Newcomer stuns Panathinaikos
Panathinaikos, a powerhouse in domestic and European basketball, suffered a shock one-point loss in a second-round Greek league game last night against newly promoted Olympiada Patras, a provincial club playing its first season in the country’s top division, the A1. The star-studded Athens club, whose ranks make up a key part of the national team that was runner-up at last summer’s Worlds, lost 68-67, away. For Olympiada Patras, it was the club’s first-ever win in the A1 league. This was also the case for Aegaleo, another side making its big league debut, which beat Larissa 82-63 at home with a 51-point contribution from American guard Keydren Clark. Panathinaikos, the defending champion, had suffered a similar shock defeat two seasons, losing to another newly promoted club, Olympia Larissa. Last night, Olympiada Patras displayed determination from the beginning for a 17-16 lead at quartertime and a 35-27 at halftime. Panathinaikos rebounded in the third quarter to take a 52-48 lead, but the relatively inexperienced home team remained composed to battle its way to victory by the narrowest of margins. Olympiakos, which shares top spot with Panionios and Apollon Patras, beat Panellinios 84-71. In other games, it was: Aris-Maroussi, 68-67; Olympia Larissa-Makedonikos, 73-57; Panionios-PAOK, 90-72, Apollon Patras-AEK, 97-90.
