Lojeski stars as Panathinaikos edge Maccabi
EUROLEAGUE REGULAR SEASON - ROUND 1
| Panathinaikos | 89 - 84 | Maccabi Tel Aviv |
|---|---|---|
| (26 - 24) (46 - 45) (70 - 67) (89 - 84) |
A 20-point night from Matt Lojeski helped guide Panathinaikos to a narrow win over Maccabi Tel Aviv on the opening day of action in the EuroLeague…
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Panathinaikos OPAP opened-up their 2018/2019 EuroLeague campaign with a narrow 89-84 win over Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv at the OAKA Olympic Indoor Hall on Thursday night.
Despite leading for the majority of the evening, Panathinaikos coach relied heavily on his bench to close-out the win with the likes of Matt Lojeski and Thanasis Antetokounmpo making key contributions off the bench.
Supported by a 14-assist night from Nick Calathes, Lojeski struck for 20 points and offseason acquisition Keith Langford netted 13 points in his EuroLeague debut as the duo finished as Panathinaikos’ leading scorers.
Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, managed to score 10 points in 10 minutes off the bench while DeShaun Thomas, who also made his EuroLeague debut for Panathinaikos after an offseason move from Maccabi, tallied 9 points on relatively poor shooting night for the American guard.
A strong start from Panathinaikos energized the home crowd, particularly after a perfect alley-oop pass from Calathes was capped by an emphatic slam from James Gist. Panathinaikos’ early momentum paid dividends as the Trifylli carved-out a 26-24 lead in the first frame.
The game remained tight in the second quarter as Maccabi kept the Greek Champions at bay before cutting the Panathinaikos lead to just one point (46-45) by halftime.
Neither side could buck the trend of the contest in the second half, though Panathinaikos did add to their lead albeit slightly thanks to a 24-22 run in third frame giving the home side 70-67 lead heading into the final frame.
Despite a 24-point, 8-assist performance on the night from Scottie Wilbekin, Maccabi couldn’t close the gap on the scoreboard as Panathinaikos held on for a tight first win in the EuroLeague.
The win means Panathinaikos will be among the early pacesetters in the EuroLeague after round one; a very different reality compared to heavy-handed loss the club suffered against Barcelona Lassa at the start of last season.
Panathinaikos will look to remain unbeaten in the EuroLeague next week when the club travel to Bavaria to face Bayern Munich on 16 October before returning home to face debutants Herbalife Gran Canaria two days later (18 October).
