By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Everybody expected the last stand of Panathinaikos, a veteran team that didn’t want to see in the Greek throne its “eternal rival”. This season, thought, not only in Greece, but also in Europe, belongs to Olympiacos who beat the Greens 82-76 (3-2) after a similar game to the previous two finals in SEF, the Reds home court.
Olympiacos had the lead throughout the game with spectacular Vasilis Spanoulis scoring 24 points, Giorgos Printezis adding 14 and Acie Law 10. Panathinaikos guard Nick Calathes did the best he could in the first half in order to keep the game close and finished with 17 points in a mediocre night for its team. A tired and bruised PAO could not keep up with the speed and enthusiasm of Olympiacos‘ players who had a packed gym on their side.
The Greens tried until the end to close the difference gap – it was as big as 16 points in the third quarter -and steal the game, the partial score of the fourth quarter was 20-12 in favor of them, but it was not enough. As Panathinaikos’ captain Dimitris Diamantidis said: “I have to congratulate Olympiacos. We forced a Game 5, we wanted to play a good game and we started alright but then we lost our composure. We missed the rebounds, we tried to steal the game but in the end we could not win. It was a hard season, we gave 100%, but unfortunately we just got the Greek Cup. Now we must rest and we will see what the future holds for us. I have a contract for one more season with the team and I consider myself Panathinaikos’ player”.
The night belonged to his once teammate and now rival, Olympiacos’ captain Vasilis Spanoulis: “We concluded an incredible season. In record time we developed character and we have matured. We worked hard, we had bad nights, we had fights, but we prevailed. Every game since November was a final for us and that’s the reason for our success. I can’t remember any other team that had such a fast progress. We were very lucky to have a coach like Ivkovic and we don’t have to get crazy now and that applies even to this team. We have to be ready about anything. Coach always believed in us, I am proud of my teammates, the coaching stuff, the owners and I hope that this is just the start. After the budget cut last summer, we started from scratch. We have to stand by this team, we have build a core and that core must remain intact”.
The final word belongs to coach Dusan Ivkovic who dedicated the win to many people, among them recently diseased popular Greek singer Dimitris Mitropanos and explained: “Basketball is in my blood, I was born on the court and we can’t take the pleasure that the game give us from anywhere else. After winning the Euroleague, our team still progressed. This game proves that against a team like Panathinaikos we can never relax and some big shots helped us. I have to say that this great team gave many things to European and Greek basketball and must stay together. It’s a new start, a new movement. We proved that a young team with a little luck and a great leader like Spanoulis can be successful. I believe that European basketball can be saved by investing in its local talent. USA is the mother of the game, the best basketball is played there, but that does not mean that every American is a good player. We don’t have to settle for mediocrity”.
OLYMPIACOS – PANATHINAIKOS 82-76
Olympiacos: Hines 4, Law 10, Antic 3, Spanoulis 24 (3/6 3p.), Dorsey 4, Keselj 5, Gecevicius 2, Papadopoulos 1, Printezis 14, Papanikolaou 8, Mantzaris 4, Sloukas 3
Panathnaikos: Maric 6, Perperoglou 11, Batiste 7, Logan, Sato 3, Tsartsaris 1, Diamantidis 13, Vougioukas 4, Calathes 17, Smith, Kaimakoglou 10, Jasikevicius 4