Hard to lose in the shot, but it was… regular Panathinaikos

Efes had 0/7 three points in the last ten minutes and still aimed for the most critical of all who tried. Adrian Moerman, whose timer ticked to zero, found himself alone in 45 degrees when Jeremy Evans rushed over to help Papapetrou mark Timber Plays. The German passed the Frenchman and Efes escaped with a win at his stadium and Panathinaikos breathed a sigh of relief from a magnificent victory.

Basically nothing would change dramatically in his scoring position leaving behind a winner, he can certainly take a lot of the positive out of what he has shown after a while, but when a match reaches the final shot and you lose, damn it comes just. ..

And me… they showed in a video after the first ten minutes that this match would have a total of 163 points with Efes nailing it, I wouldn’t believe anyone. A game that started more relaxed and a friendly game (only three fouls in the first third and only 17:12) turned into a derby in which the European champion was immediately threatened with a shock defeat that would throw him off course from trying to get into the enter playoffs.

All credit for the development of the game goes to Panathinaikos, of course. The Priftis team, even without Papagiannis, found a way to push Efes to the limit, forcing him to overdo it, over-stress it and end up celebrating Moerman’s winning total, much more than when he scored 20-25 difference would win.

Panathinaikos’ amazing second ten minutes, in contrast to the tragic first offensive (1/10 two points), were the ones that changed the flow of the game. Nemanja Nedovic’s beauty and flying low after three or four games, Macon Jr’s excellent simultaneous presence, surprised Efes’ already dormant defense and scored 30 points with 11/18 shots and good basketball.

The Turkish team could have prepared for a win, perhaps, without much effort, Ataman … got heavier, but all together they were forced to change chips by the PAO passing in front of the goal. Efes played dynamically, stole the ball three times, was even ahead by 9 points, but the “Greens” had warmed up.

Their second sign in the game is that they “didn’t chew” the pressure the hosts wanted to make early in the third period. Priftis knew when to return to the zone, Papapetrou entered the game’s equation and Okaro White definitely had the best performance of the year with highlights in a double stage. Folou nails after Papapetros misses.

When Nedovic gave Panathinaikos the lead with a three point, Efes got stressed. It was evident in the long shots they began to miss: “We felt the pressure, we were free but we failed“Vassilje Mitsic admitted after the game. The Serb broke the crown with 0/7 three-pointers, unlike all attempts he attempted that ended in either a basket or an assist for a teammate. Even Larkin, who started with 3/3 in the first third…separated from the basket, especially on offline shots, continued with 0/4.

Many outside, one inside

But the big teams are characterized by the fact that someone can get in touch at any time and ultimately make a difference. Moerman, who stumbled early in the game, lost the ball through his hands, starting with 0/3 threes and going on with… 3/3, including the last to judge the game.

Panathinaikos, on the other hand, missed the chance to bring the handicap to +6 with 73:76, as both Papapetrou and Okaro White missed free-kicks. PAO’s last basket came with 1:10 to go when they scored from the corner to make it 79:80. This was followed by a shot from White and two misses, one from Sand Ross (he didn’t need a three anyway) and another from Makon, who made the breakthrough correctly but missed the float he was attempting. .

Kavvadas also turned his back on him

Vassilis Kavvadas counted seventeen games in the Eurolegue in Sinan Erdem. The 30-year-old ace was perhaps the most pleasant surprise for Panathinaikos in this Greek-Turkish clash. He turned around several times, scoring 8 points, showing that he can do more than the role of the deep third.

And just because we write so much about…basketball, even if this was the fifth consecutive defeat in the Euroleague (you have to win since December 10th and the game against Alba Berlin) confirms the excellent performance of Panathinaikos, the only then will benefit from his presence then in an event in which he theoretically has no footing.

He may lack the motivation to score, but games like this can only improve him compared to domestic competitions. Where he will not play for his backwardness like in Istanbul, but for the title.

Priftis has a difficult job because he has to add another Guardian to his team. Jovic wants his time, there isn’t much time for training so his integration has to come through the games, either the Greek league or the Euroleague. Don’t wait and see if the Serbian can “change” Panathinaikos. The question is whether he can be successful in some time …