By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Overcoming a sluggish start with poor communication on both ends of the court, Panathinaikos locked in defensively to create separation and blow out Kolossos H Hotels, 89-47, in Rhodes Wednesday.
Marius Grigonis logging 23 points, matched his personal best for the 2022-23 season. The Lithuanian sharpshooter connected 7/10 field goals, including 5/8 from beyond the arc in Game 2 of Greece’s Basket League Quarterfinals. Sweeping the best-of-three series, his side advanced to the next round of the Playoffs.
The leading player in Game 1, Dwayne Bacon was ruled out for serious misconduct in practice, as described by the team. His status is expected to be updated in the next few days. Panathinaikos previously sidelined Nikos Pappas due to a left bicep injury and Paris Lee emerged as a late scratch with left thigh discomfort. Manos Chatzidakis, Michael Dixon, and Dimitris Katsivelis were out with injuries for the hosts.
Top-seeded Olympiacos went through to the Semifinals last Saturday, ahead of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs best-of-five series opposite Fenerbahce Beko. Other Quarterfinals matchups are PAOK mateco and Peristeri bwin leading 1-0 over Promitheas and AEK, respectively.
The Dwayne Bacon saga
Similar to being sidelined for the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Round 28 home game versus Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet, Bacon was once more held out of the lineup. “We are a team. We have to understand that the team wins, not individuals,” was the reaction of head coach Christos Serelis commenting on the March incident.
Not necessarily in response to the latest setback disrupting the stint in Greece, Bacon shared several stories on Instagram following the team decision.
“Nobody apologized for how they treated me, they just blamed me for how I reacted,” was the message in the first story.
“I’m so misunderstood it makes no sense but I swear I’m bout business every time I step in between those lines, my will to win is always there, the work I put in is there, won’t let them fool me like I ain’t worth the bumps and bruises, this is a lot of pain poured into something I truly love to do! Stay blessed!,” he later wrote, “The Work is really there.”
“Never disrespect someone with a good heart who made sure you were good when no one else was there,” he added in another separate story.
Bacon, 27, averaged 13.2 points per game over 17 appearances in Greece’s top-tier division since joining the Greens in October. He also put up 16.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per EuroLeague contest.