By Eurohoops Team / info@eurohoops.net
In Day 3 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, CSKA Moscow easily defeated Panathinaikos 81-63 and improved its record to 2-1 while the Greek team fell to 1-2.
Since the first quarter, CSKA wanted to showcase its abilities and skills as coach Itoudis’ team controlled the tempo and rhythm of the game, starting with an 11-1 run (3:00). Chris Singleton of Panathinaikos scored eight points in a two-minute span, to tie the game at 11 points (5:00), but CSKA responded with dunks, three-point shots and increased their lead again to 12 points (27-16) (10:00) to end an eventful first quarter.
The key: CSKA’s impressive start to the game and the 11-point lead they built in the first quarter to go along with their tough defense were two crucial factors for the result of the game.
Late in the second quarter, James Gist and Nando De Colo were both ejected from the game. Moreover, by the end of the first half, the Russian side was up by 10 points.
Even though the visitors were more focused in the second half, playing better defense and using the pick&rolls, CSKA’s experience and coach Itoudis’ rotation kept the lead to double-digits until the end. Finally, in the fourth quarter, Panathinaikos was trying to spark a comeback but eventually fell short with CSKA handling perfectly the situation thanks to Rodriguez and even increasing the deficit to 19 points (76-57) (36:00).
The star: Sergio Rodriguez was the man of the match as he finished with a career-high 25 points (5/9 3P) and 9 assists. Kyle Hines was also impressive as he tied his personal best with 20 points.
Not enough: KC Rivers was effective for Panathinaikos as he finished with 17 points.