In Game 1 of the Greek Basket League quarterfinal series, Panathinaikos faced PAOK and secured a 1-0 lead with an 84:66 win.
There have been many interesting developments around the Athens “Greens” in recent days. After securing a spot in the EuroLeague Final Four, they executed an impressive marketing move. They have already sold out 11,200 season tickets for the next season, ensuring that OAKA will be a formidable venue for opponents in the upcoming competitive year.
After a 12-year “drought,” reaching the Final Four will be a special experience, especially since they brought in head coach Ergin Ataman and a double-digit number of new players at the start of the current season. Fortunately, their quality has clicked.
In the opening three minutes, the guests took the lead, but that was all they managed in the first half. Panathinaikos managed to pull away, leading by double digits at one point, but Kevin Porter Jr. didn’t allow more than that. At halftime, the scoreboard read 46:37.
In addition to the mentioned NBA addition, Justin Alston was also in good form, but Mathias Lessort and Dinos Mitoglou had answers ready. Notably, Kostas Sloukas, Kendrick Nunn, and Juancho Hernangomez were not in Panathinaikos’ lineup for this game.
At the end of the third quarter, Panathinaikos built a substantial lead (66:50), and with a 5:0 run at the start of the fourth quarter, they secured the win, ultimately coasting to the finish.
The top scorers for the winning team were Marius Grigonis and Dinos Mitoglou, each with 15 points. Mathias Lessort added 14 points along with 14 rebounds. PAOK was led by Kevin Porter Jr., who scored 26 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out five assists. He shot 10/19 from the field but simply couldn’t overcome the strong team from Athens by himself.
The next game is scheduled for Saturday, May 18, with PAOK hosting.