Panathinaikos defeated Olympiacos on their home court by 77:71 in the Greek league 25th round, securing their 23rd win.
Panathinaikos was without Kostas Antetokounmpo due to a virus, while Jerian Grant was absent due to a quadriceps injury. Due to restrictions on the number of foreign players, Olympiacos did not have Nikola Milutinov, and Filip Petrusev is still recovering from an injury.
Interestingly, both derby games in the Greek league were won by the team coached by Ergin Ataman. However, Olympiacos won the other four derbies this season. They were successful twice in the EuroLeague and once each in the Greek Cup and Greek Super Cup.
The home team started this game better. They were in excellent form offensively, closing the first quarter with an 8:0 run to take a 23:16 lead. This momentum continued into the second quarter, with Panathinaikos starting with an 11:1 run, extending their lead to a massive +17 (34:17). However, Olympiacos showed their resilience. They never stopped fighting, ending the first half with a 17:4 run to narrow the lead of their bitter rival to 38:33.
The third quarter saw a fierce battle, with Georgios Bartzokas‘ team even taking the lead at one point. However, Panathinaikos responded and regained the lead at the end of the third quarter, 59:55. The home team managed to maintain their lead for most of the final quarter, but Olympiacos refused to surrender. Nigel Williams-Goss stepped up and tied the game for the red and whites three minutes before the end.
The game entered a tense finale, where Panathinaikos remained composed. They found points through Marius Grigonis and an inspired Kendrick Nunn, taking a 72:68 lead. Shaquielle McKissic missed a free throw for Olympiacos, and then former Olympiacos guard Kostas Sloukas scored the decisive points. Sloukas hit a three-pointer with 37 seconds left, extending Panathinaikos’ lead to +4. Williams-Goss attempted to respond on the other end but was unsuccessful. As a result, the Athens “greens” secured their third win at home against their major rival.
The top scorer for the winning team was Kendrick Nunn with 17 points, while Dinos Mitoglou contributed 15. Nigel Williams-Goss led Olympiacos with 18 points, followed by Isaiah Canaan with 15.
Panathinaikos remains in first place with 23 wins and just one loss this season, while Olympiacos is right behind them with a record of 22-3.
In the next round, Ergin Ataman’s team will host Peristeri, while Olympiacos will host Promitheas.
Kostas Sloukas! ✨#paobc pic.twitter.com/34d1xGHZz5
— Basketball Sphere (@BSphere_) April 15, 2024