2-2 and the title will be decided at the OAKA!
Olympiacos bested Panathinaikos 92-76, tied the finals series at 2-2 and now the title of the Greek Champion will be decided on Sunday (17/06) in the 5th and final game at the OAKA.
Relying on good defense, offensive pluralism and good perimeter percentages, Olympiacos set the tempo and built a +11 difference (27-16) at 9'. The guests reacted and with a partial 8-1 closed in at 4p. (28-24, at 12'). The 'reds' however replied instantly…
They put pressure in defense, dominated rebounding and with Vassilis Spanoulis and Giorgos Printezis leading the offense, they 'run' a partial 10-1, taking the margin up to 12p. (38-26, at 15'). With the same recipe in regard to defense and the ball going in the post and more specifically to the hands of Jamel McLean, our team maintained its distance and closed the first half leading 48-36.
With a bucket by Printezis, Olympiacos was to +14 for the first time in the game (50-36), however, a 'thunderstorm' of threes by Panathinaikos followed, that succeeded in closing in at 3p. (53-50, at 24') and then at 2 (57-55, at 27'). Nevertheless, with McLean being the face of the team (he succeeded in winning fouls from the 'greens', especially Nick Calathes), the 'reds' regained control and closed the 3rd quarter leading 71-64.
In the beginning of the 4th quarter, Panathinaikos closed in at 4p. (71-67), however, our team dominated the court completely after that time! With superb defense, superiority at rebounding and McLean, Strelnieks and Roberts spearheading the offense, the team imposed its rhythm, skyrocketing the difference to +18 (90-72, at 37') and sealed victory.
The quarters: 28-19, 48-36, 71-64, 92-76.
Οlympiacos (Sfairopoulos): Spanoulis 13, Μilutinov 2 (8 reb.), Printezis 12 (11 reb.), Papanikolaou 9 (2 3p., 7 reb.), Μantzaris 7 (1), ΜcLean 20, Brown, Papapetrou, Strelnieks 11(2), Roberts 16(3), Bogris, Wiltjer 2
Panathinaikos (Pasqual): Singleton 3, Rivers 6 (1), Gist 12, Lojeski 16(4), Calathes 12, James 20(2), Pappas, Vougioukas 4, Lekavicius, Auguste 3, Αntentokoumpo, Μitoglou
THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS OF WATER POLO AT THE SEF
The water polo team of Olympiacos, that a few days ago won the European Championship, got to watch the 4th final. "They made us proud and wrote one more golden page in the history of the greatest club in Europe. A great many thanks from all of us to our polo players, the coaches and the administration of the water polo team. Congrats everyone!", was the Olympiacos' BC welcoming message for the European Champions!
«We played with a lot of soul»
The Olympiacos coach, Giannis Sfairopoulos, pointed out: "Tonight we began the game very determined, very focused and ready to do what we had to. We played with a lot of soul. We got to lead from the start. We began very aggressive on both ends of the floor. We made easy points, the score was high. We had two digit margins, we scored 48 points before half time. We played exactly like we wanted to be playing. We had a blank space during the 3rd quarter, when Panathinaikos got back into the game with some back to back threes in the transition. However, we still had the necessary calm and focus and the difference was again double digits. Tonight stats speak speaks for itself. We had the lead at all times, we were constantly good except for that small period we talked about. We deserved to win. The series is tied 2-2 and we are going to play the last game of the season, to see who wins the Championship".
On what his team should be doing in the 5th final, he replied: "We were not consistent in these games, just like Panathinaikos wasn't. Both teams have had good and bad games. Our performance shows who we really are. We just need to stay focused and do what we need to be doing. Things are going to be hard. Panathinaikos plays at home and in front of their fans. This means we need to be extra focused and not let anything mess with our concentration".
Asked on whether the No 1 target when defending was Nick Calathes, he replied: "Our tactic hasn't changed that much in all of these games. Paanthinaikos scored 76 points tonight. In general, we have succeeded in lowering their average scoring. We simply hadn't been that good in the offense in the previous two games. This changed tonight. Calathes is a player that scores and creates for Panathinaikos, however, we saw that they have players that are capable of scoring and hurting you. James had a good night as well as Gist and Lojeski… They have players that can step up and make a difference. For sure Calathes is the all moving power for them, however, our defense should remain focused on all of the Panathinaikos players".
On his part, the Panathinaikos coach, Xavi Pasqual, stated: "Congratulations to Olympiacos. They deserved the victory more than we did. We did not control the game tonight through our defense. We gave away 7-8 fouls and 14-16 free throws for no reason at all. We have had the chance to come back in the second half, we closed in at three points three times in the game, but each one, Olympiacos found the way to score. We felt that we couldn't win towards the end of the game and lost control". Asked on whether he should be preparing his players mostly mentally wise in view of the 5th final, he replied: "We need to prepare everything. Tonight Olympiacos was in better shape, they had 14 rebounds more than us and played more aggressive than we did. We have to 'heal' physically and regain our concentration. Tonight we made a lot of turnovers for such a game".
Janis Strelnieks: "We have had many ups and downs throughout the season. Tonight, we made the open shots. When you create and find an open shot, it's better that you make it. We received 76 points, that are a lot for our standards, but we scored 92 and that counts. Some times, when you don't score, you start to think about a lot. In basketball, anything can happen. You have to let go quickly and continue believing and being focused. This is the mentality we need to have in the 5th game. It's not only a basketball thing, as much as a will to be combative and fight. We need to trust our coach and follow his plan".
Brian Roberts: "It's a title game. It was a tough game tonight, but you also had a taste of what is going to happen on Sunday. We were ready and we are ready for the battle. We have had ups and downs and it is a very intense game. However, we fought and won. Everyone has got feelings in view of the fifth game. We need to remain grounded and together for 40 minutes. We have to move the ball and be tough in defense. We did all that in the fourth game and won. We need to come out and fight in the fifth. It doesn't matter who gets to score, we need to play hard and win the title".