The match against Rezzo Emilia was the final game for survival in the Basketball Champions League AEK. He had to give up a final without the Strelnieks-Xanthopoulos Middle of the third period without Frazier and was double digits behind. And yet in the end found a way to win 68-59.

Something went wrong for AEK against the Italians for a good 20 minutes. The excuses were on their side. “Union” had to turn a match without its three most experienced guards. It turned out that set design was what Kostas Papadakis and Antonis Koniaris needed to come forward.

They had co-existed for 5 minutes and 4 seconds all season

Before the game against Rezzo Emilia, AEK had played 13 games. In those 13 games, Papadakis and Koniaris had coexisted in the same five for a total of 5 minutes and 4 seconds. Against the Italian team, they co-existed for 5 minutes and 42 seconds during which AEK had a +7 mark.

According to InStat Scout, Papadakis and Koniaris both had +12 on the +/- system, the best among their teammates. Not coincidentally, AEK’s counterattack began when the two co-existed in the third period, with Frazier on the injured bench and Flionis overloaded with fouls.

With the two international guards on the ground, AEK increased its pressure on the defense. Whoever tagged the ball carrier pressed, while the one away from her shattered the screens, not allowing the Italian shooters to get the ball and execute it. That tension on the defense was clear she couldn’t get out with Frazier, with Papadakis, Koniaris – and then Flionis, Petropoulos – doing what they had to do.

The simplicity of Pick and Roll and the boldness of Papadakis

AEK won defensively, but it was also their attacking actions in the second half that helped unravel the Italians’ defence. An attack that did the simple, with players following their plan with Papadakis being the first.

The young guard was the one who set up most of the pick and rolls in the period as AEK turned the situation around (with Koniaris, Flionis followed) and broke through the Italians’ hedge-out momentum (the big player came out aggressively to pull him out). position) to time a pass to Achille Mitchell instead of waiting for his shot. For his part, Mitchell excels at both finishing stages and short rolls (rolling 4-5 yards after the screen and considering his options before attacking). This detail made the difference.

Papadakis’ boldness and the fact that he is not afraid to take initiatives (even if he sometimes gets out of control) are well known. There were moments against Reggio Emilia when he let his enthusiasm run wild. But it was the moments of simplicity that made the difference for AEK to find the solutions they were looking for to decipher the Italians’ defence.

The depth at the sentries was seen for the first time

When AEK was formed in the summer, there was a bit of concern among some ranks about the presence of six players playing exclusively in the positions of the two guards (Frazier, Strelnieks, Xanthopoulos, Flionis, Koniaris, Papadakis), aside from Strelnieks, Petropoulos and Williams, who they can also compete as shooting guards. But in the decisive game of the season – see you next – this problem proved to be a solution.

AEK is a team with tremendous depth in guard positions, with Ilias Kanzouris trying to find time for everyone and always looking for what’s best for his team. Against Reggio Emilia, where the team’s three most experienced guards were out, it was the players lower in the yearbook who provided the solution. The hope of everyone in the “Union” is that this game is the start for them to help out more consistently.