Preview: This one ‘winnable’ (sort of)

Maroussi players celebrating in 2001

In 2007, when the Boston Celtics lost 18 consecutive games, they saw Milwaukee on the schedule, followed by a tough road trip. The Celtics beat the Bucks 117-97 and Paul Pierce said: “We definitely eyed this game.”

Peristeri is Maroussi’s Milwaukee. Peristeri is on a four-game losing streak and is 6-12 overall after starting the season 5-2. Like Maroussi, Peristeri is having financial problems. Three of its top players left the squad. Sound familiar?

Maroussi (0-18) visits its crosstown rival tomorrow night, hosts Panathinaikos (16-2) next week, followed by a trip to Rhodes to face Kolossus (13-5). Maroussi then finishes its season against three clubs in playoff contention.

Maroussi is winless but this is really only Game 2 for the reconfigured squad, playing without four veteran starters who left for greener pastures (i.e. steady paychecks). Their 17-year-old center, Lampros Tsontzos, played 32 minutes last week.

Meanwhile, the flu made its way through the lineup early this week, limiting coach Nikos Linardos‘ ability to prepare the black-and-yellow.

Still, this one is winnable. First, Peristeri doesn’t have a wide-body center the likes of Zisis Sarikopoulos, the muscular 7-footer for Panionios who scored 17 points (8 of 10) in 14 minutes against Maroussi two weeks ago. Peristeri’s Sotirios Manolopoulos, despite his size (6-foot-10), prefers launching 3-pointers (8 of 28 past four games) to grinding in the paint.

Peristeri has been out-rebounded in all four games of its current losing streak. Maroussi, despite losing last week, pulled down 30 rebounds to Rethymno’s 28.

Peristeri’s top scorer Charalampos Giannopoulos (12 ppg) can do a little of everything. The 22-year-old had a career game five weeks ago in an 81-69 victory. He scored 32 points (6 of 7 from 3-point range). He’s slowed down during the current skid. In the past two weeks, he’s 0 for 7 from downtown.

Connecticut alum Gavin Edwards (9.5 ppg, 5 rpg) is connecting on 64 percent of his shots. Giannopoulos and Edwards, 24, are capable of getting the the foul line if their jumpers aren’t falling.

Realistically, though, Maroussi will need continued stellar play from its back court of Lefteris Akepsimaidis (18 points, 7 assists last week) and Giannis Demertzis (16 points, 6 assists). And they’ll need help from newcomer Andreas Kanonidis, (15 points, 5 rebounds last week) and Vagel Sakellariou (15 points).

Don’t pull plug: Five signs of life (Video)

Nikos Linardos

Last weekend’s 92-80 loss to Rethymno extended Maroussi’s season-long losing streak to 18. But basically it was Week 1 of the new-look Maroussi. Four starters have left the cash-strapped club in the past month, the most recent being league-leading scorer Nestoras Kommatos, who joined his new team in Italy last Friday.

But coach Nikos Linardos must at least be mildly optimistic. His youngsters — the starting center is still in high school — play with heart and have nothing to lose. Here are a few points of optimism if you are a Maroussi fan heading into this weekend’s game at Peristeri (which at 6-12 is, dare I say, beatable?):

1. Turnovers: Point guard Lefteris Akepsimaidis, 24, protects the ball. Yannis Gagaloudis (now in Cyprus) led the league in assists (6 per game) and scored 15.5 points per game. He could make something from nothing. But he also led the league in turnovers (4 per game). Akepsimaidis had 2 turnovers Saturday along with 18 points and 7 assists. Two weeks ago, with Gagaloudis out of the lineup, Akepsimaidis didn’t turn it over once. In his past three games, he’s turned it over three times. Backcourt partner Giannis Demertzis (16 points, 6 assists Saturday) has 2 turnovers in the past three games.

2. Rebounding: Maroussi got hammered on the boards two weeks ago in a 40-point loss to Panionios, which had 43 rebounds to Maroussi’s 19. On Saturday, Maroussi outrebounded Rethymno 30 to 28.

3. Lampros Tsontzos: The 17-year-old center is staying out of foul trouble and gaining confidence. He played 32 minutes Saturday and recorded 10 rebounds (half on the offensive end). His only scoring was one free throw, but that will improve with time. Fellow 17-year-old big man Dimitrios Agravanis is more foul prone right now, but shows promise. He had 4 rebounds in 11 minutes Saturday. Both teenagers are 6-10.

4. New blood: In his debut, Andreas Kanonidis, 20, scored 15 points and had 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals (see video below). He previously was under contract with Panionios.

5. Shooting: Maroussi shot 56 percent inside the 3-point line Saturday, compared to 48 percent against Panionios. Five players scored in double figures Saturday. Vagel Sakellariou scored 15 points after averaging 3.3 ppg entering the game.

