Olympiacos handle pre-game chaos to defeat Panathinaikos on Bartzokas' birthday / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Olympiacos BC Credit Olympiacos BC

After a chaotic start and a game delay, Olympiacos Piraeus comfortably defeated Panathinaikos OPAP Athens 74-61 (23-4, 15-16, 17-18, 19-23) to take Game 1 of the Greek Basketball League's finals.

3-pointers this season

33%7,7Points made:7,7Accuracy:33,2%Place in standings:15Record max:15Record min:1Most made 3FGs:Nemanja NedovicTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

Before the match, there was tension outside the Peace and Friendship Stadium with the local police using tear gas. It created a difficult atmosphere inside the Stadium for both the fans and the players. According to reports, many people experienced difficulties breathing.

Following the situation, the referees of the match decided that in order for everyone to be safe and not to be burdened by the tear gas that passed inside the Stadium the teams should go to the locker rooms. The match was delayed by 15 minutes.

Once Game 1 ultimately started, it was a one-way street for Olympiacos as the team got off to an 11-0 start. The lead continued to grow throughout the first 10 minutes of the match. Olympiacos ended the quarter with a 23-4 lead.

The home team never looked back and comfortably defeated their archrivals.

The game did not end without any incidents though. Shaquielle McKissic slipped in the 2nd quarter and did not return to the game. The initial diagnosis is an ankle sprain.

Olympiacos were led by Kostas Sloukas who scored 16 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, dished out 4 assists, and made 2 steals. Moustapha Fall won the big man battle against Georgios Papagiannis. The French center scored 14 points on perfect 6/6 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds to outduel the Greek counterpart.

It was a rough night for Panathinaikos main scorers Nemanja Nedovic and Daryl Macon. Nedovic was 0/8 in the first half, and made his first basket only in the 31st minute of the match, his first make in 10 tries. Macon, on the other hand, attempted only two shots throughout the entire game.

Without Nedovic and Macon, who average 16 and 12.7 points in the Greek Basketball League respectively, Panathinaikos were handicapped on offense with Ioannis Papapetrou and Okaro White sharing the top-scorer title with 13 points each.

Game 2 of the finals series is scheduled for Tuesday at OAKA.

Olympiacos: Kostas Sloukas 16 (1/4 2PT, 4/6 3PT, 2/3 FT, 7 REB, 4 AST, 3 TO, 2 STL), Moustapha Fall 14 (6/6 2PT, 10 REB), Sasha Vezenkov 12 (4/7 2PT, 1/3 3PT, 10 REB, 3 AST).

Panathinaikos: Ioannis Papapetrou 13 (1/7 2PT, 3/5 3PT, 2/4 FT, 5 REB, 3 AST), Okaro White 13 (2/3 2PT, 3/4 3PT), Jeremy Evans 11 (2/6 2PT, 2/3 3PT, 11 REB).

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