What a game from Olympiacos in the first Greek derby of the season. The Piraeus side crushed arch-rivals Panathinaikos in Greek Super Cup final with a whooping 75-51 final score.

Olympiacos had a historic 27-0 run in the first 20 minutes, to end the half with a huge 37-11 lead. Panathinaikos improved after the break, but couldn’t threaten the Georgios Bartzokas’ squad advantage.

Giannoulis Larentzakis led the winning side to the first trophy of the season with 20 points. Isaiah Canaan added 12 points, while Nikola Milutinov and captain Kostas Papanikolaou also scored in double figuers, with 10 points each.

For Panathinaikos, only Juancho Hernangomez with 15, Jerian Grant with 14 and Kostas Sloukas with nine points and six rebounds were up to the task.

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Olympiacos started the battle for the first trophy of the season in a convincing manner, defeating Peristeri 84-64 in the Greek Super Cup semifinal.

Nikola Milutinov had a double-double in his first official game upon returning to the club with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Another returnee, Nigel Williams Goss, also added 16 points, while the captain Kostas Papanikolaou finished in double digits as well, scoring 12 points.

Peristeri showed solid resistance in certain moments of the game, with Jaylen Hands leading the team with an impressive performance. The former PAOK guard scored 24 points with seven rebounds and showed that he’ll be a formidable addition to Vasilis Spanoulis’ squad.

Kenny Williams with 12, and Nemanja Dagubic with 11 points were the only ones managing to keep up with him.

Olympiacos was pretty much in control from the very beginning, opening the game with an assertive 16-3 run. Peristeri fought back and briefly took the lead in the second period, but the Piraeus team got back on the right track after halftime and eventually pulled away in the middle of the final period.

In the other SuperCup semifinal, Panathinaikos Athens prevailed over PAOK Thessaloniki 77 – 64 thanks to a strong second half. Mathias Lessort led the Greens with 20 points plus seven rebounds while Kyle Guy scored 14 and gave to the Greens a crucial advantage in the third period, when they were up by 20.

Olympiacos, the SupeCup reigning champion, will face Panathinaikos for the 2023 title on Saturday (19:00 CET).

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Alongside Vasilije Micic to the Oklahoma City Thunder, another EuroLeague MVP is moving from the Old Continent to the NBA, as Sasha Vezenkov will continue his career in the USA with the Sacramento Kings for three years. Before doing so, Olympiacos own got his last accomplishment over her.

The 28-year-old forward, in fact, received the Greek League MVP after dragging the red-and-white team to the domestic title and Greek Cup. This is his 3rd Greek League MVP after receiving it with Aris in 2014-15 and with Olympiacos in the 2021-22 season. In Greece, the former FC Barcelona player had 17.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game, shooting 59.5% from two, and 43.4% from deep.

“In the vote of the captains and coaches of the teams of the Basket League, which forms 60% of the final result, the 28-year-old forward of the red and white collected 75% of preferences (15 votes). Vezenkov’s percentage was even higher in the voting of the representatives of the Mass Media. The 28-year-old forward was voted MVP by 78.33% (47 votes), followed by Olympiacos’ Kostas Sloukas and Peristeri’s Sylvain Francisco with 5%. In the vote of the sports fans, Vezenkov gathered 51.75% of the preferences with Yanik Franke of PAOK in second place with 3.35%”, the official press release stated.

MVP και Πιο Δημοφιλής για 2η σεζόν ο Σάσα Βεζένκοφ #BasketLeague #BasketLeagueAwards #mvp

https://t.co/4L8wEcPN8d pic.twitter.com/zuB6loqDR0

— ΕΣΑΚΕ (@esakegr) July 3, 2023

“I want to thank everyone who voted for me as the MVP of the season, but also as the most popular player I also want to thank the entire Olympiakos organization. The Presidents, Mr. Panagiotis, and George Angelopoulos, the coaches, my teammates, and everyone who works in the team. The people who are behind the… lights and are there every day for us. Without all of them, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve these awards”, Sasha Vezenkov commented after receiving the awards.

“I am very happy that we were crowned champions of Greece. We worked very hard for this, played very beautiful basketball, and deservedly reached the top for the second season in a row. For the upcoming season, I wish health to all the teams, and that it becomes a competitive league, without violence and extremes. And of course, I wish Olympiacos to remain at the top”, the 28-year-old forward said after moving from Europe to the NBA with the Sacramento Kings.

