The Baskonia is lost in the Oaka
The Baskonistas lose their good run against an improved Panathinaikos
MADRID, 11 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Cazoo Baskonia lost this Friday to Panathinaikos (98-83) at Oaka, on matchday seven of the Euroleague, and said goodbye to their good start to the season and winning streak in the worst possible way, against a PAO that was with a single triumph and sank in the table.
Everything went wrong for a Baskonia team that started with a superior score and went into the break with a hopeful 38-43. A third quarter of 29-16 for the Greens changed the script of the game and Joan Peñarroya’s team did not know how to react, until they lost their way in the Athenian fiefdom.
That initial dominance, with three-pointers by Markus Howard and the interior power of Maik Kotsar and Matthew Costello, faded until it was no longer visible. Clearly from more to less, the Baskonia was silenced by a Panathinaikos who was touched and almost sunk and who revived when he saw that he could mess it up, positively, against the Baskonia.
The euphoria of 116-87 achieved against Maccabi Tel Aviv had no continuity and Baskonia left Athens struggling not to concede a more lofty and painful defeat. The maximum for Panathinaikos was 16 points (90-74), in a last quarter where Baskonia allowed themselves to be swallowed up.
In the end, with a very pissed off Peñarroya, their players managed to make up the result against a Panathinaikos who thought they had the job done. The Baskonistas got within 9 points, but this Friday was not the day destined to extend the good streak. The good initial 20 minutes were worth nothing.
There were previous warnings from the PAO in the first part. When Baskonia took a 6-12 lead with fast and accurate play, Panathinaikos went on an 11-0 run to turn the score around, which resembled a broken balance as there were several exchanges of dominance.
With Markus Howard and Darius Thompson at the helm of the Baskonia attack, the Vitorians regained the advantage and, despite missing three consecutive triples in the same attack, managed to go with that 5 at halftime after a basket by the returned Pierria Henry.
The thing looked good, more with Kotsar’s basket to open the third quarter that put a 7 for Baskonia (his maximum). From there, script twist and ‘beating’ for the Buesa Arena, who were very alone in Athens and with many souls against, despite not being full Oaka. He will have to paddle Baskonia to return to the top of the table and, meanwhile, PAO catches a breath with their second win.
–RESULT: PANATHINAIKOS, 98 – CAZOO BASKONIA, 83 (38-43, at halftime).
PANATHINAIKOS: Wolters (9), Bacon (16), P. Kalaitzakis (-), Williams (16) y Papagiannis (11) –quintet initial–; Lee (12), G. Kalaitzakis (-), Ponitka (15), Grigonis (13) and Gudaitis (6).
CAZOO BASKONIA: Howard (20), Thompson (9), Sedekerskis (7), Raieste (-) and Kotsar (14) –initial quintet–; Henry (9), Marinkovic (8), Díez (3), Costello (10), Giedraitis (3) and Kurucs (-).
–PARTIALS: 22-18, 16-25, 29-16 and 31-24.
–REFEREE: Javor, Hordov and Balak. They eliminated Gudaitis in the Panathinaikos and Thompson in the Cazoo Baskonia.
–PAVILLION: Oaka Altion.
