Panathinaikos suffer setback against Baskonia
EUROLEAGUE REGULAR SEASON - ROUND 9
| Baskonia | 86 - 77 | Panathinaikos |
|---|---|---|
| (20 - 12) (44 - 32) (73 - 55) (86 - 77) |
Tornike Shengelia helped Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz get the better of Panathinaikos after the Georgian’s 16 points powered the Basque club to an 86-77 win in Friday’s EuroLeague action…
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Panathinaikos suffered yet another setback in Friday’s EuroLeague action after the Greek Champions were handed an 86-77 loss by KIROLBET Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz at the Fernando Buesa Arena in Vitoria-Gasteiz.
Tornike Shengelia’s 16-point effort powered Baskonia to their first win since 1 November as the Spanish side benefited from a fast start that allowed the hosts to grab a double-digit lead by halftime.
A 33-point night for Keith Langford was overshadowed by Panathinaikos’ slow start, which would ultimately see the Trifylli fall behind as much as 18 points by the end of the third quarter. Aside from Langford, Nikos Pappas was the only other Panathinaikos player to reach double figures as the Greek guard tallied 16 points in the loss.
Baskonia’s focus from tip-off proved vital as the home side surged to a 20-12 lead in the first quarter before padding their lead in the second half for a 44-32 advantage by halftime.
Problems were compounded for Panathinaikos in the third quarter as Baskonia’s offense continued to be efficient with the home side pouring in a further 29 points for a commanding 73-55 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
It would be in the final frame that Panathinaikos began to make inroads in reducing the deficit, but by then the clock was working against the Athenians as a 22-13 run only improved the optics of the boxscore.
The loss means Panathinaikos slip to 5-4 on the season and fall into a tie with domestic rivals Olympiacos for seventh place in the standings with the Trifylli set to face Khimki Moscow Region in the Russian capital next Friday.
