By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Kostas Sloukas restored a two-possession advantage with 36 seconds on the clock as Panathinaikos Aktor took down his former team, Olympiacos, 77-71, in OAKA on Monday.
Besides a noisy crowd, the visitors dug their way out of a 17-point hole, and more exciting action exploded across Round 3 of Greece’s Stoiximan Basket League Regular Season Top 6. However, a technical issue forced a delay of several minutes with 3:06 remaining in the fourth period. Adding to the intrigue traditionally attached to the eternal derby, head coaches Ergin Ataman and Giorgos Bartzokas seemed to get into a heated argument after the buzzer. “I don’t want to comment on anything but the game,” stressed the play-caller of Olympiacos.
Kendrick Nunn recorded a team-high 17 points and Konstantinos Mitoglou chipped in 15 points. Jerian Grant (right knee) remained on the injury list for the team coached by Ataman. Kostas Antetokounmpo (illness) was sidelined as well.
On the wrong side of a close battle, Nigel Williams-Goss tallied a game-high 18 points. Filip Petrusev (right knee) sat out along with unregistered Ignas Brazdeikis, Nikola Milutinov, and Luke Sikma.
Both sides are heading to the Playoffs of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, the Greens as the second seed against the Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv or Baskonia with homecourt advantage and the Reds as the fifth seed with fourth-seeded FC Barcelona securing homecourt advantage in a best-of-five series. Preceding Round 4 of the Top 6 features home games versus Peristeri bwin on Friday and Promitheas on Thursday, respectively.