"Panathinaikos wasn't good, the referees did their job and when Panathinaikos took difference referees started to wishle only for us. Also previous coach (Jasikevicius) had problems with referees here. We will play better in the future but today we were good enough. Our main players are very tired and very few teams won here".
These are delirious statement of a delirious person at the end of Panathinaikos-Olympiacos, for try to justify another defeat and sense of complexity that is reaching very high peaks. But we know about who we are talking, because after these delirious he didn't said anything about, huge problems, of his team, unable to defeat one of the worst seasonal version of Panathinaikos, at least for first twenty minutes. And when referees dind't permit to play your usual rugby you will have more problems than you already have. For close it's enough to say that difference about free throws was by just 4 (30 for PAO and 26 for OLY) and "few teams" that won at OAKA was just...one: CSKA Moscow, simple the best team of Euroleague, and just at only 30 seconds of the game. So, all people have eyes to say and judge.
Back to most interesting things this victory represent the huge force of this TEAM, already "shoked" before jump ball of last minute absence of Antetokounmpo in addition to Lojeski. Two players out at same position, this can't be underestimated. But this TEAM have ability to find everytime different resources, different protagonist and, above all, have to huge ability to never give up despite a terrible starting, with just one shot scored from the field, before buzzer beater tap in of Vougioukas, after first quarter and general difficulties from all main players. But Pascual find help, during first half, with Vougioukas and Lekavicius and, from third quarter, from Kostantinos Mitoglu, one of the main protagonist of the positive partial score, with defence, courage and an amazing three pointer that turned definitively the game. His presence was positive also with Zalgiris, despite some inexperience mistakes, but today he had the classic "fire baptism" and, maybe, Pascual have definitely found a huge resource, for present and, above all, for future.
Without forget K.C. Rivers, the constant nightmare of Olympiacos that, after a quiet first half, exploded during second twenty minutes as his usual, giving the first push to Panathinaikos and putted in Papanikolaou and co. minds first negative thoughts.
So, all discussions about Esake Basket League regular season can be considered ended, with Greens that have four games advantage from opponent with also 2-0 at tie breaker and now all energies must to be for Euroleague, with next two crucial games at Bamberg and at home with Baskonia, with very difficult trip at Thessaloniki against PAOK next Sunday in the middle (just two days after Germany's game...), before the break that will come provvidentially. Because some players are showing some tiredness, as normal can be at this moment of the season, and a stop will have only benefits in order to prepare for the last and decisive part of the season.
