By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Everything worked to near-perfection for the offense of Panathinaikos against ASVEL. The “Greens” completed the game with 13/20 3-pointers and 25 assists to beat its opponents 100 – 88 at home and capture its third straight win and 13th overall in 21 games of the EuroLeague regular season.
ASVEL saw its defense getting overwhelmed and lost in its fifth game in a row.
Nick Calathes paced Panathinaikos with 10 points and 17 assists, 10 of them in the first quarter. Jimmer Fredette added 22 points in 22:53 and Ioannis Papapetrou 21 on 4/5 3-pointers.
“We started off strong. Defensively we played well, transition we played well. It was a good win for us. We’re never satisfied. Every game is important. It’s a tough EuroLeague. Now we have to go on the road and get this win,” Calathes said to EuroLeague TV.
Theo Maledon had 19 points while Jean-Charles Livio scored 16 points and grabbed six rebounds for ASVEL. The French team was outplayed by Panathinaikos 32 – 17 in the second quarter as the hosts closed halftime up 52 – 35. Rick Pitino’s team kept firing at will to lead 69 – 46 in the mid of the third period. A reaction by ASVEL in the last stretch of the match didn’t change anything but irritated Pitino a bit.
“We played like a high school team in the fourth period,” Pitino said.
“Four quarters, not three”
Pitino repeated his remarks on his team competing well for just the first three periods, in the post-game presser.
“The first three quarters we played well. The last quarter we played like a high school team. I’m very disappointed with how we finished the game. But we got a victory. We’ve been improving in practice. But needless to say, I don’t like the way we finished that game – in every area. We gave up 30 points in that quarter. But that’s what happens when you’re not a great basketball team. If you want to become a great basketball team, you have to know how to play with a lead. And obviously we didn’t show any greatness there.”
In the meantime, ASVEL coach Zvezdan Mitrovic admitted to being a bit starstruck. “My impression as a head coach: it’s a very big honor to play against Panathinaikos and face the legendary Rick Pitino. That is one of the biggest impressions from tonight.”