Olympiacos at the top!
Olympiacos bested Panathinaikos 81-75 at the derby for the 11th day of the Basket League SKRATS and is now at the top of the ranking seed.
The game started well for our team. The captain, Vassilis Spanoulis, set the pace in offense, Darden and Dunston followed for the 22-18 of the first quarter. The 'reds' were not playing good defense in the second quarter and hence were trailing 31-35, but with a partial 7-0 took the lead once again and half time ended 42-40 for the team of Giannis Sfairopoulos.
The Piraeus team came to court determined to open up the difference in the second half and were successful. With baskets by Hunter and Spanoulis, Olympiacos took the margin above ten points (58-45) at 25' with the third quarter ending 64-57 for the home team.
In the last quarter, Olympiacos maintained full control of the game and with Spanoulis, Lojeski, Mantzaris and Darden offering offensive solutions, while everyone else was contributing greatly in defense, Olympiacos got the 81-75 victory.
The quarters: 22-18, 42-40, 64-57, 81-75
Olympiacos (Sfairopoulos): Petway 4 (8reb, 2as), Dunston 9 (1reb), Spanoulis 20 (2 3p, 3reb), Sloukas 2, Lafayette 6 (2), Lojeski 8 (1 3p), Hunter 4, Printezis 3, Agravanis 6, Mantzaris 6 (1 3p, 4as), Darden 13 (1 3p, 1reb).
Panathinaikos (Ivanovic): Slaughter 18 (4 3p), Jankovic 12 (2 3p), Fotsis 5 (1 3p), Nelson 4 (5reb), Pappas 2, Μavrokefalidis 15 (12reb, 3as), Diamantidis 7 (3as), Gist 8 (2 3p, 3as), Batista 4, Blums, Wright.
GIANNIS SFAIROPOULOS: "It's an important victory for us because we know how important these games are. We were playing against a very good team that is our main rival in Greece. We started out with concentration, gained a slight lead at half time, we were playing according to plan until 14'. Then we made some mistakes, they got the lead, but it was great that we recovered quickly, we were tougher in defense in the third quarter, made some hasty attacks, gave Panathinaikos the opportunity to make some easy shots, but what's important is that we had the calm and brains to win such a game. Congratulations to my players for the victory. I believe we can play much better. We are two months together now, we try to get better, it's not easy due to continuous games. Congratulations to my associates for preparing the game, the physiotherapists and the doctors for the their work with the injured players. We are now focusing on the game against Unicaja".
DUSKO IVANOVIC: "The problem for us in this game was the third quarter. We did not play well, we allowed them to build a difference in their favor, we tried very hard to return to the game, but we did not make it. I did not ask for a time out, the scorer's table called one and they said that it was us we had asked for it. We planned for Slaughter to shoot and that's what happened".
VLADIMIROS JANKOVIC: "Tonight's game was a derby like any other time, it was decided in details and at some big shots, we did not come into the second half the way we should have, Olympiacos built a substantial lead at that point, then we tried to come back, we almost did it in the last quarter, but we did not make it and we are now focusing on the game against Maccabi".
GIORGOS PRINTEZIS: "It was an important victory for us, both for our psychology but also in regard to first seeding. These games are very tough; they are always decided by details. We were focused, got the difference and we now need to work on maintaining them. We look ahead. There was no risk in my participation, we had gotten the OK by the doctor, I played quite for some time, I wasn't hurting, and the important thing is how you approach a game after such an injury. The important thing was that I wasn't in pain".