By Eurohoops Team / info@eurohoops.net
In day 2 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, Panathinaikos defeated Brose Bamberg 93-83 in Athens and improved their record to 1-1 while Brose fell to 0-2.
In the first quarter, Nick Calathes was really impressive as in just 10 minutes he had 14 points (!), 3 assists and 2 rebounds leading his team to a 7-point lead (22-15) to close the first period. Despite Bamberg‘s reaction, it was obvious that it was his night.
The star: Who else could it be? Nick Calathes was everywhere for Panathinaikos as he had a great all-around game finishing with 23 points (tying his career high), 4 assists and 4 rebounds. Chris Singleton added 17 points.
The key: Panathinaikos’ offense, team game, the contribution of the bench, and Calathes’ leadership skills to go along with his perfect performance gave the home team an impressive boost.
In the second quarter, Bamberg made a couple of three-point shots and cut the deficit down to just one point (24-23) thanks to an 8-3 start. The first half, however, ended 43-35, with Panathinaikos having the upper hand but Brose challenging with Radosevic’s hot hand.
In the second half, the home team came out the locker rooms impressive as they built a 15-point lead (54-39) in just two minutes of action and controlled the tempo of the game. During the final quarter, the German side tried to come back but the Greek team held on and finally got the victory in front of their home fans; their first of the season.
Not enough: For Bamberg, Ricky Hickman finished with 19 points, while Leon Radosevic added 18.