The veteran guard stood out with a complete performance on his debut for the Greek side
Joe Thomasson provides the spark as Panionios stuns Buducnost
Game Report
3 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 13 of 18
Regular Season
group b
Panionios Cosmorama Travel AthensPAN
9785
Buducnost VOLI PodgoricaBUD
group b
Overview
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Almost 100 days had passed since Panionios Cosmorama Travel Athens celebrated its first and only BKT EuroCup win of the season. Heading into Wednesday's clash against a strong Buducnost VOLI Podgorica side, Panionios had 23 losses in 24 games across all competitions, including 11 consecutive defeats in Europe.
Nenad Markovic had shortly arrived to become the team’s fifth coach of the season in a desperate pursuit of the new-coach bounce. His appointment was followed by the arrival of experienced guard Joe Thomasson, who inspired Panionios’s best performance this term.
The Greek side pulled off an upset against a Buducnost team that came into the game as the competition’s fourth-best defense with an average of 78.6 points conceded per game. Not only did Panionios reach its average of 75 points scored per game with 9 minutes left on the clock, but Markovic’s side exploded to a season-high point tally in a 97-85 triumph at home.
“We played against one of the contenders for the EuroCup,” Markovic said in the post-game press conference. “They show every year great performance in the ABA League and EuroCup. It wasn’t easy for the guys, because third coach, third philosophy, everything changed. But they responded fantastic, they brought great energy, they stayed together.”
The hosts bettered all their scoring averages by going 20-for-32 (62.5% 2FG) from inside the arc, 14-for-27 (51.9% 3FG) from deep and 15-for-17 (88.2%) from the free-throw line. They also dished as many as 25 assists and outrebounded Buducnost 31-30.
“I think that this victory is important to make them understand what they need to do as a team to win the games. And we showed it today,” Markovic added. “We played much better defense, we fought, we stayed together in the difficult moments, we controlled the rebounds. Many players made contributions and I think that’s the way for us.”
The team’s confidence on the court was embodied by Thomasson, who hit the ground running at Panionios. Introduced in the starting five by Markovic, the 32-year-old guard embraced the role of the leader from the off.
He helped his team dictate the tempo on offense and hustled from start to finish on defense, pulling off a complete display. In fact, Thomasson ended the game on 16 points, having gone 4-for-6 on field goals and 6-for-6 from the charity stripe. He also bagged 6 assists and 4 rebounds, as well as 1 steal and a block.
“Thomasson is a player who played in winning situations before in Gran Canaria, in Tofas, in Manresa,” Markovic noted. “And he has this mentality to put these guys together and make them understand that he came here to win, not to lose. I think it’s good that a player with his experience and his impact can help other players too.”
Panionios's performance against Buducnost could serve as the turning point for a team that were desperate for a spark, which has been provided by Markovic and Thomasson.
Following such a boost in morale, they will look to build some momentum and find the consistency that will allow them to end the season on a positive note by bouncing back from adversity in this final stretch of the 2025-26 campaign.
