By Eurohoops/ info@eurohoops.net
Panathinaikos comfortably defeated Mykonos 76-90 and secured a spot in GBL’s semifinals, where the team coached by Ergin Ataman will clash with PAOK in the best-of-three semifinal series, marking its 29th consecutive appearance in the semifinals. Meanwhile, A.O. Mykonou B.C. completed its first-ever season in the GBL successfully and is set to compete in European competitions next year.
Panathinaikos once again played without Kostas Sloukas (tear of the outer meniscus in his left knee), Kendrick Nunn (neck spasm), Kenneth Faried (bone edema in the left tibia), and Panagiotis Kalaitzakis (sprained left ankle). Cedi Osman was also unavailable, as he is not registered on the team’s GBL roster and will have to wait for a possible roster change to return.
Strong perimeter shooting (5/13 overall, 2/10 from three-point range) and Justin Briggs (8 points) allowed Mykonos to take a 31-26 lead in the 15th minute. However, it was only a matter of time — and motivation — before Panathinaikos increased its defensive intensity and offensive efficiency, refusing to allow any more opportunities. Mathias Lessort sparked the comeback with six consecutive points (31-32 in the 16th minute), while T.J. Shorts (1/2 free throws) and Nikos Rogkavopoulos (two-point basket) extended the run to 0-9 (31-35 in the 17th minute), and the momentum continued from there.
T.J. Shorts added another nine points (3/3 two-pointers, 1/1 three-pointer) in a short span during the third quarter, turning a 46-51 score in the 23rd minute into 51-62 by the 26th minute. Mykonos tried to stay within reach, but Mathias Lessort had other plans. A personal 0-7 run early in the fourth quarter (61-77 in the 33rd minute) kept the lead comfortably in double digits, reaching a maximum advantage of 19 points (63-82 in the 35th minute, 66-85 in the 36th minute).
Mathias Lessort recorded a season-high 18 points, shooting 5/7 from two-point range and 8/11 from the free-throw line, along with 4 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, and 2 turnovers in just 16:49 of playing time.
In the other game of the day, Aris defeated AEK 90–81 at Alexandrio in Game 2 of the Stoiximan GBL Playoffs, tying the series at 1–1 after finishing the game with an 8–0 run in the final two minutes (from 82–81 at the 38-minute mark).
The standout performer for the winners, Bryce Jones, sealed the game with a huge three-pointer to make it 88–81 with 52.3 seconds remaining. He finished with 28 points, 9 assists, and 3 steals, despite ending the game with a mild ankle sprain.
The series is decided by two wins overall, and the winner will face Olympiacos B.C. in the semifinals. Game 3 will take place on Monday (May 25, 19:00) at the SUNEL Arena.
The team coached by Igor Miličić also got double-digit scoring performances from Amin Noua (14 points, 12 rebounds), Arnoldas Kulboka (12 points, 4 rebounds), and Danilo Anđušić (11 points).
For Dragan Šakota’s side, Vassilis Charalampopoulos delivered an outstanding performance with 30 points and 7 rebounds, while also setting three Stoiximan GBL career highs (30 points, 5 made three-pointers, and a 28 efficiency rating). Greg Brown also fought hard with 17 points and 5 rebounds, while Frank Bartley added 10 points and 6 assists despite shooting just 2/16 from the field.
For the visitors, Dimitris Katsivelis was absent due to illness, while Mindaugas Kuzminskas was once again left out of the foreign players rotation.
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