Christmas records double-double; gives shout-out to young Maroussi

Lampros Tsontzos

This one is what they call a “good loss.” Maroussi’s veterans are gone, so the back-ups and some teen-aged kids from the junior squad gave it their best shot. The visitors from Cretewon 92-80, but young Maroussi (0-18) was in the game the whole way, and led by six points in the third quarter.

Halftime adjustments: Dionte Christmas (center) and Zack Wright talk strategy with an assistant coach.

Even the league’s leading scorer, Dionte Christmas, was impressed. Maroussi “held” Christmas to 21 points and 13 rebounds — his first double-double of the season. After the game, the former Temple star tweeted that he likes the team.

“Those young guys played real hard and had a lot of heart. I respect that team,” he tweeted.

Zack Wright also scored 21 points for Rethymno (11-7) on 9 of 11 shooting. Wright added four rebounds and three steals.

Considering Rethymno’s firepower and Maroussi’s lack thereof, they must feel pretty confident coming out of this one. Five Maroussi players scored in double figures, led by Lefteris Akepsimaidis (18 points, 7 assists). Giannis Demertzis had 16 points and 6 assists. Seventeen-year-old center Lampros Tsontzos pulled down 10 rebounds.

Maroussi led 44-41 at halftime but Rethymno’s Giorgos Koumoulos hit back-to-back 3-pointers to tie the game at 47. Wright put Rethymno ahead for good late in the third when he drove, was fouled and hit both free throws for a 61-59 lead.

The visitors gave themselves breathing room when Koumoulos hit back-to-back 3-pointers again, making it 77-66 with seven minutes remaining. A Wright steal and long pass to Brent Petway for a dunk (see video) made it 83-71 at the 3:30 mark. Maroussi pulled within six points, but got no closer.

For Maroussi, it was the first time this season not having either leading scorer Nestoras Kommatos (20.4 ppg) or leading playmaker Yannis Gagaloudis (15 ppg, 6 apg) on the court. Like two starters before them, Kommatos (to Italy) and Gagaloudis (to Cyprus) left because of Maroussi’s financial problems.

Petway dunk:

Christmas 3-pointer:

Kommatos scores 40 points in Maroussi loss

Nestoras Kommatos had such a good game today, he probably could have solved Greece’s debt crisis, just on sheer willpower. Maroussi lost 86-82 to PAOK, extending its season-long losing streak to 16 games. But his display of blood — literally; he elbowed a defender in the mouth — and guts leadership was instant-classic worthy.

Nestoras Kommatos

Kommatos scored 40 points, and added 7 rebounds and 3 assists. He found his inner Kobe Bryant — probably more Paul Pierce, actually — by scoring on spin moves in the paint, mid-range jumpers, 3-pointers (seven), and from the foul line, not to mention a dunk. All this from a veteran who turns 35 in May. He played 38:19 minutes, getting just a quick breather in the third quarter.

Fatigue may have been a factor in the fourth quarter, however. Kommatos scored 8 points in the quarter, but he went 0-5 on 3-point attempts. PAOK outscored Maroussi 14-6 in the final three minutes.

The outburst was all the more impressive considering Kommatos, the league’s second-leading scorer (20 ppg) entering the game, was Maroussi’s only real scoring threat. Point guard Yannis Gagaloudis (15 ppg) didn’t make the trip, because of a long-running dispute with PAOK, his former team, over money owed to him. Frank Elegar, a center, and Dimitris Haritopoulos, a power forward, recently left the team, which has been underpaying its players all season.

Only in the fourth quarter did PAOK find a way to slow Kommatos, a two-time Greek league All Star. The Thessaloniki club switched to full-court presses to disrupt Maroussi’s offensive flow — which largely amounted to ‘get the ball to Nestoras and set some picks,’ and with great effectiveness. Gagaloudis’ absence was more evident at this point.

Still, Lefteris Akepsimaidis performed well at the point. He scored 13 points and had three assists, playing all but 30 seconds of the game. Three-point specialist Prodromos Nikolaidis scored all 12 of his points from behind the arc. And Maroussi’s pair of 17-year-old centers — Lampros Tsontzos and Dimitrios Agravanis — played with increasing confidence. They combined for 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting, 4 rebounds, and 9 fouls.

The game paralleled other Maroussi losses: lots of hustle, a late lead, but then something goes wrong. PAOK led 80-78 when Kommatos sank a long jumper with 45 seconds remaining. Giannis Kalambokis, who led PAOK with 16 points, put his team ahead 82-80 on two free throws.

Kommatos then missed a 3-point attempt with 15 seconds remaining and Serbian forward Milutin Aleksic (15 points) was fouled and hit both free throws, giving PAOK a 4-point lead, which effectively sealed the win. Kommatos and Kalambokis traded free throws to end it.

J.R. Giddens, a Boston Celtics draft pick in 2008, sat out with a wrist injury while his PAOK teammate Aaron Pettway had a quiet night — 2 points and 4 rebounds in 14 minutes.