By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
With Xavi Pascual having a 2-0 record, Panathinaikos grabbed its third win in four games against Crvena Zvezda with 70-59. The Serbian team now holds a 2-2 record.
It was a nervous start for both opponets, with Panathinaikos being able to lead the pace. Zvezda took the ball outside in the 3point line, then Gist dominated in the paint. An almost flawless defense kept Panathinaikos up 23-14 after the first quarter.
Nick Calathes gave Panathinaikos great rhythm in offense in the beginning of the second period. The hosts managed to take a 34-14 lead at 13′, with Zvezda being unable to match the pace. Halfway through the second period, the Greens were dominating all over the floor. At halftime the hosts were up 46-25.
In the second half, Crvena Zvezda tried to cut the deficit, yet the score didn’t change drastically. After 25 minutes of game action, it was showtime for the hosts as Zvezda’s defense was unable to stop them.
In the final period, Zvezda made an important comeback, dropping the deficit from 20 to 10 points, 63-53. Still, the visitors couldn’t push for any longer and eventually surrendered.
For the winners, it was James Gist and Nick Calathes who really set the mood of what was to come in the game, scoring 17 and 16 points each.
For the Serbian team, a former Green, Ognjen Kuzmic scored 15 points.