Panathinaikos’ slide continues with Fenerbahce loss
EUROLEAGUE REGULAR SEASON - ROUND 11
| Panathinaikos | 69 - 81 | Fenerbahce |
|---|---|---|
| (12 - 18) (33 - 35) (56 - 52) (69 - 81) |
Panathinaikos’ losing skid in the EuroLeague reached a season-high three games after the Trifylli were left humbled in an 81-69 loss to league leaders Fenerbahce on Friday…
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Pressure is mounting on Panathinaikos head coach Xavi Pascual following his side’s 81-69 defeat at the hands of Fenerbahce at the OAKA Olympic Indoor Hall.
Poor showings in the first and fourth quarter were Panathinaikos’ undoing as the Greek Champions were handed their third straight loss in the EuroLeague – a season-high losing skid which sees the Final Four hopefuls now outside the playoff picture.
Nick Calathes led Panathinaikos with 14 points and 7 assists on the night while Matt Lojeski and Nikos Pappas each added 13 points as Panathinaikos’ starting lineup failed to produce double digit scorers besides Calathes.
Pascual did not maximize his bench on the evening as both Stephane Lasme and Georgios Papagiannis did not see action against the Turks.
Former Panathinaikos head coach, Zeljko Obradovic, continued his dominance over his former employers with Nikola Kalinic leading the way for his coach thanks to a 19-point effort in the Greek capital.
Greek international, Kostas Sloukas, tallied 9 points to help steer Fenerbahce to their tenth win of the season and sole possession of first place in the EuroLeague – one game ahead of 9-2 Real Madrid and CSKA Moscow.
Panathinaikos, who returned home after back-to-back losses on the road at KIROLBET Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz and Khimki Moscow Region over the last two weeks, failed to use the electric support from their fans and fell behind 18-12 inside the first quarter.
The Trifylli did make things interesting before halftime with an improved effort in the second frame, but Fenerbahce still held a slim lead (35-33) at the interval.
Slowly but surely the Fenerbahce lead grew with the Turks edging out a tight third quarter to extend their lead to four points (56-52) heading into the final frame.
It was from that point on that Fenerbahce began to show their class on the court as the Turkish Champions dictated the final frame with a 25-17 run to seal their seventh straight win on the continent.
Panathinaikos, who sit one-game behind a trio of clubs for the final playoff spot, will look to rebound on the domestic scene when they face Peristeri in a top-of-the-table clash in the Basket League before the Trifylli host another Turkish side, Darussafaka, in the EuroLeague next Friday.
