Irresistible Panathinaikos dismantles AEK
Panathinaikos remains hot on Olympiakos?s heels after thrashing struggling AEK 111-70 on April 6 at the Olympic Indoor Arena in Maroussi.
In a game that had been postponed from late March due to Panathinaikos’s Euroleague commitments, the Greens scored their 22nd win in 23 games without breaking a sweat.
AEK was always the underdog in this game and did little to challenge Panathinaikos, likely saving its strength for its remaining games that will determine the club’s prospects of remaining in the top flight.
The match marked the return to domestic action in earnest for Aleks Maric from injury, as the Australian scored 15 points, while Costas Kaimakoglou fared even better with 22 points, including four three-pointers.
The ease with which Panathinaikos took the lead in the first half (31-10 at the end of the first period and 56-38 at halftime) allowed its coach, Zeljko Obradovic, to give substitutes considerable time on court. They kept scoring for the host team, taking the difference to above 40 points at the end.
AEK is one point above the relegation zone, which includes Ilisiakos and Iraklis.
On April 7 Olympiakos visits Peristeri in the other match postponed from the 22nd round of games.
Olympiakos intends to bring back Giorgos Printezis, who is on loan to Malaga, as coach Dusan Ivkovic seems to have lost faith in Australian forward Matt Nielsen.
Printezis left Olympiakos to join Unicaja Malaga a year and a half ago, but was recently left off the Spanish team’s roster following the arrival of Jorge Garbajosa.
