Panathinaikos - Olympiacos

Greece - A1, Playoffs, Final

The Basketball Expert

Beyond all expectations, Panathinaikos had a great chance to defeat Olympiacos and make a break at the beginning of the Greek League finals. They led in the fourth quarter, and had possession at -1 (67:66) 90 seconds before the end, but Marius Grigonis missed a shot to take the lead. Panathinaikos took advantage of Olympiacos relaxation in moments when the red and whites went to a double-digit advantage. Mateusz Ponitka scored some important shots, and team defense was extremely good. However, all this came as a result of the opponent's weaker minutes. Panathinaikos never looked like a serious team in 2023. Derrick Williams is completely out of rhythm, while Nate Wolters is outnumbered and head coach Christos Serelis is not counting on him in this series.

Olympiacos had to work hard in the first game. When it seemed that Panathinaikos could shock them, Kostas Sloukas and Sasha Vezenkov appeared with a couple of good moves. It is true that it is not easy for Olympiacos to forget everything that happened in Kaunas at the Euroleague Final Four. They were one ball away from winning the most important trophy in European basketball and it is impossible to shift their focus completely to the domestic championship now. On the other hand, a possible defeat against Panathinaikos would mean a complete fiasco. This is something that Georgios Bartzokas' team cannot allow themselves.

Olympiacos extended their winning streak against Panathinaikos to 14 on Sunday. H2H is 7-0 in favor of Olympiacos this season. The impression is that the difference in quality has never been bigger than it is now. The "Greens" probably didn’t have a weaker roster in this century, while Olympiacos was the best team in Europe throughout the season. Relaxation or a bad day can always happen, but it should be expected that the end of the first game will have a positive effect on Olympiacos and that they will win this duel much easier than it was the case in the "Peace and Friendship Arena".

Greek scouter

There has been extensive discussion about Panathinaikos' performance throughout the season, including both athletic and mental issues. In the first final at the S.E.F., despite a strong presence, particularly after the first quarter where they struggled, Panathinaikos fell short in the details and lost 73-70. This defeat extends their consecutive losing streak against their long-standing rivals to 14 games. Grigonis led the scoring with 17 points, followed by Lee with 14. P. Kalaitzakis also put in a commendable performance with 8 points. The team expressed some dissatisfaction with the refereeing decisions, even filing a notice of protest. Christos Serelis and his players are hoping for strong support from the crowd in the upcoming game at OAKA to turn the tide and end their negative streak.

On the other hand, Olympiakos faced their first significant challenge since the "shock" of their loss in Kaunas. They managed to secure a hard-fought victory, although they came close to a setback towards the end of the game. Vezenkov emerged as the leading scorer with 20 points, 16 of which were scored in the first half. Fal played a crucial role with 11 points and 5 assists, while Walkup and Slukas contributed 13 and 12 points respectively, making critical shots during crucial moments. The team struggled to get contributions from their second unit players (Larentzakis, McKissick, Peters) and they missed the presence of the absent Kanaan, who is not on the playoff roster. Slukas is dealing with gastroenteritis, and it remains uncertain whether he will be available for the second final. Even if he does play, his lack of practice after Game 1 may affect his performance. Bartzoka's comments expressing satisfaction with Panathinaikos' effort in the matches were somewhat peculiar, perhaps made in the heat of the first final.

Olympiacos managed to secure a victory in the first final, bringing their winning streak against Panathinaikos to 14-0. They understand that another win today would likely seal the series in their favor. However, Panathinaikos showed better performance at the S.E.F., and with the support of their home crowd, their motivation will be even greater. It's now or never for Panathinaikos, and they are aiming for a victory. Let's support them and hope for the best.

Pistol Pete

Euroleague finalists Olympiacos have a great chance to chart a path to winning the Greek Basket League already this Thursday, on the court of city rival Panathinaikos.
The famous "red and whites" played, according to many, the best basketball on the continent this season. They are aiming for the second title in a row in the domestic championship, and the 14th overall in history. As things stand now, the long period of dominance of Panathinaikos (as many as 39 Greek championship titles) is definitely in the past. The rival from the port of Piraeus now operates as a much better organized and more complete unit, at all levels of the club's functioning.
The first match of the final, however, brought more uncertainty than expected – Olympiacos won in front of their fans on June 4, 73:70. The home team almost let go of a double-digit advantage in the last part and scored only 12 points in fourth quarter. However, it seems to be the ideal scenario for Olympiacos - because the favorites have now also received the necessary dose of caution, as they should be prepared for a difficult match away from home.
Overall, in the domestic championship this season, Olympiacos reached the final without defeat in the playoffs. Behind Panathinaikos is a tough semi-final series against Peristeri, which was only decided in the fifth game. Before that, Olympiacos had no defeat in 22 games in the regular season! So this is a team that currently has a total score of 28-0 in the Greek Basket League season. And the Athenian giant Panathinaikos was defeated as many as eight times.
Previously, Olympiacos won against its biggest rival 81:73 in the Euroleague (match played on March 31) at home, and 76:74 away from home in the regular season of the Greek Basket League (duel played on March 19). The obvious difference in quality was seen in the triumphs of the "red and whites" in the national cup (81:65, played on February 18), and even 95:71 on the court of Panathinaikos, on December 30!
In last year's final series of the Greek Basket League, the result was 3:0 for Olympiacos... So PAO fell in a series of 14 losses in the biggest derby of Greece! It is unlikely to break this week.
The reasons are simple: Olympiacos is not only a team with many more quality options in the roster - but also an overall better selected team, when it comes to players in key positions. Famous coach Georgios Bartzokas has at least two players in each position who can be part of any Euroleague team. In addition to forward Sasha Vezenkov, who is the first option in the attack and who will probably leave the club this summer after this final - we should expect excellent performances from two playmakers - Walkup and Sloukas.
On the other hand, players like power forward Derrick Williams can "push" PAO - but that's far from the individual quality that can threaten the continent's best defense.
The chance for the host could be an uncertain ending, in which they could achieve a narrow victory... However, a much more realistic option is that by winning this match, Olympiacos will already schedule a day to celebrate with their fans and in their arena, in the third final duel, for new title.