By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Panathinaikos found the way to stay close to CSKA Moscow, send the game to overtime, but in the end couldn’t win it. The Greens had the chance to force a second overtime, however captain Dimitris Diamantidis lost the three pointer he attempted. CSKA got the 77-74 win after an ugly game, still what counts in the end is the 1-0 in the series.
Sonny Weems had 21 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 turnovers, Viktor Khryapa had 17 points and 11 rebounds and Kyle Hines also contributed 15 points and 8 rebounds. Panathinaikos got a great game by Jonas Maciulis (14 p., 5 r., 5 st.), Zack Wright added 12 points and Diamantidis had 10 and 7 assists, but just 3/12 shots and 2/10 threes. It was a really close fight, as it was expected, with the overtime score being just 5-2 in favor of the winners.
Panathinaikos proved to be more than feisty, as coach Messina of CSKA Moscow admitted: “With a great comeback at the end of regulation, we managed to overcome the lack of poise and excess nerves which hunted us for most of the night. We knew it would be difficult series and we have to be ready for the Game 2.” Coach Alvertis of Panathinaikos added: “Although we had chances to win, we lost, and we have another game here ahead of us. That’s the life of basketball player and a coach, to manage this kind of situation. Now, we have to take the best from this game to the next one”.