Basketball
The pick and pop of Panathinaikos, hard rock for Olympiakos
The victory of Panathinaikos with the impressive Dino Mitoglou marked the eternal derby and Yiannis Fileris writes about the problematic Olympiakos, which gets 65-66 points but loses the games!
The Panathinaikos strike within the SEF was particularly strong. Whether it will shake Olympiakos, we will find out in the next duels of the two centuries and the development of the championship.
However, for the first time in the two years of absolute dominance of the “Red and Whites”, Bartzoka’s team finds itself in a disadvantageous position. The “green” victory puts them in second place in the Stoiximan Basket League standings, with a significant handicap of 12 formed with the final result.
However, the defeat also brought with it a lot of reflection. Ultimately, it was less the defeat than the performance in the doubles that left the most question marks.
For the second time in two weeks, Olympiacos Piraeus failed to break the 55-point mark. At Milan he missed 14:15 basket shots. Against Panathinaikos he generally broke baskets and shot at abysmal rates, mostly from the foul line where he finished the game with 4/16!
You can’t win a game with twelve missed throws, especially when you shoot so poorly (41% twos and 26.1% tr). Somehow the opponent can beat him, even if Olympiakos’ defense works well overall. Armani gave him 65 and Panathinaikos 66.
Simple calculations suggest that the “red and white” team’s greatest weapon, namely their excellent defense, is being significantly underused because their offense simply suffers for it. Is it stress? Is it the lack of preparation and injuries that prevent the team from training and playing in full formation? Is it because of the lack of a goalscorer that Olympiakos Piraeus may still be looking for? It could be everything together.
The bottom line is that Olympiacos seems to be struggling, can’t move the ball well (12 assists in both games in which it scored less than 60 points) and is making a lot – and easy – mistakes.
Mitoglou like Smilagic
However, the defeat against PAO highlighted another weakness for Olympiacos. The game against Partizan and the way the Serbs attacked in the second half and passed the ball to Smilagic was – possibly – a guide for Ergin Ataman. Replacing Smilagic was Dinos Mitoglou, who did most of the damage, scoring 14 of his 20 points in the second half.
The international striker and midfielder took advantage of his good long-range shooting and flexibility, with the pick-and-pops he played (mainly with Sluka) becoming tough play for Olympiakos. At Milan, Nikola Mirotic was the one who made it his mission to operate from a distance. A foursome that can also play on “3”.
Mitoglou, of course, who is a more complete player than Smaigalic, made other shots besides the shot from the place that Fal and Milutinov could hardly reach (i.e. when Ataman put him on “5”). He grabbed rebounds (10), made great defenses (4 steals) and proved to be a dominant figure in the game.
This is no joke, but Olympiacos would like to have Luke Sikmas in this match where Mitoglou had to hit both inside and outside the stick. The blonde American, who has been on the pitch for almost a month, could be the “red and white” answer to the light plans of Ataman, who had studied very well how he would leave Faliro as a winner.
Yes OK. It is unlikely that the Sikmas we have seen so far in Olympiakos have made life difficult for the angry Mitoglou, but that is not his true picture. His injury set him back, he didn’t even have time to adapt to the conditions of a completely different team than Alba, in which he felt – and was – a natural leader. However, his return will settle any questions about whether he will help Olympiakos or not, as Alec Peters cannot always play in red, among other things…
And what about McKissick?
Shaquille McKissick is also missing from Olympiacos. Especially in the derby with Panathinaikos, where the American has a special tradition. His ability to play vertically, his one-on-one actions, his speed and his good defense have unsettled the “green” United Kingdom on several occasions. The “Red-Whites” game changer has remained – almost completely – silent since the beginning of the year.
It appears that McKissick has a serious knee problem and his recovery will be delayed for at least another two weeks, as was said in the SEF press room in an interview with Giorgos Bartzokas.
Will the 33-year-old guard remain inactive, or will Olympiacos Piraeus go on the attack and start other scenarios that slowly take hold without this also involving a change of players? Perhaps it is an addition, although there are already many foreigners and only six play in the Greek league…
Winning is the answer
In the event of such a defeat, the teams find an answer through victories in the following games. There is already a test in Istanbul, against Fener. The dynamism of the Turkish team, especially in its area, is self-evident, but there are also the events of last year’s playoffs with the difficulties that Olympiacos Piraeus had against the two half-sized strikers Hayes-Davies and Pierre.
It will require a very big recovery effort, there is not much time left (the game is on Thursday), but returning to “Olympiakos Basketball”, regardless of the result, is the main commitment. Of course, at this point it is not possible for the team to play forty minutes, fly around the court and score 80-85 points with +20 assists, but it is also unacceptable to end their games with such poor performances as yesterday (and that of Milan).
