Reigning champions far superior in Athens derby
GREEK BASKET LEAGUE - ROUND 1
Panathinaikos made a successful start to their defence of the title, comfortably defeating Athenian rivals AEK 89-68 in the opening match of the 2019/2020 Basket League season.
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A level above the rest of the field, Panathinaikos are widely expected to reign supreme in the Basket League again, and they made a statement of their intentions with a thumping 89-68 victory against AEK in the Athens derby at the OAKA Indoor Hall.
New signings Jimmer Fredette, Tyrese Rice, Rion Brown, Jacob Wiley and Wesley Johnson were all included in the Panathinaikos line-up, while Keith Langford played against his former club on his competitive debut for AEK.
Deshaun Thomas was the leading scorer with a large 26 points to his name. Kendrick Ray (AEK, 18 points), Fredette (Panathinaikos, 13 points), Rice (Panathinaikos, 11 points), Langford (AEK, 11 points), Dimitris Kaklamanakis (AEK, 11 points) and Wiley (Panathinaikos, 10 points) also reached double figures.
Panathinaikos play Lavrio on the road next week, while AEK host Kolossos Rodou. Midweek, Panathinaikos will welcome Red Star Belgrade to the OAKA in the first match of the EuroLeague regular season.
THE MATCH
Fredette, known for being a superb shooter of the ball, registered Panathinaikos’ maiden points of the season with a tough three-pointer under pressure after AEK had initially scored the first four points. Panathinaikos, playing some flashy basketball in the process, led by six when the opening quarter ended.
Rice promptly extended that lead to nine at the start of the second stanza when draining an attempt from behind the arc.
At one point, it seemed that AEK had steadied the ship in the second frame as they closed the gap, but Panathinaikos soon got back in the ascendancy with Rice, Fredette and Johnson and Thomas catching the eye in particular. Ruthless Panathinaikos attacking play allowed them to hold a 14-point advantage by the interval.
With Panathinaikos in full control of proceedings, the intensity dropped in the third quarter, as AEK huffed and puffed without ever threatening to make a dramatic comeback. Nikos Pappas made his long-awaited return to competitive basketball during the period, much to the delight of the OAKA crowd.
Leading by 18 points before the fourth quarter began, Panathinaikos calmly saw the game out in the concluding period, and Nick Calathes wowed the home fans with a fantastic pass to Wiley for a highlight-reel slam dunk early in the frame. Panathinaikos will be hoping for much of the same when they make their EuroLeague bow on Thursday.
HIGHLIGHTS
