It took a while but Panathinaikos finally came to life in Game 2 of the Greek Finals. Their dominant victory over Olympiacos in OAKA means, thankfully, that Emmet Ryan gets to say one of his favourite things. We’ve got a series!
If you’re a neutral watching the Greek Finals, then thank the heavens for Jerian Grant. We’ll get back to that but Panathinaikos took a while to get to life before utterly controlling Olympiacos in the second half.
This was, by no means, a classic. It was however exactly what this part of the summer swing needed. A real, live, finals series between the two great rivals is now upon us. For a while, it really didn’t look like we’d get one.
Jerian Grant changed the tone
Well into the second quarter, Panathinaikos had looked like a team going through the motions. Whatever about their complaints after Game 1, this was a side that looked like it just wanted these Greek Finals to be over. Olympiacos led by 9 and looked more than capable of coasting home.
Then Jerian Grant had a 3 point play. That cut the deficit to 5 and the mood changed immediately and irrevocably. The OAKA, which was less than full, came to life. It wasn’t just the hardcore support getting into it. The Green side of the rivalry was alive.
That one moment could well end up defining this series, even if the Reds end up winning 3-1. The mood prior to Grant’s play was one of inevitability. Olympiacos would win, then complete the sweep, and everyone focuses on the future. Instead, the present became very real.
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Inflicting their game
Make no mistake, it was their defensive excellence that proved the key difference for Panathinaikos. Olympiacos managed just 58 points in the whole game, with the 20 point haul in the final quarter making that look good. A 15-15-8 run through the first three quarters spoke to the problems the Reds had.
Yet there’s more to appreciate from what Panathinaikos did in this game. Not only did they keep Olympiacos below 40 per cent shooting (including 6 of 23 from deep) but they also won the second-chance opportunities battle.
The Greens had 63 FGA compared to just 51 for Olympiacos, with the Reds committing 14 turnovers to just 7 for Panathinaikos. They gave the visitors fewer opportunities and punished them for it.
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Both can be better
With Olympiacos, that’s pretty obvious. This will easily go down as one of their weakest displays of the season. Yes, it was one forced upon them by the stout D of Panathinaikos, but it still means we should expect an uptick in Game 3 of the Greek Finals.
For Panathinaikos, even Ergin Ataman admitted their offensive game could have been better. The Greens shot just 37 per cent from the field, with 9 of 30 from deep. They deservedly earned this win but even those with green tinted glasses know they can do more.
Which, for the rest of us, is great news. The bite and motivation that basketball fans want from the Derby of Eternal Enemies is fresh again. These two will want to do bad things to each other for the rest of the series. Thank you Jerian Grant, we were getting worried for a bit there.
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