Panathinaikos defeated Olympiacos on the road by 88:85, thus tying the Greek Basket League finals series at 2-2.
Panathinaikos has shown great character by coming back from a 0-2 deficit in the finals series, and now they have the opportunity to win the title in front of their fans.
The game started tough on both ends of the floor, but it was Olympiacos who could have been happier after the opening five minutes. Panathinaikos took initiative at one point thanks to Kendrick Nunn and Kostas Sloukas, but their lead didn’t last long. Olympiacos made a 6:0 run and finished the first quarter with a two-possession lead, 22:17.
Panathinaikos threatened at the start of the second quarter with a 7:1 run (24:23), but shortly after, there was a response on the other side with a 7:0 run. Nigel Williams-Goss was instrumental for the home team during the second quarter, and when Giannoulis Larentzakis joined his stellar performance, there was no stopping the guests. Jerian Grant saved the ‘Greens’ from a double-digit deficit with an incredible shot at the end of the first half.
Jerian Grant hit an incredible three-pointer in the last second of the first half! 🟢⚪#paobc pic.twitter.com/Zxm0tl4Hdy
— Basketball Sphere (@BSphere_) June 12, 2024
At the start of the third period, Georgios Bartzokas‘ team struggled significantly in offense, which Panathinaikos capitalized on. Led by Nunn and Jerian Grant, they went on a 10:0 run (56:54). It seemed like the guests would enter the last 10 minutes with the lead, but then Isaiah Canaan, with the help of Filip Petrusev, shone and brought Piraeus’ red and whites back to an equal score (64:64).
Olympiacos started the fourth quarter better, and thanks to Filip Petrusev, they gained a four-point lead. However, Nunn ignited the visiting team’s offense, leading them to an 11:1 run and establishing a significant seven-point advantage (77:71). Just as the home team was beginning to find some rhythm, Mathias Lessort made an incredible shot while falling and drew a foul, effectively halting the opponent’s momentum.
Olympiacos didn’t give up, Alec Peters managed to somewhat bring his team back to life, trailing by just one possession with nine seconds left. After Williams-Goss made his free throw on one end, a foul was committed on the other. Grant made both free throws, putting Olympiacos in a position where a comeback was practically impossible given the remaining time. The last hope faded after Kostas Papanikolaou missed his free throws.
The top scorer for the winning team was Kendrick Nunn with 25 points, while Mathias Lessort added 15. Also scoring in double figures were Jerian Grant with 14 and Kostas Sloukas with 12 points. For Olympiacos, Giannoulis Larentzakis led with 13 points, followed by Nikola Milutinov, Nigel Williams-Goss, Alec Peters, and Isaiah Canaan each contributing 11 points.
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