The plus of the evening was the applause from the audience at the end of the game. This is something Olympiacos deserves because of their success and the basketball they have played over the last three years. The support for the team was very warm, as befits a group that gave the same audience very great moments. It can’t all be written off because there was a really bad night and a loss. The year is very long and there is room and time for dynamic returns.
All in all, the derby had an undisputed winner (Panathinaikos), a very poor spectacle, but also an impressive atmosphere given the size, as was the case in OAKA at the EuroLeague premiere. Between you and me, Olympiakos Piraeus and PAO will eventually get bored playing this year…
Source: sport 24
I am a sports writer and journalist who has written for various online publications including Sportish. I’m originally from the UK but currently live in Toronto, Canada. I’m also an author on Sportish and have written several articles on a variety of sports-related topics.
Kirill Elatontsev may greatly regret his choice.
The departure of Russian center Kirill Elatontsev to the USA became one of the most discussed stories of the winter. A player with a valid long-term contract with Lokomotiv-Kuban suddenly appeared in the application of the University of Oklahoma and soon made his debut in the NCAA. This is an almost unprecedented case for Russian basketball. And for Kirill himself – a chance to start all over again.
A move that no one expected
Elatontsev, 23, was officially recruited by the Oklahoma Sooners, who expect him to quickly fit into the program.
— First of all, we are glad that Kirill is here, since a considerable distance has been covered. He will give us depth, which is extremely important. He’s older and has played against some really tough opponents, which will help us in conference games as well. In addition, he is skilled and has excellent instincts under the rim. “We are encouraged by his transition and are working to ensure that he quickly adapts to our program and system,” journalist Josh Callaway quotes Oklahoma coach Porter Moser as saying on his social media page.
Kirill’s debut took place immediately: on the night of December 30, Moscow time, he played 18 minutes in a match against Mississippi Valley State University. Oklahoma defeated the opponent with a score of 93:69, and the Russian scored 6 points and made 4 rebounds.
How it all started: from health problems to accusations of simulation
The formal conflict started on the night of November 8. Lokomotiv-Kuban reported that Kirill called an ambulance without notifying the medical headquarters. The examination – both at the club and in the clinic – did not reveal any serious problems, and hospitalization was not required. Lokomotiv-Kuban assessed the situation as a possible feigning of illness and a violation of discipline.
For the player, this was the first high-profile episode of the season, which he already missed due to problems with his foot. But in the fall there were rumors that the best young player in the VTB League in recent years was considering leaving for the NCAA. At the time it seemed frivolous. Now it’s reality.
The club’s reaction: “a dangerous precedent” and appeals to all authorities
After it became known that Elatontsev left Russia and signed up for the NCAA, Loko published a big statement. His key points:
The player has a valid contract until 2029, registered with the RFB.
The club called leaving without approval a gross violation of labor obligations.
History, according to the club, creates a dangerous precedent for Russian sports.
Official appeals and documents have been sent to the RFB, FIBA and NCAA.
The case is being reviewed by the Player Status Commission and the National Center for Arbitration for Sports.
Separately, it was reported that the club contacted FIBA to block Elatontsev’s transfer to teams under the auspices of the federation.
Loko emphasizes that investments in players cannot be “cancelled for the sake of short-term personal interests.” Essentially, the club is afraid that other young players will see Elatontsev’s departure as a path to going abroad, bypassing negotiations.
Legal background: claim to the military registration and enlistment office
Amid the basketball conflict, another layer of history has emerged. It turned out that Elatontsev filed a lawsuit against the Krasnodar military registration and enlistment office. He disputes the legality of the subpoena, which he says was issued while he was studying full-time. The document also mentions “misuse of budget funds” on the part of the department. It is difficult to say to what extent this episode is related to his departure to the United States, but it is obvious that the talented basketball player is mired in legal conflicts.
Elatontsev is at great risk by fleeing to the United States in violation of contractual obligations and not resolving issues with the military registration and enlistment office at home. It will be extremely difficult for him to build a successful career in the NBA, because it is too late to begin adapting to American basketball at 23 years old. Elatontsev has a chance to make a name for himself in the NCAA, get an overseas education and stay in the USA. But this story is unlikely to be associated with basketball at the highest level.
Source: Sportbox
I am a sports journalist who has been writing for a news website since 2015. My work primarily focuses on sports news, but I have also written about other topics such as technology and the arts. I have an extensive background in journalism, having worked as a reporter for a local newspaper before moving to a news website.
