Greek A1: Olympiacos and Panathinaikos claim Game 1
Game 1 of the Greek A1 semi-final went to form and history as powerhouse clubs Olympiacos and Panathinaikos picked up home wins to put one foot in the final.
Both clubs were hot favourites heading into the contests and the Euroleague giants did not disappoint as they swept to victory. Olympiacos picked up a particularly impressive result by defeating Panionios 78-43, a stunning result against a club that finished third in the Greek A1 Regular Season.
Panathinaikos was made to work a little harder as the Greens collected an 89-83 home win over PAOK, with all eyes now turning to Game 2.
Olympiacos vs. Panionios, 78-43
Olympiacos dealt a crushing defeat upon Panionios, putting 35 points on the visiting team in a stunning display of Basketball. The Reds never ceased from the first minute until the last and controlled Panionios with deadly offensive and restrictive defensive play.
The writing was on the wall early for Panionios as Olympiacos cruised through the first quarter to hold a comfortable 21-15 lead after 10 minutes. The double Euroleague champs sailed through the second period and went in at the midway buzzer with a healthy 43-29 advantage. The game was not quite beyond the visitors, but the third quarter all but ended the hopes of the Panionios team. Olympiacos dictated the floor in Q3 to take a commanding 60-35 lead into the last stanza. In the final period the hosts kept pressing and capped an impressive second half where Panionios had been kept to just 14 points.
Mardy Collins led The Reds with 16 points, while Matt Lojeski scored 11.
Errick McCollum managed 14 points for the losing team and was helped by Kevin Langford with a 10 point haul.
Panathinaikos vs. PAOK, 89-83
Panathinaikos dodged a bullet to emerge victorious against PAOK at home. Although, the Greens were made to work for the victory as PAOK started well in the contest.
The hosts scored well after the tip-off, but could not contain PAOK at the other end. After 10 minutes of play Panathinaikos had scored 21, but the visitors had poured in an impressive 31 points to hold a 10 point lead. The Greens improved in the second stanza and tightened up in defense to win the quarter and cut the deficit to 45-49 at halftime. The home team was in control now and continued to reel in PAOK after the break, eventually getting to within one point as the third quarter ended (65-66). In the fourth frame Panathinaikos retook the lead and outscored PAOK 24-17 during the 10 minutes to snatch the win and take advantage of the series.
Loukas Mavrokefalidis was instrumental to the Panathinaikos comeback as he nailed 31 points and grabbed 10 boards in a hugely impressive double-double performance. Dimitris Diamantidis aided with 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists.
PAOK faded after the first quarter, but Giorgos Bogris paced the losing effort with 16 points and 9 rebounds, while D.J. Cooper collected 15 points.