A depleted Baskonia cannot beat Panathinaikos
Those from Peñarroya compete despite the losses but are still on a bad streak
MADRID, 27 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Baskonia lost (95-81) this Friday against Panathinaikos in the fifth round of the Euroleague held at the OAKA, a difficult test for the Spanish team due to casualties and a bad dynamic that they were not able to reverse in Athens.
Joan Peñarroya’s team, who seems to have his position up in the air, competed with eight players and added physical problems from Tadas Sedekerskis and Nico Mannion, against an opponent also in great need of wins. The gas failed in the last quarter, where Panathinaikos achieved the second victory that Baskonia was looking for.
Mathias Lessort (23 points and 14 rebounds) and Konstantinos Mitoglou (23) led Ergin Ataman’s team, especially in the second half, where it was a will and a miss for the visitors. In the third quarter, Sedekerskis was knocked out, although he fought until the end as the greatest exponent of the Vitorian fight, and in the desperate one-on-one match, Mannion also fell.
The Italian’s blow cost Lessort the fourth foul, which led to the elimination of Matt Costello, despite the bitter protest of Baskonia who did not see the same criteria from the referees in both rings. The Blaugrana center was important to keep the pulse after the break, where there was already a serious Greek threat.
Ataman’s team could not fail at home, and the first half left an intense give and take. The tension was noticeable, with many losses in the first quarter, and Baskonia, good in attack, had a hard time defending with so many forced changes. Although Peñarroya did what it could and Markus Howard (22 points), Mannion (17) and Marinkovic (17) kept the pulse until the last quarter, in the second half, Panathinaikos imposed its physicality and greater success.
DATASHEET.
–RESULT: PANATHINAIKOS, 95 – BASKONIA, 81. (48-43, at halftime).
–EQUIPMENT.
PANATHINAIKOS: Sloukas (12), Vildoza (3), Grigonis (7), Hernangómez (3) and Antetokounmpo (-) –quinteto inicial–; Grant (9), Guy (13), Kalaitzakis (-), Balcerowski (2), Lessort (23), Mitoglou (23).
BASKONIA: Howard (22), Miller-Mcintyre (2), Raieste (2), Sedekerskis (9) and Kotsar (8) –starting quintet–; Costello (4), Mannion (17), Marinkovic (17).
–PARTIALS: 24-22, 24-21, 22-23, 25-15.
–REFEREES: Javor, Hordov and Boubert. Costello eliminated due to fouls.
–PAVILLION: OAKA Basket.