OPAP had a similar approach and performance until the advantage was found and the fall came. But it is clear that in a final, and especially against Olympiacos, a corresponding start can very quickly “end” any scenario that involves the Greens conquering the 21st trophy at this tournament.

The ten minutes when everything went wrong

In order for the -14 to reach the final of the first third, many different parameters were necessary. On the one hand the failure (4/16 with the child), mainly due to bad offensive choices and decisions, on the other hand the rashness in defense and the sometimes complete lack of communication. The very first possession of the game (for Prometheus) is enough to describe the real problem Panathinaikos OPAP had at the back of the court for a year and a half. In the opening stages of the game, Dimitris Priftis’ players did not speak to each other, which resulted in one of them “getting stuck” on a screen away from the ball and the first basket of the game with a lay-up.

Overall, the way Panathinaikos OPAP operated in the first period is prohibitive to be repeated…on the afternoon of Sunday February 20th. Simply because the quality and selection of the opponent from the bench are so high that they are enough to punish any mistake and write the epilogue early in the final.

The history of the race in six minutes

Was Nemanja Nedovic one of Panathinaikos OPAP’s best? Without a doubt yes! How long did it take to get into the discussion (although Ocaro White and Jeremy Evans actually did most of the work)? Six minutes.

That is, from the moment he made the first basket to the one who scored his last basket in the game.

From 0/6 on a kid, the shamrock keeper quickly laid 4/5 (three of them in consecutive casts) and turned the game around. Both on a sporting and psychological level. Four shots and everything was enough to shape the course of the game and determine his path in the minutes that followed.

By the way, in the second part of the semi-final he didn’t score any more as a child, except from the personal line. He managed to become his team’s first goalscorer, but with 4/16 shots.

The duo that changed the rotation

Okaro White’s co-existence with Jeremy Evans was mostly an alternative option for Dimitris Priftis’ front line until Giorgos Papagiannis was injured and kept him out of action for a few games.

He used it during games to camouflage the gap in the “5” (even when Jehaiva Floyd was on the roster) and give his main center breath.

However, over the past three weeks this duo has offered so much in the racquet that has become a big fix for the shamrock. The chemistry they’ve developed and the ability of both to fight back against the basket has made them a duo that offer solutions whenever living together on the floor.

“A” and “Ω” are the result

On Sunday afternoon, February 20th, Panathinaikos OPAP will win the 21st trophy in its history. But for the first time in years he will step onto the stage without the tag of favorite. A conclusion from the overall picture of the two teams so far this season.

To reach the end of the path, Dimitris Priftis’ team is called to have, to a greater extent, the element that is definitively missing within the borders: constancy. Both on a sporting and spiritual level. So correct communication in defense, but also correct decisions in attack. Only in this way he will have the ability to overcome any element that will play a role in the game and have the opportunity to achieve victory – the title to the end.

The conquest of the Greek Cup is so important for the organization of Panathinaikos OPAP that it is enough to shape its greatness in the dressing room.