The “green” selfishness and aggressive stubbornness of Kostas Sloukas (28 points, career high), brought the equalizer Panathinaikou in the row (1-1) with the Maccabi Tel Aviv in OAKA, before it was transferred to neutral Belgrade. The “clover” won 95-79 against the Israelis in Game 2 of its playoffs Euroleague and now he will fight in two matches away from home to regain the home advantage and why not finish the series, taking away from his “home” the ticket to the final four in Berlin.
This time the “green” defense was exemplary, holding Maccabi below their average of 88 points and with Slukas giving a recital in execution and organization, Panathinaikos found its competitive “identity” from the second period, when ran individual scores 31-11 and turned the crucial Game 2 into a monologue. Even when Maccabi fought for another surprise, reducing at 32′ to -3 (71-68), the return of the “green” leader to the floor, despite the fact that he was loaded with 4 fouls, brought back… normalcy.
Apart from Sloukas, a unique “performance” was offered by Ioannis Papapetrou with 15 points and 4/7 three-pointers, while the consistent Dinos Mitoglou added 14, Matias Lesor added 11 with 8 rebounds and Kendrick Nunn 10, on the night when Juancho Hernangometh was absent. (sinusitis and injury).
From Maccabi, who competed without their valuable scorer Wade Baldwin (injured), Lorenzo Brown stood out with 18 points.
It is worth noting that the key match was watched live, after a long period of abstention from OAKA, by the “strong man” of the “green” KAE, Dimitris Giannakopoulos.
The quarters: 20-28, 51-39, 71-60, 95-79
Panathinaikos (Ergin Ataman): Kalaitzakis 2, Vildosa 5, Balcherovski, Sloukas 29 (4), Papapetrou 15 (4), Grant 3, Nan 10, Grigonis 2, Mitoglou 14, Mantzoukas.
Maccabi Tel Aviv (Odent Katas): Cleveland 12, Webb 2, Brown 18 (1), Sorkin, DiBartolomeo 3, Rivero 9, Cohen 12 (2), Thomason, Niebo 6, Blatt 11 (3), Colson 6.
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