Panathinaikos BC AKTOR defeated FC Barcelona 93-79 on the road, in a game for Round 36 of the EuroLeague regular season. Cedi Osman was the top scorer for the Greens with 21 points.

The game was balanced in the opening minutes, with Panathinaikos BC AKTOR leading 5-2 in the 2nd minute and the hosts tying it at 7-7 a minute later. In the 5th minute, the Greens made it 13-7, and in the 6th they pulled away to a double-digit lead (10-20).

The margin reached +12 (12-24) in the 8th minute, but FC Barcelona cut it to 24-18 a minute later, before the end of the first quarter at 27-23. In the 13th minute, the Greens extended the lead to 38-25, with the hosts responding to make it 40-31 in the next minute.

Panathinaikos BC AKTOR went up 46-36 in the 17th minute and stretched the lead to 55-38 in the 19th, which was also the halftime score. The hosts reduced it to 55-42 in the 21st minute, but the visitors immediately answered to make it 60-42. In the 25th minute, the lead exceeded 20 points (44-65), and in the 28th it reached 26 (46-72). The Greens went up by 31 points in the 29th minute (46-77), while the third quarter ended at 80-49. The final period was purely procedural, with Panathinaikos BC AKTOR sealing the win with the final 93-79.

Quarters: 23-27, 38-55, 49-80, 79-93.

FC Barcelona (Pascual): Punter 10 (2), Marcos 2, Cale 10 (2), Norris 15 (3), Vesely, Brizuela 2, Hernangomez 2, Fall, Clyburn 10 (2), Shengelia 10, Kusturica, Parra 18 (2).

Panathinaikos BC AKTOR (Ataman): Shorts 6, Kalaitzakis, Osman 21 (3), Sloukas 12 (3), Hayes-Davis 14 (2), Grant 2, Nunn 14 (2), Lessort 10, Faried, Grigonis, Hernangomez 12 (2), Mitoglou 2.

Ataman: “We played perfect basketball for 37 minutes”

The head coach of Panathinaikos BC AKTOR, Ergin Ataman, stated in the Press Conference following the away game against FC Barcelona:

“For 37 minutes tonight, I believe we played perfect basketball. Defensively, we were strong and protected the paint. Clyburn and Shengelia couldn’t find opportunities in the low post. At the beginning, we gave Punter a few shots, but then we adjusted. We scored in transition in the first half thanks to our excellent defense. In the second half, we controlled the game and moved the ball well. We built a big lead and then relaxed a bit. We got the win and the point differential, which is very important for the standings right now.

There is no question about Lessort’s quality. Before his injury, for two years, he was the best center in Europe. Now, with every game and the minutes he gets, he is improving. Today he played the right way, we gave him the ball at the right moments and he did a good job. His contribution will be important in the future.

You can see our fans everywhere in Europe. If you come to Athens, you will understand their passion for basketball and for Panathinaikos. So far, we haven’t done a great job, as we had several injuries. Barcelona was without Satoransky and Laprovittola today. Our fans are amazing all over Europe, but in Athens there is a special passion for the team.

We don’t have a problem with the budget. Last week, 15,000 season tickets were sold out. If we were playing in a football stadium with 70,000–80,000 seats, it would be sold out as well. The club has balance with its budget, ticketing and sponsors. Our owner, Dimitris Giannakopoulos, was here. The club is using the potential that the fans bring to the market. It was a smart move to sign Hayes-Davis. Our biggest transfer was Lessort returning. We won one game, we don’t know where we will finish in the standings. We need to win the next two.

I am satisfied with the basketball we are playing. We have won our last six games and only lost to Hapoel on the final possession. We have found our rhythm and we are at the most important stage of the season. We need to stay focused on the upcoming games. I hope we qualify for the Playoffs and fight for the Final Four.”