Four games were played in the NBA regular season on the night of December 30-31.
Utah hosted and lost to Boston.
Jazz started the game well, took the lead from the beginning and increased the difference to 10 points in the middle of the first quarter: 24:14. As a result, Utah won the first quarter with a score of 38:31. The visiting team started the second quarter better and made a move with 18:2 to not only take the lead, but also take the lead by 9 points (49:40). However, at the big break, Utah managed to turn the game around and made a move at 16:3 to take the lead again at 58:55. It was Jazz who entered the big break as the leader with 64:59.
The third quarter was even. Neither team could make serious progress and the lead changed 12 times. The result is 99:96 in favor of Boston. Thus, the fate of the match was decided in the fourth quarter. The guest team gained a 6-point lead at 103:97 in the first quarter, then kept their opponent within two shots for a long time, and towards the end of the match, they increased their advantage to double digits with 129:119.
Svyatoslav Mikhayyuk In this match, he rested by sitting on the bench for the entire match.
The most productive player of the Celtics was White, who scored 27 points, while Brown also had a double-double with 23 points + 10 assists.
Detroit defeated the Lakers on the road.
The Pistons only allowed the home team to take leads of 6:5 and 9:8 at the beginning of the first quarter, then they were ahead throughout the whole game and gradually increased their advantage, reaching 26 points (122:96) by the middle of the fourth quarter. As a result, Detroit won with a score of 128:106.
Doncic, who made 11 assists in the match, also scored 30 points and scored a double-double, but this did not benefit his team much. The most productive name for Detroit was Cunningham, who had a double-double with 27 points + 11 assists.
NBA. Regular season, December 31
Utah – Boston – 119:129 (38:31, 26:28, 32:40, 23:30)
Utah: George (37 + 7 assists), Nurkic (26 + 8 rebounds + 8 assists), Markkanen (22 + 9 rebounds), Sensabaugh (5), Hendricks (3) – start; Filipovski (10), Collier (7 + 8 assists), Clayton (7), Williams (2).
Boston: White (27 + 7 rebounds + 6 assists + 7 blocks), Brown (23 + 10 assists), Pritchard (18 + 6 assists), Keta (12), Walsh (6) – starts; Simons (20), Garza (15), Houser (5), Gonzalez (3), Scheierman (0).
Lakers-Detroit-106:128 (30:36, 35:34, 23:26, 18:32)
Lakers: Doncic (30 + 11 assists + 8 losses), James (17 + 5 losses), Ayton (10), Larevia (9), Smart (6) – starts; Hayes (13), Knecht (10), Vanderbilt (8 + 8 rebounds), Smith (3), Thiero (0), James Jr. (0), Kleber (0).
of Detroit: Cunningham (27 + 11 assists + 5 losses), Düren (14 + 8 rebounds + 5 steals + 5 losses), Thompson (7), Harris (7), D. Robinson (6) – start; Sasser (19), Stewart (15), Holland (11 + 7 rebounds), Ivey (9), Green (8), Reed (3), Lanier (2), Jenkins (0).
Memphis – Philadelphia – 136:139 Overtime (40:34, 32:38, 28:31, 28:25, 8:11)
Memphis: Morant (40), Coward (28 + 16 rebounds), Jaren Jackson (15 + 12 rebounds), Wells (14), Koloko (0) – start; Aldama (15 + 4 blocked shots), Spencer (7), Jackson (6), Landale (6), Small (5).
Philadelphia: Maxey (34 + 12 assists), Embiid (34 + 10 rebounds + 8 assists), Edgecombe (25), George (17), Barlow (12) – start; Grimes (11), Bona (4), McCain (2), Edwards (0).
Clippers – Sacramento – 131:90 (34:20, 39:20, 27:31, 31:19)
cutting machines: Leonard (33), Harden (21), Collins (16), Dunn (10), B. Lopez (8) – starter; Niederhaeuser (16), D. Jones (8), Senders (7), Miller (6), Brown (3), Batum (3), Christie (0).
sacramento: Westbrook (12), Reynaud (12 + 12 rebounds), Murray (11), DeRozan (8 + 7 rebounds), Achiuwa (0) – start; Clifford (18), Schroeder (11), Eubanks (6), Carter (4), McDermott (3), Monk (3 + 5 turnovers), Ellis (2).
tournament tables
Western Conference
Eastern Conference
Source: Sport UA
Ralph Bean is a writer for Sportish. Ralph has written about sports news for the last two years, and is currently an author on the site. He enjoys writing about sports, and hopes to cover more stories in the future.
