Panathinaikos – Fenerbahce: The match
Deja vu with the game against Real Madrid was the beginning of the match at the “Telekom Center Athens” as Fener didn’t stop “shooting” from outside the 6.75 meters with Tarik Biberovic as the main spokesperson. The Fener guard was “hot” in the 1st period having 11 points with 3/3 three-pointers.
Which gave Sarunas Jasikevicius’ team a nine-point lead (16-25) which ended with a 3-pointer by Huatso for 19-25. A quarter where the “greens” had 7/14 two-pointers (s.s. Nan 3/8doubles), 1/2 three-pointers and 2/4 shots with only 2 assists for 3 errors, while respectively Fenerbahce had 3/7 two-pointers, 6/10 three-pointers, 1/2 shots and 7 final passes for 2 errors. The defense of Panathinaikos improved significantly in the second half, showing more toughness in the longer period, while TJ Shorts was the one who breathed life and rhythm into the game by running his team’s plays quickly. In fact, he perfectly complemented the awesome and terrible Juancho Hernangomet in the first half of the game, who “touched” the double double with 12 points (3/4 2-pointers, 2/3 3-pointers), 9 rebounds and 1 steal!
Fener’s biggest lead in the second quarter was 21-27 at 12′ because from then Ergin Ataman’s team went on a 21-9 run to take a 42-36 lead just before the Turkish team’s 5-0 run for 42-41 at halftime. Biberovic had 16 points (2/4 2-pointers, 4/5 3-pointers) and was the cornerstone of Fenerbahce.
In the first half, Panathinaikos had 17/28 two-pointers, 2/8 three-pointers, 2/4 shots, 12-6 rebounds and 6 assists for 4 errors, while the European 2025 champion had 6/16 two-pointers, 8/17 three-pointers, 5/6 shots, 11-6 rebounds and 12 final passes. for 6 mistakes.
In the 3rd period, the Greek team continued to be (as much as possible) hard in defense and by putting players like Farid and Rogavopoulos into the equation, they managed to lead by +7 points (55-48 at 25′ and 57-50 at 26′) having gained a lead, momentum while seeming to “step” better on the Glass Floor. The quarter ended with Panathinaikos at +6 (62-56) having conceded only 15 points during the 3rd period. A 3rd period which ended with Nan having 10 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 3 errors and in total the “greens” 22/36 two-pointers, 4/12 three-pointers, 6/10 shots, 17-8 rebounds and 13 assists for 6 errors+4 steals.
Fener, however, came out much stronger in the final quarter and went on an early 8-0 run to turn the score around and take a 62-64 lead which became a 3-14 split for 65-70. Tarik Biberovic picked up where he left off by doing the damage with his perimeter shots. Kendrick Nunn had started to “warm up” more, with Panathinaikos initially equalizing at 73-73 and at 76-76 having turned the game into a real “grand guinol”.
With 53” before the end Wade Baldwin with 2/2 shots made it 78-80 and gave his team the lead in the score. The match became blood and sand! Jantunen with 1/2 shots made it 81-83 and Shorts with a terrific coast to coast tied it at 83-83 with 2.5 to go. But Wade Baldwin with a very difficult shot gave the victory to Fenerbahce in “zero” time.
The quarters: 19-25, 42-41, 62-56, 93-95.
gazzetta.gr