By Panos Katsiroubas/ info@eurohoops.net
The Magnifying Glass was at OAKA Arena in Athens for the traditional derby between Panathinaikos and Real Madrid. Panathinaikos played excellent, made the life of Real Madrid difficult in both ends, and won a very decisive game.
The teams started the game with the logic to attack from inside. Panathinaikos was looking for Batista, either in isolation plays or after pick n roll plays. He started the game well scoring good baskets and creating a lot of problems in the defensive end of Real Madrid. On the other side Real Madrid was looking to put the ball inside to Reyes in order to take advantage of his post-quality against Gist.
Panathinaikos was looking to put a lot of press on the ball especially in the very talented backcourt of Real Madrid. With Slaughter pressing Rudy and Diamantidis on Llull they didn’t let them find open spaces early on. The Greens took the risk with switches after screen in order not to let open spaces and Real Madrid punish them with Rudy from the perimeter against taller opponents, and with Ayon on the post. This happened only for the 1st 12-13 minutes.
After this period of time, the players of Real Madrid looked totally confused and didn’t look to find the miss match, but only executed under very bad conditions. This was one of the rare games that also Sergio Rodriguez was not helpful for his team, trying to make penetrations and try to shoot the ball over the defenders.
After the 1st period, with the entrance of Nelson, the defense of Panathinaikos became stronger and more aggressive. He was excellent in ball pressure and put his body in every attempt of penetrations in order to press the execution. Together with Pappas they made also an explosive duo in the offensive end.
They were great in isolation and transition plays creating huge problems in the defense of Real Madrid. Nelson with his athleticism put the ball on the court and attacked to the basket in order to score, or to pass when the helps and the double teams came to stop him.
Pappas was also very good in isolations, and also took advantage of the screens and the switches with drives to the basket against the tall guys of Real Madrid. He was also executing well from the weak side after pick n roll passes.
Panathinaikos punished Real with their favorite style of Basketball with transition and semi transition offensive plays, early in the possession. Pappas and Nelson were so effective, that obliged Ivanovic to keep Diamantidis on the bench for almost all game after the 1st quarter. Together they combined for 38 points with economy shooting of a total 14/18 FG.
Diamantidis played only 14 minutes and Fotsis only 8 in a night that everything was going well for them. Real Madrid was totally out of the game after the 1st 15 minutes. They couldn’t find ways to run, they didn’t took advantage of the miss matches and also they didn’t create plays on isolation. Their backcourt defense was slow and soft, and Panathinaikos took all the advantages from this aspect. This was a total fair win for the Greens with both Nelson and Pappas playing their best game of the year on the green shirt.