On December 30, four matches were played in the 19th round of the Euroleague regular championship.
Hapoel Tel Aviv lost sensationally at home to Zalgiris.
The home team started the match successfully, quickly took the lead by 7 points, 9:2, and was ahead +12 – 25:13 towards the end of the first quarter. Only after this did the Lithuanians begin to close the gap. They made a 9:0 move at the intersection of the first and second quarters and came back with one shot at 25:22. After that, Hapoel again managed to lead by 9 points at 35:26, but even before the big break Zalgiris was ahead by 1 point at 40:39.
In the third quarter, the Lithuanians quickly took the lead and then made a 10:0 move to pull away by 11 points, 58:47. In fact, this decided the fate of the match, because afterwards Zalgiris maintained a double-digit advantage in the score and took the match to victory 93:80.
The most productive player of the winning team was Williams-Gross, who scored 17 points.
In the main match of the matchday, Barcelona lost to Monaco.
Monegasques started the game well and were ahead by 9 points in the first quarter – 22:13. They increased the advantage in the second 10 minutes and brought the score to 21 points at 47:26. At the big break, Barça reduced the difference to -17 – 30:47, but could not increase this local success further in the third quarter. Monaco then calmly controlled the course of the game, retained the double-digit advantage and won a landslide victory – 90:74.
James scored 19 points for Monaco and became the team’s top scorer.
Europa League. Regular season. 19th round, 30 December
Hapoel Tel Aviv – Zalgiris – 80:93 (25:18, 15:21, 13:24, 27:30)
Hapoel: Jones (18+5 assists), Bryant (14 points + 4 rebounds + 1 assist), Oturu (12+2+1), Motley (10+3+2), Blakeney (9+2 rebounds), Wainwright (9+3+6), Madar (4+3+5), Malcolm (4).
Zalgiris: Williams-Gross (17+2+4), Wright (15+3 rebounds), Francisco (13+2+8), Tubelis (12+8 rebounds), Brazdeikis (10+3 rebounds), Butkevicius (9), Law (8+2 rebounds), Sol (7+6+2), Ulanovas (2+4+2), Biruttis (2 rebounds + 1 assist).
ASVEL – Paris – 94:89 (20:23, 21:23, 20:18, 33:25)
ASVEL: Watson (28+3+1), De Colo (17+5+5), Harrison (10+5+1), Ndiae (9+9+2), Massa (8+6+1), Yurtel (8+1+8), Vautier (7+4 rebounds), Traore (4+2 rebounds), Lighty (2+1 rebounds), Jackson (1+1+1), Ajins (3 rebounds + 2 assists).
Paris: Heaphy (26+4+7), Herrera (11+4 rebounds), Willis (10+2 assists), Robinson (8+2+5), Fae (8+4 rebounds), Dokossi (6+1 rebounds), Morgan (6+7+2), Cavalier (5+5+1), Stevens (5+7+1), M’Baye (2+1+2), Ouattara (2+3+1).
Barcelona – Monaco – 74:90 (13:22, 17:25, 23:22, 21:21)
barcelona: Brizuela (25+1 rebounds), Norris (14+4+2), Fal (8+6 rebounds), Panther (8+2+4), Hernangomez (7+3 rebounds), Cale (7+3+1), Laprovittola (2+1 rebounds), Satoranski (2+4+4), Parra (1+3 rebounds), Marcos (2 assists).
Monaco: James (19+4+5), Hayes (15+5+1), Mirotic (13+4 rebounds), Okobo (12+4+5), Diallo (9+4 rebounds), Nedovic (8+1+1), Theis (7+4+3), Strazel (5+1+2), Blossomgame (2+5+2), Tarpey (2 rebounds).
Valencia – Partizan – 86:73 (18:22, 25:21, 22:20, 21:10)
Valencia: Thompson (17+3+6), Badio (14+1+3), Rivers (14+7 rebounds), Montero (13+3 rebounds), Pradilla (11+7+2), Costello (9+2 rebounds), Sakho (5+7+1), Taylor (2+1+2), Key (1+1 assist), Moore (2 rebounds + 2 assists), Puerto (2 rebounds + 1 assist).
Partisan: Bonga (17+7+2), Brown (15+2+2), Jones (9+6+1), Washington (7), Parker (7+4+1), Fernando (6+3 rebounds), Osetkowski (6+2+3), Payne (6+1+4), Calathes (4 rebounds + 6 assists).
tournament table
Source: Sport UA
Ralph Bean is a writer for Sportish. Ralph has written about sports news for the last two years, and is currently an author on the site. He enjoys writing about sports, and hopes to cover more stories in the future.
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