Monday’s classic derby between Basket League Champions Olympiacos and Greek Cup Holders Panathinaikos ended up being more of a one-sided match, than the nail-biting thrillers that sports fans have been accustomed to in recent years, with the “Reds” dominating the match that ended 80-66.
The “Greens”, who one the derby in the first round, were content with a defeat with up to 3 points, since they would have the home advantage in the play offs, should the two teams be tied at the end of the regular season. Unfortunately though for Panathinaikos coach Sasha Djordjevic, his team never really entered the match and ended up trailing by up to 30 points during the first half.
While the match suggested that Vasilis Spanoulis and his team would note experience any trouble, Panathinaikos made mini comeback in the second half, with the difference dropping to 9 points. The difference however was too huge for the “Greens”, who essentially abandoned all hope of a miracle when team captain Dimitris Diamantidis left the game due to an injure in the final five minutes of the match.
The “Reds” carried on hammering their opponents and thanks to critical three-point shots by Daniel Hackett, the Greek champions sealed their win over their arch-rivals and covered the 4-point difference of the first match.
