Small longing, small hero Mantzoukas, big victory for Panathinaikos

In due course, Panathinaikos will also want to win, looking for the consistency and chemistry of a very long season amid absences. Even if, like at the end of the game against Bayern, he feels a little longing for his world. After all, everyone knows that Ataman’s team is not yet ready, he lacks basic tools, and it is almost impossible to stabilize his performance at a high level over a longer period of time.

If the little heroes like Lefteris Mantzoukas appear to be taking matters into their own hands, all the better for everyone in the “green” camp. The youngster scored three three-pointers, each more important than the last, and became the key man for the first EuroLeague victory of the season. The smiles and cheers for the Greek star player offset any concerns about Guy’s stress (and another poor performance) or the loneliness Lessor feels inside the bat.

Ataman and his players battle against time constraints and the season’s relentless schedule. As soon as they have time to breathe and Peristeri are in the league, the first double week awaits them (with Fener away and Maccabi).

The perfect first quarter

Panathinaikos played the perfect first quarter. Very well read, more determined, he didn’t miss a single Bayern shot, a rebound that he didn’t claim for himself.

He was also supported by Pablo Lasso’s chosen Heavy Five (with Bonga, Ibaka and Booker). The more flexible “Greens”, relying primarily on their personal defense, left the German team without a basket for 3:20 minutes (Obst’s three made it 10:3), starting with 4/4 shots, which equalized the difference +12 with a nail from Lessor after a nice assist from Vildosa, in an exemplary pick-and-roll execution.

The Argentine’s great leadership, who also replaced the missing Slukas, kept Panathinaikos firmly in the lead and when Papapetrou increased the handicap to +14 with five consecutive points and good phase vision, the home team seemed ready. However, that’s not it.

Vildosa went to the bench to rest, neither Grant nor Moraitis (Guy is not a point guard anyway) could slip into his role, while Lasso, after the continuous experiments, found a five that gave him something on the court.

The quick and responsive Leandro Bolmaro, along with Sylvain Francisco, formed a great duo on the perimeter, and Bayern quickly went on an 8-0 run and a total score of 17-9 to reduce the deficit to -4. Ibaka’s great defense also helped, evoking some of his skills around the basket that made his name all the way to the NBA.

The score could have remained at +4 for Panathinaikos – the smallest difference – if Ataman had not planned a nice attack in the last 6.5 seconds. Grant took the ball, ran across the field and passed to Mandzukic, who was waiting in the corner. Three points and seven points in favor of PAO, whose fans found the opportunity to get up from their seats again…

PAO had shot exactly the same number of three- and two-point shots at halftime (out of 14), was in control of the rebounds (19-14), but had made several errors (8) in the assists (7) . .

Mandzoukas kept the shepherds

It is possible that Juancho Hernangometh, who had not made his presence felt, hit a three-pointer at the start of the replay and Panathinaikos reduced the difference to +10, but the game still became a derby. Ataman had completed the rotation, many perhaps remembered the derby with Olympiakos, the second half of which had started identically.

Bayern even got close to the basket and were strong in offensive rebounds (12 in the second half), but they are also a new team whose good formations are still being sought by their coach. The Germans never progressed and saw Panathinaikos’ “little hero” make two big shots that essentially decided the game.

Lefteris Mantzoukas, who scored the buzzer-beater at the end of the second period, insisted on stepping onto the field in place of Hernangomet for a long time. The two three-pointers he scored (3/3 overall) kept the ball rolling for his team and gave them a lead of seven and eight points, respectively. Despite Vildosa’s fatigue (Grant provided the solutions) and the fourth foul he committed upon his return to the pitch, OAKA began to celebrate the impending victory.

Bayern’s formation was also helpful, as Lasso relied on the two-man group (Edwards-Francisco), but they usually either failed against Panathinaikos’ pressing sidelines or fired hasty (and misdirected) three-point throws. Ibaka and especially Bolmaro, the only Bavarian defender who created imbalances in PAO’s defense, watched the game from the bench.

When they re-entered, the scoreboard showed +13 for PAO, they scored a personal 12-2, they longed for the crowd in the stands, but Obst missed the three-pointer, which would have made things even more difficult and as Lessor said, possibly he brought the “greens” to long videos and training under the strict eyes of the ataman. Incidentally, the Frenchman was Panathinaikos’ most stable player, present in key moments of the game but also completely alone with the bat. Balcherovski and Antetokounmpo went unnoticed and Mitoglou’s absence seems even more important.

Vildosa had his best moments in the first half, Grant tried harder than anyone on the perimeter, avoiding mistakes, playing defense and scoring and creating at the same time. Flawless, like Mandzoukas, who did everything perfectly except for the foul at the end that gave Bonga the chance to make it 3-0.

This mistake wasn’t worth it, so the young player is credited with three great shots that proved crucial in the development of the game. If Panathinaikos gets shots like that every week from the 20-year-old international, winning this game against Bayern wouldn’t just be an easy win in the EuroLeague regular season.