Dominating the scene in the Greek League, Sasha Vezenkov also had the best season of his career in the EuroLeague, receiving the Regular Season MVP and going inches away from winning it all as Final Four MVP in Kaunas. In his fifth EuroLeague season with Olympiacos, the Bulgarian superstar had 17.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game, shooting 65.5% from two, 37.8% from beyond the arc, and 87.9% at the free throw line. Despite his 29 points and 9 rebounds in the EuroLeague Final against Real Madrid, Olympiacos lost due to Sergio Llull’s game-winning buzzer-beater.

PHOTO CREDIT: Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

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Panathinaikos Athens was sanctioned to play three games of the 2023-24 Greek League behind closed doors due to the incidents that took place in Game 4 of the 2023 Finals vs. Olympiacos Piraeus. The Greens had previously received a sanction of one game in an empty OAKA arena for what happened in Game 2 (fans throwing water and yogurt at the bench of Olympiacos).

Per the announcement by the Greek League Sports Judge, Panathinaikos was punished for “incidents that are considered defamatory to the sport, and the game wasn’t permanently stopped because of these incidents.” With almost 13 minutes to play and their team down 35 – 63 to Olympiacos, some Panathinaikos fans began throwing flares and smoke bombs toward the bench of Olympiacos and onto the protective net above it.

The game was interrupted as Olympiacos players headed to the locker room and, shortly afterward, the referees ordered the evacuation of the arena for the game to be finished. According to several reports, technical equipment (computers, monitors) was stolen from the officials’ table during the hiatus rendering the completion of the game impossible.

Initially, it was expected that Panathinaikos will start the 2023-24 season with two points deducted since that’s the standard sanction when a host club is considered responsible for actions that force a game to be permanently stopped. The ruling by the Sports Judge was that the game was forfeited for reasons that didn’t have to do with what caused its interruption and thus Panathinaikos didn’t receive the maximum punishment.

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Olympiacos Piraeus celebrated winning the back-to-back Greek League championship title by holding the traditional “fiesta” that took place in a sold-out Peace and Friendship arena.

It was a special night for Olympiacos and the club’s fans who once again took the opportunity to ask reigning EuroLeague MVP Sasha Vezenkov to stay in Greece and resist the temptation of moving to the NBA with the Sacramento Kings.

Vezenkov received one of the biggest ovations of the night from the Olympiacos crowd. It could only be matched by the massive applause with which the Reds’ faithful welcomed club co-owners and presidents and Giorgos and Panagiotis Angelopoulos, along with head coach Giorgos Bartzokas.

When Olympiacos captain Kostas Papanikolaou presented the trophy all hell broke loose and, shortly afterward, players and fans eventually joined forces to become one during the festivities.

“When I came to Olympiacos I wouldn’t believe it, I couldn’t even imagine such thing”, said Vezenkov to Eurohoops about hearing the plea of thousands to remain a Red after a season where the team won the Greek League, Greek Cup, Greek SuperCup and came one shot away from also claiming the EuroLeague crown.

It seems that everyone asks Vezenkov to stay where he is and ignore any serenade he may hear from the Kings’ sirens. His teammate Giannoulis Larentzakis sang him fans’ tune (which is completely NSFW by the way and not really translatable) and EuroLeague legend and former two-time EuroLeague champion with Olympiacos Vassilis Spanoulis echoed the sentiment, albeit in a bit of a different way and while leaving the Kings out of the it.

“Sasha you rascal stay in the Port (Piraeus),” Spanoulis chanted at Vezenkov in a night club.

Vezenkov reacts to all these with a kind of beautiful astonishment. “If someone had told me back then I would have laughed. People see our effort and how hard we work and how we have won games and titles. The most important thing is the effort and the healthy mentality that we put out. Our fans are identified with those values”. Vezenkov arrived at Olympiacos in 2018 after parting ways with Barcelona as a misfit and evolved into being named to the All-EuroLeague First Team twice in a row in 2022 and 2023 and being named MVP this season.

Regarding his negotiations with the Kings, Vezenkov didn’t give any concrete answer on how the situation is progressing: “I definitely feel happy and beautiful with what the fans chant for me. The respect I have for everyone is enormous. Now we should be happy. By NBA rules, no discussion can take place until June 23. So, we’ll see”.

Peace and friendship stadium under exclusive control of Olympiacos

The celebration included also some important news for the club. As co-president Giorgos Aggelopoulos announced while talking to the fans: “It’s time for Olympiacos to get its own gym, SEF”.

