SPORTS

Strong step for the Final Four

Panathinaikos, one of the Euroleague’s most convincing performers this season in basketball, made a solid start to its quest for a Final Four berth with an impressive 80-58 win over Dynamo Moscow in Athens last night for a 1-0 lead in their best-of-three quarterfinal series. The two clubs will now meet for the second game in the series tomorrow in Moscow. If a third and final game is required, it will be played next week at Panathinaikos’s home ground, the Greek club’s reward for topping its group in the competition’s previous stage. Last night, Panathinaikos began establishing a sturdy lead late in the first quarter of play. The home team led 13-7 seven minutes into the game and had broken away with a 22-11 advantage three minutes later. Highlighting the Greek team’s depth in talent, Panathinaikos coach Zeljko Obradovic opted to rest his regular starters throughout the second quarter, but the Russians could not get any closer than 16 points to their Greek opponents. The pre-game proceedings were dominated by the ongoing fallout since last week’s fatal mass brawl between organized rival hooligans of the Panathinaikos and Olympiakos clubs on the outskirts of Athens, not far from an arena hosting a women’s volleyball game between the archrival clubs. A minute of silence was observed in remembrance of the fight’s victim, 22-year-old Michalis Filopoulos. At its end, the silence was broken by loud chants from Panathinaikos fans that condemned Olympiakos fans. Olympiakos, also through to the Euroleague’s quarterfinals, was hosted later last night by Spanish club Tau Ceramica in their best-of-three opener.

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