The Greens were able to lean on Kendrick Nunn, Kostas Sloukas and Jerian Grant in an impressive second-half performance
Backcourt control led Panathinaikos to huge win over Barcelona
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens grabbed a vital victory against FC Barcelona in front of a packed-out OAKA on Friday night, and the control and drive provided by its combination of backcourt stars was a crucial factor behind the 89-81 triumph.
The home team couldn’t get going in the first half, with Barcelona’s greater physicality allowing the visiting team to mount a 0-17 charge which established a 16-point lead, 24-40, towards the end of the second quarter.
That run included a pair of smooth scores from Ricky Rubio and a three-pointer by Nico Laprovittola, and at that stage it appeared the Spanish team would keep hold of the encounter through its combination of frontcourt rebounding and backcourt ball handling.
Panathinaikos leaned on its guards
But that all changed after the break. In the end the Panathinaikos trio of guards proved decisive, with Kostas Sloukas, Kendrick Nunn and Jerian Grant controlling the tempo and the rhythm of the game with their scoring, assisting and defense.
Sloukas, in particular, was a driving force throughout a superb second half which was won 55-35 by Panathinaikos. He spent more than 33 minutes on the floor, registering 18 points and 8 assists to earn a loud standing ovation from the sold-out home crowd in the final moments.
“I’d like to dedicate this victory to the fans.” said Sloukas, returning that love. "They pushed us a lot. I’m very, very happy that they understand that I give everything for the team. I always give 100%, even if I make some mistakes."
If Sloukas was the orchestrator, Nunn was the chief scorer as he finished with 22 points, making 7 of his 11 two-point attempts and 2 of 5 from long-range. And Grant completed the trio with his usual stellar defensive work, grabbing 4 steals including one which led to a thrilling alley-oop combination with Mathias Lessort.
Barca’s backcourt, on the other hand, delivered far less with Tomas Satoransky (12 points), Laprovittola (6) and Rubio (4) unable to find the necessary scoring to complement the efforts of big men Jan Vesely and Willy Hernangomez (13 points apiece).
The final quarter was a chaotic and desperate performance from a Barca team which had totally lost its way in the game, and the contrast with Sloukas and Nunn’s purposeful confidence could not have been greater.