Panathinaikos suffer heaviest EuroLeague loss

Greek champions Panathinaikos were dealt a damaging 97-66 loss to CSKA Moscow in Athens, marking their heaviest defeat in the EuroLeague in club history.

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The statistics against CSKA Moscow on Thursday evening didn’t make pleasant reading for Panathinaikos. In fact, it was one of the toughest nights in memory for the Prasini, as they conceded their largest defeat in EuroLeague history! The 31-point deficit (67-99) surpassed their 30-point loss to CSKA during the 2013/2014 season. 

CSKA, coached by Dimitris Itoudis, ripped Panathinaikos apart at will as the hosts were simply no match for the slick, ruthless Russians who have now booked their playoff berth. The Moscow outfit occupy fifth place of the regular season standings with 19 victories and nine defeats.

Three biggest EuroLeague defeats in Panathinaikos’ history:

Panathinaikos - CSKA - 66-97 (2019/2020)

CSKA - Panathinaikos - 74-44 (2013/2014)

CSKA - Panathinaikos - 94-66 (2014/2015)

Head coach Rick Pitino, clearly alarmed by the manner of defeat, remained in his office at the OAKA with his assistants until around 01:15 in the morning. This is also the first time since the 2009/2010 campaign when Panathinaikos have conceded four EuroLeague defeats on the spin.

“Being an optimist, I believe that we can solve our problems, but I’m not sure,” stated a notably deflated Pitino in his press-conference after losing to CSKA. “In comparison to last year, we’re not creating opportunities on the fast break, because our defensive play and rebounding aren’t good enough. We’re not a particularly strong shooting team, so when you have to rely on jump shots, you’re not in a nice position.”

Dimitris Giannakopoulos, the fiery Panathinaikos supremo, held an emergency team meeting at the OAKA Indoor Hall on Friday. It’s worth pointing out that Panathinaikos have only converted eight of their last 50 three-pointers! 

Panathinaikos return to EuroLeague action next week against Fenerbahce in Turkey.

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