SEF is the Greek acronym for the “Peace and Friendship stadium”, the home court of the Reds since the nineties. While it has been the home of Olympiacos for decades, it’s a state-owned facility, which now is expected to pass on the hands of three-time EuroLeague champions for the next 50 years, like it already happened with OAKA and Panathinaikos.

Olympiacos is willing to make changes in the arena and in time expand the capacity to 15,000 seats.

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By Eurohoops team / info@Eurohoops.net

Olympiacos Piraeus was crowned Greek League champion for a second straight season after Game 4 of the Finals against Panathinaikos Athens was terminated early amid some eventful incidents that took place in the OAKA arena.

Following an initial interruption that lasted for approximately an hour, the officials ruled that the game can’t resume as the Reds, that were up 2-1 in the best-of-five series, were declared winners.

With 12:46 minutes to play and Olympiacos up 35 – 63, fans began hurling various objects, including smoke bombs and flares, at the bench of Olympiacos and onto the protective net above the players and coaches.

The referees called for the interruption of the game as Olympiacos personnel headed to the team’s locker room.

Panathinaikos players stayed on the court but the atmosphere was too foggy for the game to begin again. Shortly afterward, the referees ordered the evacuation of the arena as a safety precaution for the match to continue.

While the bulk of Panathinaikos fans immediately began heading to the exit doors of OAKA, some hooligans stayed, destroying seats and throwing them all over the place while emptying fire extinguishers.

Things got out of hands at OAKA pic.twitter.com/0YgRDnEl2p

— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) June 15, 2023

According to several reports, equipment (computers, monitors) from the officials’ table was also stolen and destroyed.

Amid all this chaos, it was decided that the game can’t continue and it was forfeited in favor of Olympiacos.

Panathinaikos is expected to be punished for next season with four games behind close doors, plus -2 points in the standings.

Before the game’s interruption, Olympiacos was dominating, with Alec Peters and Sasha Vezenkov having 11 points apiece. Lefteris Mantzoukas had six points for Panathinaikos.

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Following the tragedy which resulted as of now in 79 dead migrants from the shipwreck in international waters off the coast of Pylos, the Greek interim government announced three days of national mourning, starting from Wednesday 14 at 21:00 to Saturday 17 at the same time.

This means that Game 4 of the Greek Finals series between Olympiacos and Panathinaikos, originally scheduled on Thursday 15 at 20:15 CET, could have been moved. However, it appears that sports events are not considered as circumstances that will be suspended during the three-day national mourning.

“The three-day national mourning refers to the suspension of festive events and celebrations. Sports events do not fall into this category, so the scheduled events can be held unless the organizing authority decides otherwise. It is considered self-evident to observe a minute of silence in memory of the victims of the recent shipwreck tragedy off Pylos which has caused worldwide grief”, the Greek general secretary of sports explained.

After losing for the first time in 15 Athens derbies in Game 2 of the series, Olympiacos bounced back against Panathinaikos to lead the series 2-1, and now needs only one win to claim the Greek title.

Read all the latest news from the basketball world

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The interim government of Greece declared a three-day national mourning period after the tragedy which resulted in 79 (so far) dead migrants from the shipwreck in international waters off the coast of Pylos.

With elections looming on the 25th of June, even the scheduled debate between the political leaders which was scheduled for Thursday 15/6 is expected called off and the same may apply to the Greek League Finals Game 4, even if initially the game was expected to be postponed.

The national mourning takes effect from 21:00 on Wednesday through 21:00 on Saturday.

There’s no official decision yet, the announcement is expected to be made in a few hours. However, with the tickets for the game almost sold out, what was initially a slight possibility for the game to be held on Thursday, now it’s considered almost a certainty.

With Panathinaikos being banned for one game after incidents in Game 2, the saction should be applied if the game is held in Saturday. Per league bylaws, the decision is valid five days after the announcement, so if there’s a postponement, the tickets must be reimbursed and the game will be played without fans.

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Sasha Vezenkov trained today (14/6) with his teammates, so everything shows that he will line up for Olympiacos normally tomorrow at OAKA.

The EuroLeague MVP did not practice on Tuesday as he felt discomfort in the spot where he was injured in Game 2 – again at OAKA – and forced him to leave the game in the 28th minute.

He fought his way to play in game 3 of the finals against Panathinaikos and stepped on the court for 20 minutes, helping his team to victory as much as he could.

His absence from Tuesday’s training was ultimately not a concern and he returned today.

But not Kostas Papanikolaou who suffered a concussion in Game 3. The captain of Olympiacos was injured in the third game, after playing 40 minutes in the previous OAKA match.

