By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Larissa finished the match with a 20-3 run over the last eight minutes to beat Panathinaikos Athens 74 – 62 in Game 4 of the Greek League semifinals and force a “do-or-die” Game 5 at OAKA.
Thodoris Zaras scored 17 points on 4-6 triples, Stephan Moddy posted 13 points plus seven assists, Michalis Tsairelis also dropped 17 points for Larissa. Ousmane Krubally (12 points, 16 rebounds) and Jalen Hudson (10 points) completed the winning equation for a Larissa team that hadn’t even participated in the playoffs ever before in the history of the club and is now one win from the Finals.
Ioannis Papapetrou had 12 points for Panathinaikos before his ejection with a fifth foul, three minutes into the fourth period. Daryl Macon Jr. also scored 12 and Nemanja Nedovic finished with 11 points.
The game was held under grueling circumstances since the air conditioning in the gym didn’t work and the temperature outside was 36° Celsius. After the match, Papapetrou commented on this while talking to the Greek national television.
“First of all, I want to say congratulations to Larissa coach Takianos and the whole team for their amazing effort. I want to tell them bravo. I’ve been a professional for nine years and I have played for the top teams in Greece. In a gym where an ad sign comes off and I need stitches for it (editor’s note: the sign fell on Papapetrou’s foot), why there are no safety precautions? The sign falls off and the arena is hot. I don’t care about the game. The game and who won is the last thing. What Larissa did is exceptional but we are talking about the top sport in Greece. Everyone saw what happened today in the game, I’m ashamed to be a part of this thing.”