By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Nigel Hayes-Davis has been with Panathinaikos for less than one week, but he has already made a difference on the way to an easy 79-68 win.
After a tied first period (17-17), Hayes-Davis entered the court, and everything changed. Panathinaikos dominated with a partial score of 28-12 in the second quarter, Olympiacos finished the first half with just one made three-pointer in 13 attempts, and the game was over.
There was no coming back for the Reds after the 45-28 halftime score.
Last season’s EuroLeague Final Four MVP finished the game as the top scorer of his team with 15 points and also got the Greek Cup MVP award, while Nikos Rogkavopoulos added 14 for Panathinaikos.
“It’s always good to play in a championship game in Europe, I am glad that my team won”, Nigel Hayes-Davis said, adding, “No one cares who the MVP is, we just want to win. This time, it was me, so thanks to my teammates, for the staff, and for DPG (ed note: Panathinaikos owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos) who trusted me and brought me here to help”.
It was the 22nd Greek Cup won by Panathinaikos in 28 finals played.
“I see that there are just 7-8 journalists, if we lost they would have been many more asking me the things they ask for the whole season”, said coach Ergin Ataman in his press conference, adding that the big goals of his team remain the championship title and the EuroLeague.
Sasha Vezenkov had 16 for Olympiacos, but this ended up being just a footnote. Both Tyrique Jones (10 p.) and Nikola Milutinov (5 p.) played for Olympiacos despite coming off injuries, with their team finishing the night with 6/25 threes.