THE Panathinaikos “Flip” with 81-77 its headquarters Efes of Anadolu In the third game of the two teams in the Euroleague playoffs and now there is a victory away from qualifying for Abu Dhabi’s Final 4.
After the double of Efes Anadolu in OAKA, Panathinaikos definitely needed his own break To stay “alive” for qualifying for the Euroleague playoffs and he did it with the … first, thanks to the awesome Dino Mitoglou and Central Nan.
Both Mitoglou and Nan made their best appearance with Panathinaikos in this year’s playoffs and brought their team closer to Abu Dhabi’s Final 4.
Mitoglou’s Step Up that Ataman requested
With Huanzo raising his performance this season, Dinos Mitoglou has been a bit on the Panathinaikos, with their roles with the Spaniard reversed compared to last year.
Lesor’s absence increased Mitoglou’s time in the parquet, in place 5 along with Huanzo, but in the first two games with Efes Anadolu, he failed to make a difference, and so Ergkin Ataman asked for a “step up” from his player. But this came immediately and in such a striking way that the Turkish coach was forced to … bow to him after the “clover” victory, stating that Huanzo should now “step up”.
The step above Mitoglou, however, was enough for Panathinaikos. The international Greek forward had 18 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 plug and no wrong against Efes, even scoring the three -point leading the match in the final.
MVP is here!
Panathinaikos also waited for Central Nan, as the MVP of the season at EuroLeague was lower than his standards in the first two games of the “clover” with Efes Anadolu in the playoffs.
Cereic Nan had appeared trapped by the Turkish team’s defense at OAKA, but Ataman had commented on him toothat everyone adjusts the defenses to him and he must find the solutions himself, as he always does. The Panathinaikos coach was therefore confirmed in this statement, after the American guard shouted “present” in Turkey.
Although he had just 6 points in the first half, he returned “hot” after the break and scored 19 points, with a series of important baskets at the most critical point of the race. In the end, he even put on the shots that “sealed” the “clover” victory, reminding everyone because he became MVP in the regular season at Euroleague.
Despite the absences of Lesor, Grigonis and Papapetrou (he was in the 12th but did not fight) so, Panathinaikos shows … Lerna Hydra against Efes and with different protagonists each time, he is leading 2-1 to the Euroleague playoffs.