PAOK upsets Panathinaikos to kick off 2015

PAOK Thessaloniki and Panathinaikos Athens took to the hardwood court early in 2015 to play out a postponed game from Round 6 of the regular season. The result was a surprising one as the Black and Whites came up with an amazing upset over the previous league leader in a 71-54 victory. Olympiacos (10-1) now takes the solo lead of the Greek A1 league. This is just the second loss for the visitors from Athens and their 9-2 record has them sitting in a still solid position in the standings. PAOK gained some crucial traction with the win and they solidify their third-place seat with their 8-2 slate.

Panathinaikos was very sloppy and did not take care of the ball very well. Panathinaikos committed 18 turnovers for the game, compared to PAOK’s 13. The defending league champions  also displayed lackluster defense, especially on the perimeter. The hosts capitalized and rained down 10-of-23 bombs from downtown. The three-point rampage allowed them to pull away with a solid lead and Panathinaikos could not keep up with the scoring splurge.

James Gist was the lone bright spot for the Green shirts as he scored 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Unfortunately, he was the only one who managed to score in double figures.

It was a completely different story for the hosts. An inspired team effort resulted in four of their players hitting double figures. Marc Antonio Carter led the way with his 18 points. Vangelis Margaritis was a key contributor with his 16 points and 11 boards.