It was one of the most enjoyable Greek basketball derbies in a long time. Olympiacos outlasted Panathinaikos to make it eight straight wins for the Reds over the Greens in Euroleague. Emmet Ryan on how we might have just seen a preview of the championship game in Abu Dhabi.
That was, simply, great. Obviously, Panathinaikos fans will be unhappy. Still, anyone neutral who watched their comeback against Olympiacos on Friday night will have been impressed. Yet it was the Reds who took the honours and proved why they are the table toppers in Euroleague.
Exhausting defence
There’s a retired Irish boxer called Eric Donovan. He was good but never challenged for a world title. Still, he was good. Lilywhite Lightning picked up an Irish and EU title in his career. That’s who I thought of watching the first half of Olympiacos on Friday.
You see, Eric Donovan was exhausting to fight against. All of his opponents had to work extra hard aerobically when in the ring with him. Even the ones who beat him looked like they needed a couch by the end of the bout. That’s what it was like for Panathinaikos through those opening 20 minutes.
Every basketball battle of the Greek rivals is intense but this was different. There was a level of defensive energy from Olympiacos that was sending a message to the rest of Euroleague. This was the Reds showing just how hard they could make a team work to score against them. I’ve written about the one concern for Olympiacos being that they might peak too early. This looked sustainable. That sends a message to everyone.
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Dinos Mitoglou is athletic
The athleticism of Dinos Mitoglou has been under rated for a long time. Anyone who watched this Euroleague battle surely had their view corrected. Panathinaikos is loaded with some fantastically physically gifted players. The man who looked most comfortable working against the aerobic intensity of Olympiacos was Mitoglou.
It’s been a rough season for the Greens when it comes to front court health. That could have resulted in them tumbling hard. Instead, Mitoglou has taken the responsibility with relish. In the SEF, going up against the ferociously strong Moustapha Fall, he more than held his own.
Mitoglou often gets praised for his workrate and grit. He has those in abundance but it’s also unfair to lean on them. Such terms are usually used for basketball players that lack athletic ability. It’s the athleticism within Mitoglou that fuels his hustle. While on the losing side this night, he proved a physical point in this Euroleague outing.
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The Reds find a way
This one got very tight towards the end. While the clashes between Olympiacos and Panathinaikos in Greece this season have mostly gone the way of the Greens, there’s that Euroleague streak to consider. Much as Panathinaikos have more titles, including the most recent one, they’ve struggled against Oly in Euroleague play.
Friday marked the eighth straight Euroleague win for Olympiacos over Panathinaikos. Both sides are at a stage where you might argue the real basketball begins in the postseason. So be it but we witnessed a wonderful battle in this encounter.
PAO remain in third after this game, thanks to an assist from Efes in the rain-soaked SAP Garden. Still, the rally they showed through the fourth quarter was compelling. For most of the 40 minutes they looked the clearly inferior basketball team. Yet Panathinaikos will still come away thinking they should have won.
Dinos Mitoglou’s impressive athleticism was on full display in Friday’s derby.
A title game preview
It’s only 14 March. We’re still over two months away from the Euroleague Final Four in Abu Dhabi, never mind the title game itself. Yet this one felt on another level. As those of you who watched BiE’s documentary Enemies know (see it above), I was in Athens for the prior meeting.
While that was a great game, I didn’t come out of it feeling like I’d seen two teams destined to meet for the championship in May. The rough edges around both were evident. This was different. Granted, a big derby in basketball and a few cans can colour the mind. Still, the level these sides hit reminded me of the type of performances championship sides deliver.
As the standings look after this round, Olympiacos and Panathinaikos can’t meet until the championship game. Both will have to get through the playoffs and the single elimination format of the semi-finals to get there. Right now, with both expecting reinforcements back from injury, they look ready to get there.
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