He only played for ten minutes in the first half and none in the second as he was unable to do so.

For the second day, he did not train with his teammates, he is undergoing intensive treatment but it seems that the time slots are very tight and he will not compete tomorrow (15/6) at OAKA.

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Georgios Barzokas had a memorable birthday as Olympiacos Piraeus emerged victorious in Game 3 of the Greek finals. His team convincingly defeated Panathinaikos Athens 75-52, securing a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series.

Kostas Sloukas returned to the lineup for Olympiacos after recovering from a stomach flu that caused him to miss Game 2. He made an immediate impact, leading his team with 14 points. Shaquille Mckissic and Moustapha Fall also contributed with 11 points each.

Despite suffering an injury in the previous match, Sasha Vezenkov made a timely recovery and played 20 minutes in Game 3, scoring seven points.

On the losing side, Marius Grigonis led Panathinaikos with 13 points, followed by Paris Lee with 11.

After a close first quarter where Olympiacos trailed 18-19, they stepped up their defensive efforts. Their tightened defense proved effective as they allowed only nine points in the second quarter, taking a 36-28 lead at halftime.

Carrying their momentum into the third period, Olympiacos continued to extend their advantage. They started the final quarter with a commanding 62-41 lead and comfortably closed out the game.

Giannis Antetokounmpo was in the stands of the Peace and Friendship Arena in Piraeus to watch Game 3. The NBA superstar was not alone; he was accompanied by his brother Alex and the Milwaukee Bucks coaching staff, including the new head coach, Adrian Griffin.

Greek finals (best-of-five):

Game 1: Olympiacos – Panathinaikos 73-30
Game 2: Panathinaikos – Olympiacos 67-65
Game 3: Olympiacos – Panathinaikos 75-52
Game 4: Panathinaikos – Olympiacos (15/06)
* Game 5: Olympiacos – Panathinaikos (18/06)

* – if necessary

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Panathinaikos will have to play one game behind closed doors as a punishment for the incidents that occurred in the game against Olympiacos in the finals of the Greek League.

In the official statement, it is also noted that Panathinaikos will have to pay a total fine of 3.000 euros, 2.000 for the incidents that led to the one-game without fans sanctions, and an additional fine of 1.000 euros because of the use of laser-pointers by the fans during the game, aimed at the players.

Due to the Greek league rules, any punishment can be implemented no earlier than five days after the announcement of the sanction. That’s why there’s no time for the ban to be imposed in Game 4 of the Finals, while also Olympiacos was also punished with one game without fans and the ban can be applied either to Game 5 of the Finals if needed, or also next season.

The series between Olympiacos and Panathinaikos is tied at the moment 1-1.

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Panathinaikos tied the Greek final series to 1-1 after a win in OAKA, led by Mateusz Ponitka and Paris Lee with 12 points each.

The US player had an unpleasant experience after the match, receiving serious threats on social media.

“Ok, now this sh** is getting out of hand. Rocks to my head. Damn, we win one game, and I’m getting all types of crazy threats,” Lee wrote.

He also shared the message he received, with someone threatening the former Monaco player to “get ready for some rocks at his head.” And it gets even worse and more insulting…

Both games were marked with incidents. Before Game 1 in Peace and Friendship Stadionu, Panathinaikos had a “warm” welcome with objects thrown at the team trying to enter the gym.

As recorded in the official scoresheet before Game 2, Panathinaikos fans sitting courtside verbally attacked coach Georgios Bartzokas while water and yogurt were thrown onto the bench of Olympiacos.

Olympiacos is already punished with a Game 5 to be played in front of the empty stands; it’s still unclear if Panathainikos will get disciplined similarly.

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Panathinaikos Athens tied the Greek final series to 1-1 with a tight 67-65 win at OAKA. Olympiacos played without Kostas Sloukas and lost Sasha Vezenkov and Thomas Walkup during the match.

Sloukas was out due to the stomach flu but has since returned to the regular rhythm in training, and he will participate in Game 3 of the Finals.

Still, the latest news about Vezenkov’s availability is not so encouraging. EuroLeague’s MVP and Top scorer suffered a bone edema in his right knee in the final minutes of the third quarter in Game 2.

The Bulgarian international underwent intensive treatment throughout the evening following his injury at the OAKA, but his participation in the third match is considered highly doubtful, as Olympiacos informed.

It is considered certain that Vezenkov will not train at all until Sunday or will simply do maintenance, depending on the pain in the next two days and while, of course, he will continue the treatment.

