Aris succumbed to Panathinaikos and was defeated by 90-56 (half-time 43-32) in the Olympic complex sports hall, in Athens, for Match Day 16 of the Hellenic Championships. David Blatt’s team could not present a threat to the title holders, who performed great, maintained a double-digit advantage throughout the whole second half and raised it notably during the last period.
The “yellows” faced problems in defense since the beginning and, although they responded with a 0-6 run to Panathinaikos’s initial lead (6-6 at minute 2), they couldn’t do anything more than that. The Greek and European champions made it 13-6 at 4’, 18’8 at 7’ and wrapped up the first quarter with a tough three-point shot by Diamantidis, from some 10 meters, thus stopping Aris’s reaction (25-17).
Luck wasn’t on the visitors’ side in the second period, either. Just when they trimmed the score difference down to 6, the local team scored another unlikely three-pointer and made it 30-21. The “yellows” missed too many shots and couldn’t take advantage of their numerous offensive rebounds. Clark made two consecutive three-pointers, but still Zelimir Obradovic’s team finished the first half with a two-digit lead.
Aris scored no points at all for the first 3:18 of the second part and Panathinaikos had the opportunity to have a 9-0 run, which took them to “+17” (49-32) and eventually they kept such a difference until the end of the third quarter.
The fourth period, though, was even worse for the “yellows”, who collapsed. Three consecutive three-pointers helped Panathinaikos make a 19-0 run within five minutes and raise their advantage to 32 points (77-45, with 5:46 to go). Aris’s first basket was scored just 3:33 before the end, which found the “greens” win by 34 (90-56), thanks to goal - foul scored by Shermadini.
Referees: Lazaros Voreadis (Athens), Nikos Papadimitriou (Athens), Dimitris Bitis (Thessaloniki).
Periods: 25-17, 43-32 (half-time), 62-45, 90-56.
PANATHINAIKOS (Zelimir Obradovic): Shermadini 7, Tepic 2, Spanoulis 7 (2), Perperoglou 6 (1), Batiste 6, Fotsis 11, Haislip 6, Nicholas 13 (3), Verginis 7 (1), Diamantidis 5 (1), Pekovic 11, Kalathes 9 (2).
ARIS (David Blatt): Clark 6 (2), Argyropoulos 1, Miles, Betts 6, Labovic, Richardson 9 (1), Chatzivrettas 10 (2), Dikoudis 7, Skordilis 4, Paunic 4, Kakiouzis 6, Barlos 3.
Photos: Icon Press / Dimitris Doudoumis
