A classic EuroLeague showdown at the “Telekom Center Athens”!
Panathinaikos hosts Barcelona for Game 11, entering the round as the sole leader in the standings and looking to capitalize on the momentum gained from two consecutive wins against Real Madrid and AEK.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Last week, the “Greens” pulled it off in overtime during their game in Madrid, ultimately surviving the thriller and prevailing 115-112! Nan stepped up with 33 points on 8-for-8 shooting from the field, 3-for-5 from three-point range, and 8-for-8 from the free-throw line—including 23 points in the final 10 minutes—and with Lesor putting on a tremendous performance, Panathinaikos returned to winning ways after back-to-back losses to Efes and Aris and improved its record to 8-2 in the EuroLeague, remaining alone at the top of the standings.
Last Sunday, they defeated a tenacious AEK 83-74 at Sunel Arena, and tonight they’re looking for their third straight win, before hosting Barcelona and turning its attention to the grueling week ahead and the road games against Virtus Bologna and Zalgiris.
On the court, the injured Rogavopoulos is the only player sidelined, with Zeljko Obradovic having most of his “weapons” at his disposal. “Barcelona is playing very well. They’ve won seven or eight in a row. It’s true that they have a new coach and new players, but they play as a team. I believe the key is to stop their transition game and offensive rebounds. We can’t afford to make mistakes. If we control the offensive end, I think we have a good chance of playing a strong game,” said the Panathinaikos coach ahead of tonight’s game.
As for Barcelona, they have one fewer win than Panathinaikos (7-3) and has found its stride, as evidenced by its current 7-game winning streak in the EuroLeague and ACB! Last week, it secured a narrow (93-90) but crucial victory over Hapoel, while a few days later they scored 99 points to defeat Breogan and improve to 5-2 in the Spanish league.
The “Blaugrana” will take the court for tonight’s game with several key players out, as Sekulic will be without Pander, Embuomwan, and Makundu, while the availability of Gibson and Núñez remains in doubt.
“We’re dealing with injury issues, and although we’re not going through our best stretch, this is an excellent opportunity for other players to step up. To show what we’re capable of, even with some players out. When you play on the road against Panathinaikos, the key is to put up a strong defensive performance. They have an outstanding offense, with players who can score in many different ways, so defense will be crucial. There wasn’t any specific message. “We know we’re facing a great team, coached by arguably the best coach in Europe (ed. note: Željko Obradović),” said the coach of Marcellona.
The referees for tonight’s game will be Mendy Difala (France), Damir Javor (Slovenia), and Milivoje Jovčić (Serbia).
The night’s action will begin with Efes hosting Virtus Bologna, with both teams coming off losses and sitting at 6-4, and tip-off scheduled for 7:30 p.m., while at 9:30 p.m., the match between Villeurbanne and Besiktas will tip off in France. Both teams are at 4-6; Tony Parker’s team has won 2 of its last 3 games, though it lost to Bayern in its most recent outing, while the Turks have suffered three losses in their last four games, most recently a heavy 83-67 home defeat to Zalgiris.
*photo source: KYPE