Logically, until the matchday, the situation will not be clarified because even though Vezenkov avoided a severe injury, his recovery time is insufficient for a certain assessment of his participation in Game 3.

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Sasha Vezenkov dropped on the floor after a hard foul by Panathinaikos guard Lefteris Bochorides and left the game two minutes before the end of the third period in Game 2 of the Greek league Finals between Olympiacos and Panathinaikos.

The EuroLeague MVP went straight to the hospital for tests on his right knee. He had an MRI, which revealed a bone edema on the posterior surface of the medial tibial condyle of the right knee.

The worst case scenario has been avoided and it remains to be seen if he will be able to return to action in time for the series. However with Game 3 being held on Sunday, his participation in the contest is highly doubtful.

Meanwhile, Bochorides was devastated by the injury of his opponent and was in tears in the locker room after the game, while he also visited Olympiacos locker room to check on Vezenkov, but was informed that he had already left for tests.

Panathinaikos won Game 2 and tied the series at 1-1 while Olympiacos is protesting for the refereeing decisions.

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Olympiacos Piraeus missed the chance to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five Greek final series and blamed a 67-65 defeat by Panathinaikos Athens in OAKA on the referees.

The Piraeus Club issued a short statement about it to express its displeasure and indignation.

“We could only lose tonight because of such officiating. Everything that happened in OAKA is a shame,” per the official announcement.

Olympiacos finished the game without Sasha Vezenkov due to injury and Thomas Walkup getting ejected at the beginning of the second half.

At the press conference, Olympiacos head coach Georgios Bartzokas also talked about the decision of the referees to eject his team’s best player in the first two quarters.

“Congratulations to Panathinaikos. We have to evaluate the situation for the next match. We have some issues. Unfortunately, Tarik Black is not healthy, Kostas Sloukas also, while Sasha Vezenkov got injured, and we will find out what he has. Walkup wonders how the unsportsmanlike foul and technical penalty was given. We lost a match and made mistakes in defense and attack. We will be ready for the next game,” Bartzokas said.

As it’s recorded in the official scoresheet before the game, Panathinaikos fans sitting courtside verbally attacked coach Bartzokas, while water and yogurt were thrown to the bench of Olympiacos.

Plus at the end of the game, there was a verbal attack on Olympiacos team manager Christos Bafes, flares were used, and also insulting chants. Due to all those incidents, it’s possible that Game 4 at OAKA will be played without fans. Game 5 at Olympiacos’ gym is already banned for spectators and will be played with empty stands.

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Panathinaikos Athens tied the Greek final series to 1-1 with a dramatic 67-65 win over Olympiacos Piraeus in OAKA, as Giannis Antetokounmpo and his brother Alex watched the game from courtside.

Olympiacos couldn’t count on Kostas Sloukas due to the stomach flu, Thomas Walkup got ejected at the start of the second half, and Sasha Vezenkov was injured in the third quarter’s closing minutes.

Mateusz Ponitka and Paris Lee led Panathinaikos to its first victory over arch-rivals after 14 straight defeats and 563 days without a derby win, scoring 12 points each.

For the decimated Olympiacos, Kostas Papanikolau scored 15 points, Thomas Walkup had 14 points before the ejection, and Mostapha Fall added 11 points.

Ponitka called game

Panathinaikos opened the game with a 15-4 run and finished the first period with a 25-13 lead. Olympiacos fought back in the second quarter, leaving the host to just eight points and completely turning the game around to welcome the break leading 35-33.

At the start of the second half Walkup, the best Olympiacos player in the first two quarters with 14 points, got ejected after receiving an unsportsmanlike foul and technical penalty.

Still, the guests were still up for a couple more minutes but lost Sasha Vezenkov in the final moments of the third period due to injury, and PAO saw the chance to regain a 51-50 lead before the decisive period.

It was an even battle until the last moments, but Ponitka called the game, scoring a three-pointer with 17,4 seconds to go for a crucial 67-65 lead.

Game 3 of the best-of-five final series is scheduled for Sunday, June 11, at 20.15 CET, in Peace and Friendship Stadium. Olympiacos will have the support of its fans because the punishment for the Game 1 incidents will affect potential Game 5.

Greek finals (best-of-five):

Game 1: Olympiacos – Panathinaikos 73-70
Game 2: Panathinaikos – Olympiacos 67-65
Game 3: Sunday, June 11 at 20.15 CET
Game 4: Thursday, June 15 at 20.15 CET

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Olympiacos is punished by the sports judge of the Greek league with one game behind closed doors for the incidents that happened in Game 1 of the Finals.

