By Eurohoops Team / info@eurohoops.net
Fenerbahce Istanbul defeated Panathinaikos OPAP in Athens, 69 – 81 and so the ‘Green’s lost their sixth Turkish Airlines EuroLeague game this season (5-6) and third straight. Meanwhile, the Turkish team improved to 10-1, for the best spot in the standings.
The hosts struggled in the first quarter offensively, scoring just 12 points (0/6 3FG), and so after 10′, Fenerbahce picked up a six-point lead (12-18). With Matt Lojeski’s eight points, Xavi Pascual’s team challenged the hosts and made it a one possession game at halftime (33-35).
Despite having troubles with turnovers (11 after 25′), Fenerbahce increased this lead in the third period (39-46), as Panathinaikos could not find ways to score. Since that point, however, Nick Calathes who had not scored, went on a 10-3 run by himself with back-to-back three-pointers, to lead his team back to the game (49-49). After three quarters, the visitors were leading by four points (52-56).
The three-pointers of Nikola Kalinic and Kostas Sloukas in the final five minutes of regulation put Zeljko Obradovic‘s squad up by double-digits (63-73). Panathinaikos kept on missing open shots, especially beyond the arc (7/28 3FG), and so the game ended 69 – 81.
After the game, Fenerbahce’s head coach, Zeljko Obradovic, said the following about his team’s approach: “We talked at halftime that we needed to change the game defensively and probably in the last 5 minutes we really played very well. We shot the ball from outside, three-point shots, very well. We were patient, moved the ball and everything that was bad in the first half [we did better in the second half]. They know that if you want to be good, you need concentration from the first until the last second and to fight in every moment of the game”.
The frontcourt duo of Jan Vesely and Joffrey Lauvergne was clicking on Friday night at OAKA. The 28-year old Czech international finished with 15 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists, while Lauvergne added 16 points and three rebounds. Besides, Kalinic was also crucial for the winners, especially in the final period. He finished with a game-high 18 points (4/5 3FG), with ten coming in the final quarter.
For the Greek team, Nick Calathes finished with 14 points and seven assists.
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