Inconsistent Panathinaikos come unstuck in Milan
EUROLEAGUE REGULAR SEASON - ROUND 18
Panathinaikos’ inconsistent form in the EuroLeague continued on Thursday, as the Athenians conceded a disappointing 96-87 defeat to Olimpia Milano on the road.
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Last week, Panathinaikos defeated CSKA Moscow in dramatic circumstances in Russia, but the reigning Greek champions failed to build on that success as they were defeated by Olimpia Milano on Italian soil.
Initially, the Greeks kept within touching distance of Milan, but poor showings in the second and third quarters put paid to any hope of emerging victorious.
As a result of this loss, Rick Pitino’s troops fall to seventh of the EuroLeague regular season standings, with Milan now occupying sixth spot. It’s worth noting that Milan also beat Panathinaikos when the teams met in Athens earlier in the campaign.
Jimmer Fredette stood out for Panathinaikos with 28 points, while Nick Calathes dished out 11 assists. Deshaun Thomas (15) and Konstantinos Mitoglou (10) also reached double figures in terms of points.
Next week, Panathinaikos will host Bayern Munich at the OAKA Indoor Hall, while Olimpia Milano travel to Anadolu Efes.
THE MATCH
Panathinaikos made a promising start to proceedings in Italy, opening up a four-point lead. However, Milano slowly got into their groove, and they won the first frame 19-18.
Midway through the second stanza, the Prasini were only trailing by two points, but the defensive wheels suddenly came off as Milan subsequently on a scoring run to carve out a 10-point advantage at the half-time break.
A six-point loss in the third quarter didn’t help Panathinaikos cause.
In the fourth, the visitors did attempt to make a comeback, but Milan were in control and successfully saw it out. Sergio Rodriguez finished the match with 22 points for the winners.