However, according to the league rules, this sanction will be applied in Game 5 of the Finals, if the game is needed, or in the first game of the next season. Every such sanction can be imposed five days after the announcement of the verdict.

So the deadline has passed for Game 3, which will be played on Sunday with fans, and the tickets are already being sold.

Meanwhile, Olympiacos is expected to appeal the decision.

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Kostas Sloukas will not be able to compete against Panathinaikos. The Greek guard will be absent from the second game of the finals of the Basket League in OAKA, due to gastroenteritis.

He had not trained at all with the rest of the team and it was a realistic scenario that he would not be in the 12. This finally prevailed a few hours before the derby, in a huge competitive loss for the red and whites.

In 18 league games this year, the 32-year-old guard is averaging 6.3 points-4.9 assists in 18:34 minutes.

In the first SEF Final, in his team’s 1-0 (73-70), he had 12 points-4 rebounds-4 assists in 25:16′.

We remind you that Isaiah Kanaan does not have the right to participate, as he is not on the domestic roster for the playoffs.

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A tight game opened the best-of-five series between Olympiacos and Panathinaikos, to decide Greece’s Basket League champion.

Following the Game 1 loss Sunday, the Greens released a statement Monday addressing the referees and also the incidents marking the arrival of the team at the Peace and Friendship Stadium also tabbed as SEF.

Determined to “earn what it deserves on the court,” was the opening point shared in the press release, additionally noting the team being “relentless when others attempt to steal from the effort of the players,”.

The Athens outfit went on to demand sanctions against “those determining the outcome of the games,” from the Hellenic Basketball Federation and the Referee Central Committee, authorities responsible for assigning the officials for Basket League games. “We demand equality,” underlined Panathinaikos.

“This is the third Basket League game opposite Olympiacos decided by refereeing crimes for all Greece to see,” added the statement bolding the word ‘crimes’ to connect with the Greens ‘running out of patience,’.

Regarding the items thrown at players and other team members at the entrance of SEF, Panathinaikos stressed “considering a heavy punishment as a given” from competent judges and the Hellenic Basketball Association, HEBA, the governing body in charge of Greece’s top-flight division since 1992.

Switching to the opposite venue, OAKA, the series is scheduled to continue with Game 2 Thursday. Back to SEF, Game 3 is set for Sunday. Games 4 and 5, if necessary, have been set for Thursday, 15 June, and Sunday, 18 June, respectively.

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It seemed Olympiacos Piraeus was in complete control in Game 1 of the Greek finals, but in the last quarter, Panathinaikos made a strong push and turned the score around.

Still, the hosts remained calm, regained the lead, and won in the last seconds 73-70 to make the first step to another domestic trophy.

Sasha Vezenkov led the winning side with 20 points and seven rebounds, but the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague MVP and Top scorer had 16 points in the first quarter. Thomas Walkup added 13 with seven assists, Kostas Sloukas finished the start of the final series with 12 points, and Moustapha Fall added 11.

As for Panathinaikos, Marius Grigonis led the way with 17 points, including a three-pointer that gave his team the lead (66-65) with two minutes on the clock. Paris Lee followed him with 14 and eight assists, while Mateusz Ponitka had nine, but seven of his points came in the last quarter.

Violent welcome against Panathinaikos and drama in the last moments

Before the match, Panathinaikos had a “warm” welcome in Peace and Friendship Staidum, with objects being thrown at the team trying to enter the gym.

The situation calmed down, the game started as scheduled, and Vezenkov dominated from the get-go, scoring more points than Panathinaikos in the first ten minutes (16-14), with just two missed shots. Olympiacos was in control until the last couple of minutes of the first half when the guests finally showed their teeth. Still, Georgios Bartzokas’s team had a 41-33 lead after 20 minutes.

But Greens pushed again at the beginning of the third period and came with just a point. After a great fight, Olympiacos pushed back and regained a double-digit lead before the last break.

PAO refused to give up and, led by Ponitka, Panagiotis Kalaitzakis, and Marius Grigonis, made an 18-4 run to turn things around with two minutes on the clock (66-65 lead for Panathinaikos). Walkup and Fall gave Olympiacos their lead back, and Sloukas scored four consecutive free throws in the last 50 seconds for the win.

Game 2 in OAKA Arena is scheduled for June 8 at 20.15 CET. The finals are played in the best-of-five series.

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